
The Best Holiday and NYE Celebrations Around the World
These are the global celebrations worth traveling for during the holidays.
The Western Wall, where Jews from around the globe come to pray, kiss the wall, and leave paper prayers, is the Jewish Quarter’s signature sight. But travelers can also tour the opulent Hurva Synagogue, explore ancient underground houses, experience the tunnels that run below the Western Wall, and more. Most Jerusalem tours, whether from Jerusalem itself or Tel Aviv, include a visit to at least the Western Wall. It can be particularly rewarding to discover the Jewish Quarter as part of an inter-faith tour, which highlights the traditions Jewish, Christian, and Muslim people share.
How to Get There As with so much sacred turf in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the exact boundaries of the Jewish Quarter are disputed. But it occupies the southeastern section of Jerusalem’s Old City. From Jerusalem’s Central Station, catch bus 1 to Har Tsiyon / Ma’ale HaShalom (by King David’s statue) and walk five minutes north to the Zion Gate.
Avoid visiting Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter on the Sabbath (from early Friday afternoon until after sunset on Saturday), when public transport stops running and many Jewish-owned businesses shut. The Old City is crowded around major Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas.
A sacred place to all three Abrahamic religions—for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all derive from the same set of ancient texts—Jerusalem’s Old City is traditionally divided into four quarters. Besides the Jewish Quarter, these are: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter, which Armenians, who follow the Armenian Orthodox faith, consider part of the Christian Quarter.