Tel Aviv gets all of Israel's hipness cred, but to the south, Jerusalem brims with modish design and stunning architecture, both old and new. The ancient Middle Eastern city is a pretty patchwork of hip, newly constructed hotels, restaurants, parks, and more abutting 2,000-year-old gates, ruins, and public spaces that creatively house businesses today. In honor of Jerusalem Design Week, a growing celebration with citywide exhibitions, events, and installations held June 7–14, here’s a guide to some of the city’s most visually delicious spots.
WHERE TO STAY
The Orient Jerusalem
This swank hotel is a design junkie's dream, with rooms and suites housed across a newer building and two preserved Templar buildings from 1882. Expect eclectic design that crosses classic details with contemporary innovations. isrotel.com
Mamilla Hotel
A new construction just a stone's throw from the Jaffa Gate, the Mamilla Hotel has won a number of design awards for its ultramodern interior: The rooms have stone walls and dark wooden floors, black leather furniture, and bathtubs with liquid-crystal glass walls that mist over for privacy. Don’t leave without visiting the Mamilla Hotel Rooftop, a spacious sundeck with elevated local dishes and jaw-dropping views of the Old City. mamillahotel.co.il
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Jo’y Meat In
The tasty Kosher grill overlooks the Old City and sits in an ancient preserved building where Zionist activist Theodor Herzl stayed on his visits to Israel. Today it’s part of Mamilla Mall, an outdoor shopping area built to incorporate the structures of historic convents and homes, with strings of lights hung across the main corridors and shop windows packed with eye-catching wares. joy-meatin.co.il
ANNA Italian Cafe
Inside the Ticho House museum, a circa-1860s landmark constructed from Jerusalem’s signature limestone bricks, this Italian restaurant delights with a spare, rustic interior and exceptionally good Italian food. Enjoy the domed ceilings and splashes of greenery, and don’t leave without trying the lemon pie. annarest.co.il
WHAT TO DO
The First Station
The onetime railroad station, built in 1892, sat abandoned from 1998 until this year, when it reopened as a culinary-themed compound with designer boutiques, trendy cafés, chef-driven restaurants, unique galleries, and a Friday designers’ market. firststation.co.il
The Jerusalem Artists’ House
Housed in an historic 19th-century building—yes, you are sensing a theme—that once held the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, this house turned school turned arts center displays works from both Israeli and international artists, with an emphasis on young designers displaying their work for the first time. Its galleries and elegant, churchyard-like grounds are worth a wander. art.org.il
The Israel Museum
The sweeping complex bills itself as the largest cultural institution in Israel and one of the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Its collection comprises prehistoric and present-day works (and everything in-between), including the Dead Sea Scrolls (housed inside the beautifully designed Shrine of the Book pavilion), the lovely Billy Rose Art Garden (designed by celebrated Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi), and the Kadavumbagam synagogue, an over-the-top 16th-century carved-teak interior brought in from southern India. imj.org.il
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