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The Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam was built in 1770-1771 on the orders of King of Prussia Frederick II. He sought to celebrate his victory in the Seven Years' War. Both sides of the gate, built in a Roman victory gate pattern, are designed differently - each side by a different architect. Karl von Gontard designed the side facing the city. His disciple George Christian Unger created the side facing out of town. The pedestrian entrances were added in 1843, directing towards the town of Brandenburg - hence the name of the gate. The Brandenburg Gate stands at the western end of Brandenburg Street. At the east end of the street rises the Church of St. Paul. Between the two impressive buildings lies a beautiful 800-meter pedestrian street, the main street of the Old City. The pedestrian zone houses dozens of shops and boutiques, restaurants, courtyards, and cafes.

Nauener Tor is one of the three Potsdam gates preserved to this day. The gate was built in 1755 by the architect Johan Gottfried Bering, and the three gates were connected by the city wall. However, today the gates are connected by a promenade. The gate is located near the Dutch Quarter, and the extension opposite the entrance is full of cafes, restaurants, and bars.

The Dutch Quarter in Potsdam is consists of 134 two-story red Dutch stone buildings. The quarter was built for Dutch immigrants in 1734 - 1742 and constitutes the largest unique Dutch housing complex outside the Netherlands. The quarter was designed by Jan Bouman and built on the orders of the King of Prussia, Frederick William I. Almost all the houses in the district have been restored and are full of craft shops, galleries, workshops, antique dealers, and cafes.

Sanssouci Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the park, you will find palaces and buildings of the best architects of the 18th century, surrounded by beautiful gardens with sculptures, fruit trees, terraces for growing vines, greenhouses, and a system of fountains. The length of the main boulevard of the park is about 2.5 km, so it is very worthwhile to take enough time to survey the entire park comfortably. Sanssouci Palace Frederick the Great built the Sanssouci Palace in 1745 - 1747 as a summer residence. He called it Sanssouci, which means "Without worries." The interior design has been preserved, and it allows visitors a glimpse into the 18th century. The king himself is buried in the palace. The new palace A vast palace at the western end of Sanssouci Park Promenade. The court has banquet halls, galleries, and royal suites. This is the last palace built by Frederick the Great and was used mainly for hospitality and celebrations. Today, one campus of the University of Potsdam is hosing in the New Palace. The park hosts other essential buildings, such as the "New Chambers" palace, the Orangery Palace, the Chinese Tea House, and more. Unfortunately, we did not manage to visit them all. We will definitely do so the next time. The Chinese Tea House

The Church of St. Peter and Paul in Potsdam is was built in 1867 - 1870 as the first Catholic church in the city. The church is built of yellow bricks with Byzantine and Roman elements. Its Italian bell tower stands out, almost 60 meters high. Inside the entrance are paintings by Antoine Passen, one of the most splendid Baroque and Rococo artists.

The old market square is the heart of the historic city. There are several spectacular and vital buildings around the square: Church of St. Nicholas - A Lutheran church completed in 1849, badly damaged during World War II, and restored after the war. In front of the church stands a 16-meter-high marble obelisk. Before its restoration, it displayed the portraits of Potsdam's rulers. After the restoration, they put the portraits of Potsdam's great architects: Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl von Gontard, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and Friedrich Ludwig Persius. The Brandenburg's state parliament is housed in a palace built by Frederick William the Great, the elector of Brandenburg, from 1664 to 1669. Elector Frederick III added the fortune gate (Fortuna Gate) to the palace. In 1740, Frederick II, King of Prussia, decided to make Potsdam his hometown and renovate the Rococo-style court. After the first world war, the palace ceased to be used as a residence, and the palace became a city council building. During World War II, parts of the palace were damaged, and in 1959 the East German government decided to completely demolish the palace walls. During the 1990s, the municipality decided to restore the historic square. The Parliament building was erected according to the contours of the historic palace. Barberini Museum - Barberini Palace was built in 1771 by Frederick the Great, inspired by the Baroque Barberini Palace in Rome. The palace was used for cultural and artistic events until it was destroyed in World War II. And restored in 2017 as an art museum. The Potsdam Museum was founded in 1909 in an 18th-century Baroque palace that served as the town hall. The museum reopened in 2012, and it tells the history of Potsdam from the Middle Ages and focuses mainly on recent history, from the 19th century to the present day. Potsdam's historic market square is steeped in history and cultural sites. You can tour it for a few minutes and enter the church, or enjoy its museums. In any case - this is a must-see site in Potsdam.

