Kiryat Shmona

The major urban center in the Upper Hula Valley, Kiryat Shmona is known for the scenic cable car up Manara Cliff and as a practical base for exploring the most northern sections of the country. Adventure seekers and families can enjoy kayaking and sports in the many surrounding nature parks. For years, the instability in neighboring Lebanon profoundly affected life in the town, and by 1982 the spate of terrorist attacks had reached such proportions that Israel responded by invading Lebanon, the first stage of what would become the First Lebanon War. In 2006, Hezbollah again lobbed rockets into northern Israel, sparking the Second Lebanon War.