Swiss Forest (Israel)

Swiss Forest combines slope protection with outdoor recreation: its vegetation and soil-conservation works were intended to reduce erosion, while its roads, paths, and overlooks provide access to the landscape above the Sea of Galilee.[1] The forest’s name commemorates financial support from Swiss Jewry, whose donations helped establish its planting.[3]

Covering approximately 3,000 dunams, or 740 acres, the forest extends between Upper Tiberias in the north and the Poria Youth Hostel in the south.[1][3] It occupies the steep slope descending from the Poria ridge toward Tiberias and the lake.[1] The slope averages a gradient of 30 percent and a length of approximately 1,200 meters.[1] The highest parts of the escarpment stand more than 400 meters above the lake.[4]

The underlying marl and clay are friable and susceptible to being washed away by runoff.[1] Rainfall can be relatively intense because the terrain forces air arriving from the west to rise and cool, producing rain.[1] These conditions made the management of water and soil central to the forest’s development.[1]

One 2008 account dates planting and soil-conservation work at the site to 1927 under the British Mandate forestry department.[1] It reports that in 1934 rocks and soil swept into Tiberias and caused 25 deaths; a 2023 forester described the toll more broadly as several dozen.[1][2] The later account says the British then cut small terrace-like paths to slow runoff and planted trees so their roots would hold the soil.[2] The post-flood project also used trees donated by Swiss Jewish communities alongside terrace construction and was credited with preventing further flood damage.[5]

The British response to the 1934 disaster also included a prohibition on construction along the lakeshore and planting above the town to hold down the soil.[6] In 1937, a dam was built to prevent easterly winds from driving large waves into the city.[6]

Reports place KKL-JNF’s renewed work at the beginning of the 1980s: one says planting and conservation resumed in 1980, while another dates the beginning of a 200,000-tree project to 1982.[1][7] The latter account describes vegetation with a double-root system suited to the soil and low stone walls used to stabilize the slopes.[7] Conservation measures also included terraces, small dams in drainage channels, and the planting of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation to reduce erosion and improve the landscape.[1]

From the early 1980s, existing vegetation was replaced with Atlantic pistachio, carob, and especially Tetraclinis, a North African cypress suited to harsh conditions, low water availability, and recovery after fire.[2] Other plants recorded in the forest include cassia, rosemary, lentisk, and Mediterranean rosebud.[7] In 2023, the local forester reported that the forest had burned three times during the preceding five years and that approximately 100 dunams of woodland had been added in recent years.[2]

A paved scenic road runs for approximately six kilometers between the Poria Youth Hostel and Tiberias.[1] Its design incorporates stone-paved water crossings, while lower dirt roads provide access for foresters and firefighters.[1] Three main approaches serve visitors: Sapir Boulevard and KKL Street in Tiberias, and a southern entrance near the Poria Hostel.[3] Because the scenic road is narrow, drivers are warned to proceed carefully and park only in designated areas near picnic sites and overlooks.[1] At the Kastenbaum picnic area, accessible tables and paths lead toward the viewing terraces.[1]

Section 9 of the Israel National Trail crosses the forest and is described as moderately difficult.[3] A 13-kilometer circular cycling singletrack also runs through the forest, alongside cycling routes of differing difficulty levels.[2][3] Promenades along the cliff and near the Sapir entrance offer seating and viewpoints, and the visitor facilities include a sculpture garden.[3]

An overnight campground beside the Karl Lutz lookout lies on the Israel Trail.[4] It provides designated tent-camping surfaces, picnic tables, a drinking-water tap, and fire rings.[4] Access is by a dirt road extending 1.2 kilometers south from a roundabout on Sderot Sapir in Upper Tiberias.[4] Fires are permitted only in designated places, and groups larger than 50 must arrange their stay in advance.[4] Entry to the forest and campsite is free, and the camping area can be reached by private vehicle.[3]

A suspended Observation Terrace, opened in 2022, overlooks the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley, and Mount Hermon.[3] Other forest overlooks provide views of Tiberias and the Galilee hills, with the northern viewpoint also looking toward the Safed area and Mount Bereniki.[1]

The scenic route includes three overlooks and picnic areas.[1] From a covered viewing terrace, a walking path runs north parallel to, but below, the vehicle road.[1] The walk to a two-level overlook is approximately one kilometer and takes about half an hour.[1] A further overlook, roughly another kilometer north, has three covered viewing terraces.[1]