🏰 עין חמד: הפיקניק המושלם ליד שרידי טירה מהמאה ה-12

Just about seven kilometers west of Jerusalem, near the village of Abu Ghosh, sits a small, special national park called Ein Hemed. The spot is so beautiful that the Crusaders, who arrived in the region almost 1,000 years ago, gave it a Latin name, Aqua Bella, meaning 'beautiful water.' The park is built around Nahal Kesalon, a stream flowing through a shady, green orchard, offering shallow, safe little pools sized perfectly for the smallest children, alongside enormous lawns ideal for running around or spreading out a picnic blanket. At the heart of the park stands an impressive stone building that has survived almost entirely intact: a fortified structure from the 12th century, built during the Crusader period, which once served as a rest stop for pilgrims and merchants traveling along an ancient road connecting the coastal plain to Jerusalem, a route that had already been in use since Roman times. Visitors can wander among the old stone walls, see firsthand what a stone building looks like after surviving so many centuries, and imagine tired travelers stopping there to rest and drink water on their way up to the holy city. Surrounding the fortress, the park is filled with old fruit trees and rich greenery that provides pleasant shade even during hot summer days.