Experience the best of Tiberias

Tiberias was founded around 20 AD by Herod Antipas and named for the Roman emperor Tiberius, and after the destruction of Jerusalem it became a centre of Jewish learning. It is counted among the four holy cities of Judaism, and the tombs of the philosopher Maimonides and Rabbi Akiva are among the sites visitors seek out. The town lies roughly 200 metres below sea level on the western shore of the lake.

Hammat Tiberias, just south of town, has hot mineral springs and the remains of a fourth-century synagogue with a zodiac mosaic floor. Boats cross the freshwater lake, called Kinneret in Hebrew, and its shores have Capernaum, Tabgha and the Church of the Beatitudes, tied to the life of Jesus. Mount Arbel, a cliff to the north-west, gives wide views, and the Jordan River leaves the lake at its southern end.

St Peter's fish, a tilapia fried or grilled whole, is the lake's dish, usually eaten with salads, tahini, hummus and fresh bread at lakeside restaurants. The low basin is very hot in summer, and winters are mild.