A City of Surprises: Afula, the Capital of the Galilee and an Emerging Culinary Powerhouse

Afula, Were You Here or Was I Dreaming?

Did you know that they planned to build an opera house in Afula and sold land near the opera? Would you like to discover the other Afula—a developing, vibrant, and rejuvenated city? Come walk with me from Tel Fula to the Jezreel Valley Railway and the lively market with its variety of flavors!

To encourage settlement in the city during the 1920s, land in the valley was sold on the claim that it would be adjacent to an opera house that would be built in the city. The tempting offer attracted potential buyers, and the city was designed by Richard Kauffmann as a planned European-style city, with an impressive railway station and a central palm-lined boulevard that still exists today.

The city dozed off and did not enjoy a renaissance for many years, and the opera house was never built. In recent years, Afula has shaken off its cobwebs and come alive. Real-estate prices are rising, the city is growing, the market is coming to life, and even the Israeli Opera visited the city for a spectacular production. The pothole on Ha-Sargel Road is flourishing.

We will tour the city and learn about its history at the tel located in the heart of a residential neighborhood. We will walk along the broad boulevard, hearing its stories and seeing its buildings; reach the impressive water tower and the restored, unique railway station that once served the Jezreel Valley Railway; and continue to a celebration of flavors and amazing, surprising graffiti at the rejuvenated market.

The tour will take place subject to a minimum number of participants. Tastings depend on the selection available that day. The tour’s ending time is flexible.