Jerusalem of wine and gold: I went out for 24 intoxicating hours of vacation

I live near Jerusalem, and therefore when I finally go on vacation – which, let’s admit, doesn’t happen often – I usually look for places that are as far away as possible. Preferably abroad. Classic Europe, with wandering through ancient alleys, rummaging in magical shops (yes, even Zara is a magical shop), visiting galleries, lounging in cafés, and endlessly eating the local food without thinking about a diet, is to me the perfect vacation. And I always, but always, return with a bottle or two of the local wine – as the collapsing shelves of wine bottles at my home testify. What can I do, I love to hoard.

But in days when going on vacation abroad has become rarer (war, exorbitant flight prices, and all that), I, provincial as I am, prefer to spend a short vacation in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem, let’s say it gently, being too close to home, seemed to me less attractive as a vacation destination. But recently I realized that sometimes, when we are so locked into something, we don’t see what’s right under our nose. This is true in all aspects of life, and even more so when you need a perfect vacation. Once I understood this, I decided to take small steps to change my perception of reality.

Therefore, when I was offered to play tourist, spend a night at the Prima Park Hotel in Jerusalem – part of the Prima Hotels chain, located just a few minutes from my house – drink some wine and maybe even rediscover the city, I jumped at the opportunity. And I found the ideal partner for it – A., a typical Tel Avivian, who rarely strays far from her square meter and for whom Jerusalem is basically an alternative universe, with every trip here requiring weeks of prior planning and exhausting logistical preparation. But A. surprised me with her spontaneity when she said she would actually be happy to seize the opportunity to clear her head from her troubles, while I was happy for the opportunity to see Jerusalem through her eyes. Really two birds with one stone, as they say.

Or so I thought. Because in fact, we came to experience a new collaboration recently launched between the Prima Park Hotel and Jerusalem Wineries – one of the oldest wineries in Israel and the last still operating within the city. What we did in the 24 hours during which I played tourist was taste so many delicious wines that we almost forgot about our plan to rediscover the city. I say almost, because after all, with silly smiles on our faces – not only because of the alcohol running in our veins – between wine tastings (we loved everything, but A. especially loved the 2024 Vintage Chardonnay, while the author of these lines most loved their Shiraz, by its official name, Windmill Project Single Vineyard Fortified Shiraz 2023).

Between indulging in an abundance of typical and tasty Jerusalem dishes prepared at the hotel’s Patio restaurant, we still managed to find some time to wander through the city center. On days when the light rail is running, Jerusalem enjoys quite good public transportation. But even these days, when the light rail is under maintenance, there are free shuttles that will bring you to the city center. We wandered between magical shops and ancient alleys, sat in cafés, and looked out at the street like real tourists. For a few hours we managed to forget that there are hostages in Gaza, a war, quarrels between us, a political tsunami, and hostile attitudes toward Israelis around the world. And I remembered why Jerusalem is truly one of the best cities in the world, not inferior to any European capital, with all its shades and residents. I think even the typical Tel Avivian agreed with me.

As part of the collaboration’s launch, Prima Hotels are offering a special summer promotion in cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality, with discounts of at least 20% on accommodation (before the discount, prices are several hundred shekels per night), as well as a gift voucher of NIS 100 per person per night on weekdays. For example, a family of four staying in the city for two nights midweek in August will receive a total of NIS 400, in addition to the hotel discount. The vouchers can be redeemed at hundreds of businesses in the city.

How much does it cost?

** The tour and guidance at the winery must be booked in advance with Jerusalem Wineries.