Explore 3 UCPlaces digital self-guided tours in Jerusalem

Welcome to the audio walking tour of the German Colony in Jerusalem. My name is Avi Shalev. I am a licensed tour guide, a lieutenant colonel in the IDF reserves, retired after a rich military career, and the author of The Only Jew in the Room, a book that documents my experience as the first Jewish student in an Arab-Islamic college in Baqa al-Gharbiyye. This audio walking tour takes us into one of Jerusalem’s most beautiful and fascinating neighborhoods: the German Colony. Today, it is known for its elegant stone houses, cafés, gardens, cultural institutions, and lively streets. But behind this pleasant urban scenery stands a remarkable historical story. The German Colony was built in the second half of the 19th century by the Templers, a German Protestant religious community from Württemberg. They came to the Holy Land with a powerful spiritual vision. They believed that by settling in the Land of Israel, working the land, building modern communities, and living a disciplined Christian life, they could help prepare the way for redemption. Here in Jerusalem, the Templers created a carefully planned colony outside the walls of the Old City. They built solid stone houses, public buildings, schools, workshops, guesthouses, and later cultural institutions. Their architecture combined European order and craftsmanship with local Jerusalem stone and Middle Eastern conditions. As we walk through the neighborhood, we can still see their imprint in the façades, inscriptions, gardens, balconies, courtyards, and quiet village-like atmosphere that survives within the modern city. But the story of the German Colony is not only architectural. It is also the story of a community: its religious ideals, daily life, businesses, schools, internal tensions, relations with Jews and Arabs, and eventual decline. During the tour, we will meet some of the people who lived here — architects, craftsmen, hoteliers, artists, families, and later Jewish and Arab residents who shaped the neighborhood after the Templer period. The history of the colony also has a painful ending. In the 1930s, many members of the German Templer community identified with Nazi Germany. During the Second World War, the British Mandate authorities regarded them as enemy nationals, interned many of them in camps such as Atlit, and after the war many were deported, especially to Australia. Their homes remained, but the original German community disappeared from Jerusalem. This tour is therefore an opportunity to understand a unique chapter in the history of the city: the rise, life, transformation, and disappearance of the German Templer community in Jerusalem. Their colony is gone, but the mark they left on the city is still visible — in stone, streets, memory, and architecture. Before we begin, please remember to stay safe during the tour: cross streets only at marked crosswalks, be careful while walking on the sidewalks, and always follow the local traffic rules. Please also note that there will be no official restroom stop during the tour. If you need to use the restroom before we begin, please take the opportunity to use the hotel toilets. So – lets go!!!

Hello and Welcome to this UCPlaces tour of Old Jerusalem in Israel, one of our favorite Jerusalem walking tours. My name is Dave, and it will be my pleasure showing you around this ancient land. Here we are at the cultural crossroads of historical and religious beliefs spanning the globe. Old Jerusalem's significance as a religious, historical, and cultural crossroads make it a compelling destination for people from all walks of life to renew their faith or learn about new ideals. Jerusalem has a rich and complex history dating back thousands of years. It has been conquered and ruled by various civilizations, from the Canaanites and Babylonians, to the Crusaders, and the British, leaving behind a tapestry of historical layers and archaeological sites. The Old City of Jerusalem is known for its stunning architecture, including medieval walls, narrow winding streets, and centuries-old buildings. The architecture reflects the city's rich history and the influence of different rulers and time periods. Let's get going, and explore this more ancient part of the world. Follow your navigation, and we will begin shortly.

Welcome to one of the most influential cities in all of the Christian religion! My name is Dave, and I will be happy to be your co-pilot today, as we take a walk through important parts of the city. We will also head out of the city's gates and make our way up to the peak of the Mount of Olives. One of the most special Jerusalem walking tours you can find. We will have stops along the way to learn about the history of Christianity as it pertains to the city of Jerusalem. There is so much to learn while we are here, but please know that many of these fantastic stops are through the hills of the Mount of Olives. The mileage of this tour is not far, but for a part of it we will be walking uphill. In any case, remember that you can always pause or even stop the tour, rest as long as you need to, then, easily continue the tour using our "Starting Point" feature, located in the tour screen. I hope this satisfies your travel bug, and we can begin our walking shortly!