I have wanted to visit Berlin for a long time. For an Israeli, Berlin is a loaded symbol. It was the capital of the Third Reich and Nazism, where the most horrifying actions were planned. The principal seat of Hitler and his fellow murderers. It's not easy to walk the streets and think about every man and woman: I wonder what their grandfather did during the war. The wheel turned, and now Berlin is a trendy destination for Israelis. All the sellers in stores and booths quickly identified us as Israelis, saying that they think half of Israel's population is visiting Berlin. We arrived at Schönefeld Airport in the afternoon, and the first decision we had to make is to buy the Berlin Welcome Card. It includes free rides on Berlin's public transportation and many discounts for attractions, museums, and restaurants. Although we didn't have a plan for the visit, we decided to take it (In retrospect, it paid off). We took a direct train to our lovely hotel, which was just opposite the Berlin Central Station. After a few moments of settling in our room, we set off for an evening walk to some of the most known Berlin icons: the Reichstag's building and Brandenburg Gate. We closed the day by visiting the enormous memorial for the victims of the holocaust. This impressive monument is spread in the heart of Berlin, the home base of the killers. The next day we decided to take an organized tour to the main sites of Berlin with Insider Tours. It was a five-hour tour (it costs us only 10 Euro each with the Welcome Card discount). The journey started at Mitte district, in the Museums Island – a UNESCO World Heritage site with five museums that look great from the outside. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to go inside – but we will definitely do it next time in Berlin. From there, we headed to the Babelplatz, a large square on the famous Unter den Linden street, surrounded by the State Opera, Humboldt University, and St. Hedwig's Cathedral – the first Catholic church of Prussia. At this square, the propaganda minister of the Nazi regime – Joseph Goebbels, lead the Book burning in 1933. 20,000 books of authors and scholars that the Nazis thought of as ideologically opposed to Nazism (or just by being Jews) like Albert Einstein, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, Erich Kästner, and many more. Our next stop was at Gendarmenmarkt square in front of the Berlin Concert Hall. On both sides of the Concert halls rise two twin churches: a French one and a German. And the statue of Friedrich Schiller in the middle. Then we walked to Check Point Charlie – one of the Berlin Wall crossing points during the cold war. We headed to the Government district to see the building used to host the Ministry of Aviation and the brutal Luftwaffe (Nazi Air-Force) Headquarters. Both were led by Hermann Göring, one of the most influential Nazi leaders. Today the building is the house of the Federal Ministry of Finance. Not far from there was the Bunker, where Hitler got suicide at the end of WWII. Now there is only a tiny yard left, lying between some communist-style buildings. We wanted to see Berlin from above, so we went to Panoramapunkt at Potsdamer Platz. We paid a few euros and entered the fastest elevator in Europe to the upper floors. The viewpoint is consisting of two levels, including a café with great views. We ended that day visiting the famous Alexander Platz. The next day we decided to join a tour that was dedicated to Jewish life in Berlin. We started in the Grunewald Station, which was the place where 50 thousand of Berlin's Jews were deported from. They were sent to extermination camps and labor camps. Several memorials were built in the station area. The most important onw is the one established by the German Rail company, who fully cooperated with the Nazi regime and sent those Jews and millions more, to their horrifying death. Then we went to where the old synagogue stood until the end of the second world war when it was destroyed by an airstrike. In 1905, the Jewish community built an administrative center next to the synagogue. In 1943, When the Nazis arrested the last Jews who remained in Berlin, with intentions to deport them to Auschwitz, hundreds of German women demonstrated to release their Jewish husbands for days – and succeeded. An impressive monument was built here to commemorate this successful civic resistance. Our next stop was at the poor old residence of the Eastern Jews who came to Berlin at the end of the nineteenth century. Today the place is bustling with people, shops, and restaurants. Near those blocks lies the Otto Weidt Museum. The museum tells an inspiring story about a righteous among the nations, who operated a workshop for brushes, hiring blind and deaf Jews, and continued to look after them and hide them during the war as well. From there, we walked to the remains of the oldest Jewish cemetery in Berlin, established in 1672. Next to it stands a famous Jewish Beit-Midrash – a Rabbinical School. Finally, we ended the tour at the Great Synagogue, which outside was reconstructed after the war. After lunch, we headed to the impressive East Side Gallery. Because it was Thursday, we decided to close the day at Markthalle Neun – the most vibrant street food venue I have ever seen. On Friday, we went on a lovely day trip to Potsdam by the S-Bahn 7 train. Although it takes only 30 minutes to get to this beautiful city, we visited the major sites by walking. We walked to an impressive square from Potsdam central station. The court, which used to be the Old Market Square, is surrounded by the Brandenburg state's Parliament, the old town hall, Museum Barberini of artworks from the former German Democratic Republic, and the great St. Nicholay Church. Then we headed to the Film Museum, which used to be the Royal Stables. After that, we walked to St Peter and Paul Kirche Catholic church and continued to the Dutch Quarter between Gutenbergstraße street and Kurfürstenstraße. We saw the Nauener Tor gate – one of the old town gates from 1750 and headed to one of the most beautiful streets of Potsdam – Brandenburger Street, which leads to the Brandenburg Gate. The road is full of shops. Restaurants, cafes, and a lot of beautiful buildings. Then we walked to the enormous Sanssouci Park surrounding the Sanssouci Palace of The Prussian King Friedrich the Great. The park is full of statues, fountains, and two more palaces. Somewhere in the middle of the park stands the Chines Tea House. We didn't get inside, but it was pretty impressive from the outside. Behind the New Palace, at the end of the park stands the old Potsdam University. Back in Berlin, we went to Kudam Street – one of the main shopping streets of Berlin and Visited the prestigious KaDeWe shopping mall. Our visit to Berlin ended with a short walk in Bergmanstrasse Street and its Market Hall. We flew back to Israel the following day. It was my first visit to Berlin, and it was barely an initial impression. Berlin is a vast and active city that cannot be understood as a quick visit. We didn't get to visit any other museum or significant site. I look forward to the next trip to Berlin, which will deepen my familiarity with this fascinating and vital city.

