Beersheba
Introduction
Beersheba, officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. It is often called the "Capital of the Negev" and serves as the centre of its metropolitan area.
Before you go
Beer Sheva can seem underwhelming at first glance: oversized avenues and partly run-down residential blocks from the 1950s and 1960s make for an unimpressive welcome. Look past that, though, and you'll find a place to experience Israel off the beaten track — even most Israelis think of it as little more than a stopover on the way to Eilat. The old Turkish town, however run down, has a distinct feel and is hugely underrated: it is the only planned Ottoman city in the region, erected in 1900 for strategic reasons to secure the Negev and control the Bedouin population. Expect architectural and historical sights, culinary highlights, welcoming people and a provincial atmosphere, plus a vibrant student community around the university that has produced a nightlife you would never expect at first sight.
Bear in mind the city's shape and setting before you arrive. Beer Sheva is spread out by Israeli standards, since there is no shortage of land in the desert, and there isn't much of a downtown beyond a few streets in the old Turkish quarter; some modern and experimental architecture from the 1960s survives mainly in government and public buildings, including Ben Gurion University and Soroka Hospital. The city looks with one side straight into the Negev, so an exciting feel of desert remains, and its historical importance comes from its many wells, the most famous being Abraham's Well. The site is tied to the biblical accounts of Abraham and Isaac, and "from Dan to Beersheba" was once used to describe the whole kingdom.
Getting there
Beer Sheva is well connected by train, with Israel Railways running comfortable services from Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya and Nahariyya with hourly departures, as well as from Dimona, the southern terminus of the network. The city has two stations: Beer Sheba Center, just south of the city centre, and Beer Sheba North / The University. Most trains stop at both, but services to and from Dimona only call at the north station — don't confuse it with the similarly named station in Tel Aviv. By car, from Tel Aviv take Highway 20 (Ayalon) to Highway 4 towards Ashdod, then Highway 41 to connect with Highway 40 south; the drive takes roughly an hour and a half. From Jerusalem, follow Highway 1 towards Tel Aviv, pick up Route 3 at the Latrun interchange, continue for about 20 minutes to Route 40 at Re'em Junction, and stay on it into Beer Sheva — around an hour and forty minutes in total. Intercity buses begin and end their routes at the Central Bus Station, next to the central train station near the city centre, though some also stop along the roads leading in and out of town. From Tel Aviv, line 380 from Arlozorov Terminal or line 370 from Tel Aviv Central Bus Station both take about an hour and a half; from Jerusalem, line 470 is direct and takes about the same, while line 446 makes intermediate stops and takes a little longer. A few buses also come from Hebron in the north, but since Hebron is mostly Palestinian, ask locally about how to catch a bus south — you may need to cross to an Israeli town around Hebron first. The closest airport is Ben Gurion International, outside Tel Aviv near Lod; Ramon airport lies to the south near Eilat.Getting around
Buses are the main way to get around Beersheba, with most local routes departing from behind the Central Bus Station — on your right if you arrive on an intercity bus, or on your left if you come out of the train station. Note that you cannot pay the driver in cash, so arrange your fare before boarding. The city is also served by two railway stations: Be'er Sheva Center, just south of the city center and handiest for visitors, and Be'er Sheva North, which serves the university area and is the terminus for trains to Dimona. Most trains stop at both, though Dimona services only call at the north station.
Taxis are easy to find and most journeys within the city cost a similar modest fare, while ride-hailing services such as Gett and Yango also operate here. Intercity buses all begin and end at the Central Bus Station next to the central train station, heading north to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, west to Sderot and Ashkelon, east to Arad and Dimona, and south to Mitzpe Ramon and Eilat. A light rail system for the city and outlying towns is in the planning stages but is not yet running.
