Youth Hostels In Venice

A Crusader town emerges under an old Israeli port

ACRE, Israel (AP) — Off the track beaten by most Holy Land tourists lies one of the richest archaeological sites in a country full of them: the walled port of Acre, where the busy alleys of an Ottoman-era town cover a uniquely intact Crusader city now being rediscovered.

Preparing to open a new subterranean section to the public, workers cleaned stones this week in an arched passageway underground.

Etched in plaster on one wall was a coat of arms — graffiti left by a medieval traveler. Nearby was a main street of cobblestones and a row of shops that once sold clay figurines and ampules for holy water, popular souvenirs for pilgrims.

All were last used by residents in 1291, the year a Muslim army from Egypt defeated Acre's Christian garrison and leveled its remains.

The existing city, built by the Ottoman Turks around 1750, effectively preserved this earlier town, which had been hidden for centuries under the rubble.

"It's like Pompeii of Roman times — it's a complete city," said Eliezer Stern, the Israeli archaeologist in charge of Acre. He called the town "one of the most exciting sites in the world of archaeology."

The newly excavated area, part of a Crusader neighborhood, is set to open later this year.

Today, old Acre is a picturesque enclave jutting into the Mediterranean, home to 5,000 Arab citizens of Israel who live in dense warrens of homes that are themselves historic artifacts. Most residents are poor.

On a recent afternoon, a smattering of tourists walked through the old market, while at a sleepy fishing dock one boat's radio blared Katy Perry.

In 2001, Acre became Israel's first UNESCO World Heritage site. But whether because of its out-of-the-way location in the country's north or simply because it must compete with better-known sites like Jerusalem and the desert fortress of Masada, Acre has been overshadowed.

Jerusalem, for example, attracted an estimated 2.5 million foreign tourists last year, according to the Tourism Ministry. In contrast, during the same period, Acre's historic sites had 444,000 paying visitors — Israeli and foreign — according to the Acre Municipality. Old Acre has just one hotel with a total of 16 rooms.

Acre has existed for at least 4,500 years, but reached the height of its importance with the Crusader conquest in 1104.

Under Christian rule, the city became an unruly trading hub home to combative orders of soldier-monks, European factions that distrusted each other and sometimes fought in the streets, competing merchants from cities like Genoa, Venice and Pisa, and small populations of Jews and Muslims, all sharing an enclosed area that at its height was barely the size of two football fields.

How to travel from Rome to Venice and then to Switzerland? | Trick ...

I intend to travel from Rome to Venice and then to Switzerland (whichever city is the most suitable to get into Swiss). Can somebody advice how do I go about this trip? The prices from rome to venice by train italia seems to be pretty expensive.

I am looking for the cheapest way of transport - please advice.

Secondly, we have a party fo 6 adults and 1 child. Is there any apartment sort of accomodation which works cheaper than hotels in these countries - Italy and Switzerland?

Any other travel advice on Italy travel will be appreciated. Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by Norma It's been a long time since I made this trip and obviously prices are not the same. If you buy a Eurail pass prior to leaving through a travel agent you will save a lot of money. You will be able to travel first class on the trains between Rome and Switzerland and will have cars that have fold down seats that turn into beds. Your plane will land in Rome but from there you will go to Venice and then have to double back through Rome. I recommend you go to Lucerne Switzerland. Here are two sidetrips to take: From Rome take the train to Pompeii to see the ruins. It's a day trip. From Lucern take a day trip by train to Grendowald. Grendowald is a ski resort where their Olympic skiers train. It's a quaint ski resort.I recommend youth hostels for accomodations. You will probably need to get three rooms. Thre rooms will be basic but clean. Most of these places offer a "continental breakfast" which is no more than hard rolls, stong coffee, and butter. Google backpacking through Europe. I used a book writen by a guy named Arthur Frohmer but he has since passed away. Feel free to contact me if I can help you further.

What do you think? Answer below!

Well, the price from Rome to Venice seems high because it’s a long train journey, a good 4 hours if not more. Coming from Ireland, I thought the rates charged for second class travel to be incredibly good value. You might want to check you’re not looking at the First Class rate, that’s appreciably higher. You can

Train travel in Italy is also clean, comfortable and you’ll have terrific views of the countryside. And it shouldn’t be any problem getting a train into Switzerland.

I mean you could look into taking a bus, but you’ll be all day on it, and you might have to change.

Actually, train travel here in Italy is stillì relatively cheap compared to many other places. However, it does add up for a large group. There are a couple of things you might want to consider. One is to rent a car to drive – that won’t have a per person charge and you could rent the car just for the specific trip. Driving times and directions: http://www.viamichelin.

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