Ashdod Sea Fortress Ecological Park - The combination of an ecological park, an ancient fortress, and the white beach of Ashdod is a charming combination. The Park has 3 very short circular paths (the longest is about 1 km) - the coastal path, the orchard path, and the deer path that allow a tour of the place, observation of the vegetation (with signs explaining the different plants), and descent paths to the sea. It is a great success - on the one hand, it is a well-maintained park and on the other hand very un-artificial but preserves a feeling of nature. This place is also highly recommended for watching the sunset. Enjoy🤗 For more great trips in the area press here

The Reed Gold Mine was founded where the first nugget of gold was found in the United States. In 1799, a young boy found a shiny rock while playing in the river, and the family used it as a doorstop. Three years later, they sold it for a small price. However, John Reed soon understood his mistake, and he established the mine with partners. It worked and produced gold until 1912. Some of the mine tunnels have been restored, alongside a visitor center with gold and gold mining displays. After visiting the museum you can take a paper guide for a self-guided tour, including an underground walk, and It's a great visit, and I highly recommend it. Admission is free.

The Provand's Lordship is a medieval house located near the Glasgow Cathedral and the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. It's the oldest house in Glasgow, dated back to 1471. It was built by Andrew Muirhead, the Bishop of Glasgow. The museum is now furnished with a collection of 17th-century Scottish furniture. Admission is free.

Ashkelon is a beautiful beach city with fantastic beaches, cafes and restaurants First stop - Tel Ashkelon National Park: antiques, picnic, and stunning beach. It is worth starting with a tour of antiquities - the remains of a city from the Middle Canaanite period. From the hill, there is a lovely viewpoint of the park and the sea. The park has many lawns with tables and benches for picnics and barbecues. And after all that - the icing on the cake - the beach of the national park. Quiet, large beach. In the middle of the week, it is almost empty. Apart from the beach of Tel Ashkelon, along the shoreline of Ashkelon, there are beautiful beaches you should visit. In the Marina, you will find many cafes, ice cream parlors, and restaurants overlooking the yachts docking there in the Marina. If after all this you are hungry, you should go to Annona - a well-known bistro in Ashkelon (and rightly so). The menu is dairy and includes salads, pizzas, pasta, varied entrees, and a changing daily menu. I have eaten here several times, and it was always great. Anona is closed on Saturday. Next to Anona you will also find a stunning shop for home decor. Enjoy🤗 For more great trips in the area press here

An evening tour in ancient caves on which video art is projected – so beautiful! Beit Guvrin National Park is a marvelous complex of ancient caves. Beyond the amazing beauty of the place during the day, it is very worthwhile to come and visit in the evening between August and October. Video art by the Vertigo dance group, created especially for this space, is then projected on the cave walls. The combination of the video art titled "Core" with the area and an exhibition of spectacular wooden sculptures by the Italian artist Ivo Bizigniano displayed there is stunning in its beauty. The tour is short and pleasant - like entering another world. Important: 📍The sculpture exhibition is on display at Beit Guvrin until July 31. 📍The tour with the video art is in the Bell Caves complex only. August on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Hours: 19:00 - 22:00 📍You Should register for an evening tour in advance on the website of the Nature and Parks Authority Enjoy🤗 For more great trips in the area press here