The Louis Promenade – the Tayelet. Take your place on the Balcony of the State

The Louis Promenade – the Tayelet. Take your place on the Balcony of the State

One of the hidden gems of Haifa is the Louis Promenade, a  400 metre long walkway and viewpoint, established in 1992 along Yefe Nof Street in Haifa. The promenade starts from the ridge line at Nof Hotel to the entrance gate of the Bahai Gardens. It was funded by Paul and May Goldschmidt, Haifa residents who had emigrated from South Africa, in memory of their son, Louis-Ariel, who was killed in a car accident in 1971.

The promenade, located near the Carmel Center area, earned the nickname "the balcony of the State." 

Walking along the promenade from before sunset into the evening, you will get to see an amazing view, often blended with the beautiful colours of the setting sun. During the night, the entire promenade is lit up to allow you to enjoy it even after dark.  The fabulous daytime views, often as far as Rosh Haniqra and even Mount Hermon, become twinkling lights stretching from Haifa to the far north.

How thoughtful were the designers to set up benches all along the promenade as well as pergolas for shade. You can also walk through to many hidden corners which blend in among the local flora, the Mediterranean natural forest and the broad lawns.

But in case you just wanted to enjoy the view, pause a while at the obelisk commemorating the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898, which is now found at the centre of a small grove. Here, the residents of the Templar Colony of German protestants celebrated their holidays in the days before they were expelled by the British in World War Two, especially the "Kaiserpast" on October 25, the day of visit of the German Kaiser in Haifa. In 1918, the British Army, under General Allenby, destroyed the obelisk, but it was restored by the Israeli government, but with the ‘counterbalance’ of an enormous French naval cannon. With a delightful pool and a children’s playground, this really is a ‘do not miss’ location.

The Louis Promenade is immediately opposite the top entrance to the Bahai gardens (just cross the road carefully and climb a few steps), or from a passageway between the Tikotin Museum and the Dan Carmel hotel.