Tel Hai

Tel Hai, about 8 km south of Metula near the town of Kiryat Shmona, is one of the foundational sites of Israeli history. The reconstructed settlement marks the spot where Jewish pioneers held their ground against attack in 1920, and the roaring lion statue — the Lion of Tel Hai — is one of Israel's best-known national monuments.

The site includes a museum with exhibits on the early settlement of the upper Galilee and the events of 1920, and a reconstructed version of the original farmstead. The Tel Hai College occupies the adjacent hillside. The nearby Kfar Giladi kibbutz has a small cemetery and memorial to the same events. Even if you are not particularly interested in Israeli history, the setting — green hills, forests, views north toward Mount Hermon — is beautiful.

things to do sight museum
A story
On 1 March 1920, a group of Arab villagers attacked the Tel Hai settlement, killing eight Jewish defenders including Josef Trumpeldor. His last words — 'It is good to die for our country' — became one of the founding slogans of Israeli national identity, though some historians argue the words were invented or embellished after the fact.