Where to stay
Beer Sheva is not well served for budget travellers and families, so if you are watching your spending, your best bet is to base yourself in Arad instead. It is less than an hour away, has dorm accommodation, and is easy to reach by bus. If you would rather stay in the city, you can look into hospitality exchanges such as BeWelcome, HospitalityClub or Couchsurfing. For a mid-range stay, Beit Yatsiv Youth Hostel offers private rooms only. At the top end, the Leonardo Hotel Negev Beersheba sits on Henrietta Szold Street. Mashabim Holiday Village, out on Route 40 toward Mitzpe Ramon and Eilat, makes a good base for desert field trips. Other options include Hotel La Finca on Smilansky Street, Hotel Arava on Histadrut Street, Hotel Hanegev on Independence Street, and The Desert Inn.Food & drink
Beer Sheva's food scene reflects the many cultural backgrounds of its residents, with Chinese, Italian, French, Ethiopian, Argentinean, Brazilian, Indian, Bulgarian, Moroccan, Yemenite, Russian, Japanese, Spanish and Middle Eastern kitchens all represented around town. Israeli fast food is easy to find almost anywhere, and a few places have built a reputation for quality falafel, shawarma and hummus. Restaurants cluster in a few areas: the Old Town, along the pedestrianized Keren-Kayemet Street and Smilansky Street; the Civic Center near the central train and bus stations; the BIG shopping compound, where you can also eat around the clock; and the streets around the main Ben-Gurion University campus in the Dalet neighborhood. Because locations change frequently and some restaurants sit in residential neighborhoods, asking locals — students especially — for advice is well worth doing. For a sense of the city's student life, head to the pubs around the university during the semester. You'll find plenty of coffee shops too, in the Old Town, the BIG compound and around the campus, some of them open on Shabbat and a few with wireless access. And drink lots of water — you're in the desert.What to see and do
Start in the Old Turkish Town, laid out in a grid by Turkish and German engineers at the end of the 19th century — a street pattern unusual for the region. Many buildings survive from Turkish times with walled secret gardens behind them, and Smilansky Street has the best-preserved examples, alongside cheap stores, ethnic restaurants and bars. At the edge of the Old Town, on the Wadi Beer Sheva, Abraham's Well marks the spot where tradition says Abraham swore his oath with Abimelech. The Negev Museum of Art occupies the former residence of the Turkish governor, and the British World War I Military Cemetery next to the Old Town holds British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought the Turks. Between the Old Town and the central bus station you'll find the Municipal Market, and just outside the city on the road to Eilat, the Bedouin Market sets up on Thursday mornings with Bedouin merchandise alongside other goods.
Further out, the Negev Brigade Memorial — a large concrete monument on a hill northeast of the city — commemorates the brigade that took the Negev in the War of Independence and gives a superb view over the city and its surroundings. East of the city, next to Omer, Tel Beer Sheva Archeological Park is a World Heritage Site and one of the best places to explore how people lived in Biblical times. West of town near Kibbutz Hatserim, the Israeli Air Force Museum holds a collection of historical planes, some of which you can climb into. Engine 70414, a train station built by the Turks in 1915, features a 1930s steam engine you can walk around freely. Ben-Gurion University's campus in the north of the city has buildings by famous architects and small galleries and exhibits. If you want to hike, the Beer Sheva Circumferential Trail circles the city over 42 km in five sections, from the Negev Brigade Memorial through hilly terrain and the northern neighbourhoods, across Hatzerim Park, along the Beersheba Promenade on the usually dry river to Abraham's Well, and back through the river park. The river itself runs dry except during occasional winter flash floods, but Beer Sheva River Park has an artificial lake where you can rent a small boat. The Urban Oasis initiative scatters artificial fountains and waterfalls across the city — architecturally interesting and often lit in bright colours at night, with some designed for bathing on hot desert days — including the installations in City Park, the sakia in Rabin Square, and the fountains at the central bus station area, the city library plaza and the western entrance.
When to go
Beersheba has a hot arid climate with Mediterranean influences, so the seasons shape your trip more than you might expect from a desert city. Summers are hot and dry, with high temperatures both day and night, rain is rare, and sandstorms occur — plan for intense heat and dry conditions if you visit then. Winters are mild, with most of the annual rainfall concentrated in this season; haze and fog are common because of the high humidity, and snow is very rare, though a rare snowfall did occur in February 2015.
Spring and autumn are transitional. The winter rainy season runs from September to May, so rainfall begins to increase in autumn as temperatures gradually cool from their summer highs. In spring the rains continue until May, temperatures warm toward summer, and the last of the seasonal rains fall. If you want to avoid both the intense summer heat and the wettest, foggiest stretches of winter, these shoulder seasons are your best bet.
Three days in Beersheba
Day one: Start in Beersheba, the capital of the Negev, and get your bearings in the older quarters before the heat builds. The Turkish and Ottoman traces are part of the city's story, and the Bedouin market is where you'll see another side of Beersheba life. Expect a warm, dry climate, so plan your walking for the cooler hours. In the evening, Beer Sheba Center is the natural place to eat and watch Israelis go about their evening.
Day two: Give the day to the city's institutions and its everyday neighbourhoods. Ben Gurion University and Soroka Hospital are anchors of Beer Sheva, and Beer Sheba North shows you how the city spreads outward. Abraham's Well and the old Turkish town centre tie the place to its past, while the Bedouin presence reminds you that the Negev has many histories. If you want a change of scene, Israel Railways connects Beersheba with Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya, Nahariyya, Ashdod and Dimona, and the road to Eilat runs south from here.
Day three: Use Beersheba as a base for the wider Negev. From Jerusalem, Route 40 and the Ayalon corridor bring you in, and Highway links the city to the coast. You can look toward Dimona or head south toward Eilat, but even a slow morning in Beer Sheva is worthwhile: the university quarter, the hospital district and the market all sit within reach. Bear in mind that the desert is bitterly cold at night in winter and fiercely hot by day in summer, so pack for both.