The Jerusalem municipality has been putting in allot of effort in making the city tourist friendly. One of the more advanced, and latest, projects is the “JerusaleMP3″ project, in which you can take a guided tour of different sites of the city with your MP3. All you have to do is download the tour info (maps, audio and written guide) to your computer-and then to your MP3 player- and you can start walking.  Among the tours offered are tours of: Ein Karem, around the old city walls, Nachlaot, different themes in the old city and Jewish quarter surroundings and more…

For more information and registration to the service (free of charge, obviously), visit the project web site:  https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/tour/VoiceTour/all.html

Another valuable service that the municipality provides on its website is a list of activities and places to visit with kids: a list of museums, sites, parks, gardens and forests.

From the activities suggested in Jerusalem and surroundings, I bring you the highlights:

Night spectacular is a night show in the Tower if David museum. The walls of the old city and the citadel act as the stage for this unique and breathtaking- one of a kind in the whole world show!! The show involves 20 projectors, 10 video players, 14 computers and 14 loudspeakers, all being controlled by an innovative sophisticated computer system created for this purpose especially.  For more information and tickets, visit the Tower of David museum website: http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/English/Night_Spectacular

The archeological experience: We already know that the history of Jerusalem, and Israel, goes back (almost) as far as the history of mankind itself. Thus, what a better way to learn about this extraordinary history, then discovering it on our own!? The archeological site outside of the temple mount invites you to swift through the wet sound and dirt and experience history unfolding in front of your own eyes!

The site is open for visitors and activities (which include a guided tour, sifting and a certificate) Sun.-Thur.: 8:00AM-4:00PM and Fri.: 8:00AM-1:00PM. be sure to call in advance: 02-6268700, and to come with comfortable work clothes and shoes and some snacks…

The Kifzuba Amusement park:  If you’re looking for some activities outside of the city, this is a great place! Just 20 minute out of the city you will find one of the best children’s amusement parks in the country: Kifzuba. In the park you will find large play facilities, a kiddie train ride, bumper cars, petting zoo an arcade and more. The different facilities are for children ages 1-14 years old.

Here is a video from the Kifzube web site (which is only in Hebrew, unfortunately) featuring the Kifzube song (in Hebrew as well…), but also shows the different facilities the place has to offer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_C_0XEGALc

*All the information above is taken from the Jerusalem Municipality web site. For the full list of activities and site: https://tour.jerusalem.muni.il/eng/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUTu1QAER54

Participating in the International Jerusalem Marathon will be runners from all over the country and about 1,500 from 40 different countries across the globe. Runners consist of marathon “junkies”, who travel the world in search of the next marathon available for them to run; hi-tech executives, who like to stretch their limbs and feel the blood flow in their body after a long day at the office; socially motivated activists who are running in order to raise money and promote varies causes; and of stay-at-home moms who feel the urge for some outdoor activity. Although it seems there is not much on common between these “types” of runners, there is one thing they all share: all these runners have been training form the past few months to this one moment, when the opining shot will be fired and all will be on their way.

Here is another video from YouTube, for those of you wow wish to practice their Hebrew. It features one Jerusalem’s known comedians, Jecky Levi, who gave a promoting and informative peace about the marathon, embedded with his tasteful sense of humor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pVeGgs7Cwc

As you may have understood from this last video, the Marathon day is a festive day in Jerusalem. The starting shot will be sound at 7 AM, from between the “Kneset” and the Israel Museum. From that point (and until around 2 PM), varies streets throughout the city will be closed for traffic and plenty of activities will be held in “Sacher Park”, the end point of the marathon. Activities include: kick boxing, Yoga, zoomba (a form of aerobic dance exercise) and weight lifting, all of which will be instructed by certified fitness and gym instructors.

Plenty of people will be standing alongside the marathon track, cheering the runners or dreaming of the next year, when they too will have the courage and discipline needed to take part of this mighty lovely and, most of all, challenging activity.  This challenge is even greater in a city like Jerusalem, when the marathon track is up one hill top, down the other, and up once again… So, if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow, get out there and admire the thousands of runners!

We will be updating the blog with a new post every week (hopefully!) in which we will bring to you the latest information about “what to do in Jerusalem”; “where to eat in Jerusalem”; “what to see in Jerusalem” etc.  If you want to make sure you don’t miss any post, sign up to the blog.

So, in our first post, I would like to update you about the newest and most relevant attraction Jerusalem has to offer during the month of March. This year Jerusalem has the honor to host the “International Ice Festival in Jerusalem”. The ice festival will take place in the old train station plaza, entrance from David Remez St., near the liberty bell park, and will include a verity of activities for children and adults as one: fairy-tale world; food court and ice bar; ice skating; storytelling, live music performances and a reproduction on Jerusalem in Ice. The temperature in the Festival will be -10 degrees Celsius in order for the ice made exhibits to stay frozen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWo6CS2SjeQ

The International Ice Festival takes place in many major cities in the world and is coming to Jerusalem now for the first time. To make this festival happen, a special complex of 1,500 meters sq. was imported from Belgium for this purpose. In addition, during February 2012 35 artists, sculptors’, lighting specialists, decorators and builders have come to Jerusalem especially in order to build the festival compound.  So, be sure not to miss it!!!

The festival is open for visitors weekdays and weekends:

Sun.-Tur.: 10:00 – 23:00 Fri.: 10:00 – 14:00 Sat. night: 19:30 – 22:00

The official Festival web site is still only in Hebrew, but you can view it here if you like: http://www.jerusalem-on-ice.org.il/