7 Best Sights in Beit Shemesh, Around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea

Winemaker Eyal Rotem puts a premium on quality at this boutique estate winery that produces 100,000 bottles a year. While it's not kosher, the winery prides itself on its ancient and modern Jewish history: it houses a 3,000-year-old-winepress, and during the 1948 war it served as the base for Itzhak Rabin and his Har'el Brigades. Many Clos de Gat wines age beautifully, including the Sycra series, which has garnered international accolades. 

Family-owned, this well-regarded winery sources grapes from the Judean Hills and the Upper Galilee. Many of its bottles, including the Bordeaux blend called The Noble, have garnered international praise for their complexity. Wine-and-cheese tastings are held by appointment only at an elegantly rustic communal table indoors or outside on a wooden deck overlooking the vineyards that are surrounded by pine forests.

Born in the Republic of Georgia, former software engineer Lina Slutzkin remembers how wine was once made there in torpedo-shape clay casks. At Kadma Wines, she uses these unusual vessels to produce a range of red wines. Tours and tastings are available daily by reservation only; book as soon as you can, as they fill up fast. There is a small menu of cheeses, smoked fish, roasted vegetables, and salads to accompany the wine.

In 1968, a routine blast in the Har-Tuv quarry tore away rock face and revealed this 300,000-year-old, subterranean wonderland on the western slopes of the Judean Hills. The Stalactite Cave, also called Soreq Cave, contains a wondrous variety of stalactites and stalagmites. Lights are used to highlight the natural whites and honey browns of the stones, and local guides have given the formations nicknames like "macaroni," "curtains," and "sombreros." Despite the high humidity, the temperature in the cave is comfortable year-round.

There are 150 steps down to the cave, but arrangements can be made for those with mobility concerns to enter by a nearby road, avoiding the steps. Reservations are required and can be made online. An English-language video explains how the cave was formed.

This low-profile archaeological site has fine views of the fields of Nahal Soreq, where Samson dallied with Delilah (Judges 16). When the Philistines captured the Israelite Ark of the Covenant in battle (11th century BC), they found that their prize brought divine retribution with it, destroying their idol Dagon and afflicting their bodies with tumors and their cities with rats (I Samuel 5). The Philistines rid themselves of the jinxed ark by sending it back to the Israelites at Beit Shemesh. The stone ruins of the tell—including the oldest iron workshop in the world—are hard to interpret without an archaeologist on hand. Families enjoy visiting in early spring, when the area is carpeted with wildflowers.

Overlooking the Soreq Valley, this kibbutz estate winery sells and serves reds and whites made only from grapes grown on their property. Notable is the Shoresh blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Syrah (35%) , Petit Verdot (18%), and Merlot (12%). Tastings, which must be booked in advance, include several types of wine, as well as local bread, cheese, and olives. The winemaker also explains the unique soil of the area and the history of the winery. 

Part of the eponymous kibbutz, this winery produces excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay. Call ahead to reserve a tasting and tour, and be sure to order the cheese plate so that you can sample local offerings. Tours also explore the nearby vineyards and ancient winepresses that dot the area. The visitor center is open daily, except for Saturday.