Set on a sun-drenched peninsula, Acre is a breezy town on Israel's Mediterranean Coast. It's enclosed within ancient Crusader walls and is studded with soaring minarets, elegant church domes and windswept ramparts. The Old City is a World Heritage-listed site and is brimming with Baha'i charm.
Things to do in Akko
It's hard to resist the allure of Acre's enchanting Old City. It's crisscrossed with cobbled streets and narrow alleys lined with cosy coffee shops, spice markets and street-food stalls. You'll also find plenty of artisan stores selling handmade jewellery, mosaic homewares and embroidered clothing.
Acre's signature attraction is the stone-vaulted Knights' Halls complex. The cavernous 800-year-old chambers were once used as living quarters by medieval knights who guarded the city. You can also peer into The Beautiful Hall, a stunning space where Holy Land pilgrims were invited to sleep, dine and pray.
Surrounding the Shrine of Baha’ullah, the Baha’i Gardens are filled with emerald lawns, bubbling fountains and colourful flower beds. You can stroll around the gardens and visit the handsome mansion where the founder of the Bahá’í Faith has been laid to rest.
Topped by a slender minaret, the Al Jazzar Mosque is an Acre icon. It sits on the northern tip of the Old City and was designed in the classic Ottoman Turkish style. Inside you'll find gleaming marble podiums, beautifully written calligraphy and intricate blue and green mosaics.
Getting around Akko
Acre's Old City is easy to explore on foot. A network of local buses and taxis also run throughout the city and to nearby towns. The main train station is around 1.5 kilometres from the Old City.