Скачать или смотреть Lake Montfort, Nahal Kziv Nature Reserve and Montfort Fortress

Lake Montfort, Nahal Kziv Nature Reserve and Montfort Fortress
One of the most popular holiday destinations in Western Galilee is Lake Monfort. This artificial lake spreads over 350 square kilometers and is located in the heart of a green and colorful park. The lake is shrouded in vegetation on all sides. The islands, which are very well located in the lake, are densely filled with greenery, flowers, and plants. All this, together with ducks and swans on the water, creates a wonderful atmosphere.
On the lake, visitors ride boats, yachts, and water skis.
Nahal Kziv is one of the most beautiful places in the Western Galilee. The stream, full of water in the spring and not drying up even in the midst of summer, originates on Mount Miron and flows all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. One of the picturesque sections of the stream is a canyon surrounded by high cliffs. Here, in a picturesque forest area, is the Montfort Castle.
Montfort is a Crusader castle built by them in the mid-12th century at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level on a steep and narrow cliff on the southern bank of the Kziv stream and discovered by archaeologists in 1926.
At the end of the First Crusade in 1099, the fertile lands along the Kziv were taken over by the French De Milly family, who built small farmland and Montfort Castle on a narrow mountain site. In 1220, the De Milles were forced to sell their lands to the Teutonic Order, and the Crusader knights built an impressive fortress here, which they called Starkenberg. This fortified and expanded Montfort, which became a fine example of military architecture and the first seat of the Teutonic Order. A direct road along the stream connected it to Acre, which was once the capital of the Crusaders in the Holy Land.
In 1229, the archives and treasures of the order were transported here. But three or four decades later, many of the Crusader castles in the Holy Land were destroyed. Montfort was also captured and destroyed by the Muslims. The leader of the Mamluks, Sultan Baybars, tried several times to take Montfort by storm, and in 1271, after a five-year siege, the Crusaders capitulated. It is said that Baibars released the Teutonic knights to Acre and allowed them to take their archives and treasures with them. The fortress was destroyed by order of the Sultan, and the castle was abandoned, but part of it was preserved thanks to the efforts of specialists.
The castle was destroyed, but the walls and the water well remained. You will see the remains of halls, a central column, a water tank, and even a grape press. In the east of the castle, there is a Watchtower, which you can climb up the steps. From the tower, as if from a bird's eye view, there is a beautiful view of the Nahal Kziv riverbed. There are dozens of scenic routes along the Kziv in this picturesque woodland. Hiking enthusiasts will find signposted trails of varying lengths and difficulties.
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