Nestled in the foothills of Mount Hermon, Majdal Shams is a Syrian Druze town in Golan Heights. It has been settled since at least the early 18th century and has been under Israeli control since the Six-Day War of 1967.
East of the town centre is Shouting Hill, which lies a stone’s throw from the ceasefire line that separates Syria from Israel. Before the advent of mobile phones, residents used to come with megaphones and binoculars to chat with their relatives across the border and it remains a popular landmark today.
Directly north of Majdal Shams is the Mount Hermon Ski Resort, where you’ll find a dozen pistes, a ski school and several restaurants. Outside of the snow season, you can hike through the rugged landscapes of the Hermon Nature Reserve, which provides a habitat for northern wheatears and white-throated robins. Also nearby is Nimrod Fortress National Park with its Ayyubid-built castle.
Getting there
Majdal Shams is around 10 minutes’ drive from Mas’ada and just under two hours from Haifa. Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport are 2.5 hours away. Regular buses connect to Majdal Shams and the town is small enough to explore on foot.