Banyas and Nimrod’s Fortress Tn»3 m?7pl D’33 The name Banyas comes from the Greek Paneas (Pan’s Place); the spring here was the site of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Pan, god of nature and shepherds. Classical Arabic, with no P sound, renders “Paneas” banyas. These rocks gush with religious and strategic significance: the prophet Elijah (Al-Khadar to Muslims) had a shrine by the Banyas; Jesus chose his first disciple here; and, prior to 1967, Syria staged attacks into the Hula Valley from this spectacularly beautiful site.

The Banyas is in the Golan Heights, but lies only a few minutes down the road from Dan and Horshat Tal in the Upper Galilee. Although the Banyas is the most popular site in the Upper Galilee-Golan area, public transportation to the site is woefully inadequate. Bus #14 from Kiryat Shmona to Neveh Ativ passes by Banyas (NIS6.30), leaving at 10:30am and returning at approximately 4:30pm. Bus ^55 travels from Kiryat Shmona through the Golan by way of Banyas twice per day, but the last bus back to Kiryat Shmona is at noon. If you want to spend the afternoon at the park, you can walk 5km west to Kibbutz Dan; the last bus (#25, 26, or 36) leaves at 7:35pm from the kibbutz. (Tel. 95 14 10; park open Sat.-Thurs. 8am-6pm, Fri. 8am-5pm. Admission NIS11. Combination ticket to Banyas, Gamla, Dan, Ayun, and Hula Valley Reserves NIS27.)

More stunning than the park is the Banyas waterfall (mapal banyas), the largest falls in the region. Just across the stream running through the park is a wooden sign marking the beginning of a path to the waterfall. All subsequent signs are i*1 Hebrew, but there is only one fork (just past the pita bakery)-go right. Farther along the path is a clearing that leads to a clean swimming pool fed by the icy waters of the spring; just past the pool three paths intersect; the middle and right-harw paths lead to the waterfall. Local daredevils leap the 15m from the iedge into the foaming pool below. From there the road runs lkm out to the main road, emerging lkm west of the entrance to the park.