Tel-Aviv - a city without respite

... so it's no surprise that Tel-Aviv is a real luxury for foodies with its restaurants. The food is excellent, the portions are generally large. If we lack time or budget, we can always treat ourselves to falafel or shwarma with fresh salad at roadside kiosks. But we can, for example, check out the Yemeni cuisine, which the Tel-Aviv native has certainly tasted at home Ofra Haza and also born in a Yemenite family in Tel-Aviv Yaron Cohen, which he later renamed and transformed into Given International. After winning the Eurovision Song Contest, Dana gave the gay and lesbian community a boost. Unlike the conservative and holy Jerusalem, just 45 minutes away, the gay community in Tel-Aviv is flourishing, as the city is considered a liberal and free city without reservations or prejudices. The city has been ranked as one of the 10 most gay-friendly cities and hosts a lavish pride parade in June, but less than three weeks ago the gay community suffered a nightclub shooting.

The average Tel Avivian is 35.8 years old and the city is known for its lively nightlife. The night scene boasts pubs, mega clubs and smaller boutique and dance clubs, where it spins from trance to salsa and 80s music. At mega clubs, long queues must be taken into account, especially during the weekend, as they are visited by 500 people and more. They are among the current leading nightclubs TLV and Haoman17.

Zohan's sandy beach is the law
The Tel Aviv coast is 14 kilometers long and there are quite a few different beaches to choose from. Nordau beach for example, it is intended primarily for religious people and is therefore separated into a female and a male section. Beaches are free (except the beach Tzuk), and we can borrow sunbeds and watch the shapely Israeli girls and olive-skinned young men or families who know how to enjoy the moment either by playing the popular "matkot" - a kind of tennis on the beach with wooden rackets and a squash ball, smoking hookah, playing the guitar , making sand castles, walking dogs and jogging or surrendering to a gentle pet. If we decide to go to the beach along the promenade, we are at the foot of hotels, restaurants and cafes. Some of them are on the beach itself and are full of bustle even in the evening. The sandy beach along the promenade was the beginning of the scene in the film The Zohan is the Law. Aviv beach it's best to visit on a Friday afternoon, when tarambuka fans gather at the end of the pier, each with their own drum, joining in creating the rhythm together. Waitresses serve drinks to visitors sitting on the rocks, who could almost forget the time if it weren't for the sunset, which is all the more exclusive with these sounds. An alternative scene with flame throwers, jugglers or dancing can also spontaneously develop with the increasingly loud sounds of the rhythm.

From fresh olives to diamonds
A special experience is a walk through the Tel Aviv market Shuk Hacarmel, where we can admire the rich range of local fresh vegetables and fruits (the Yaffa oranges and grapefruits we know are grown in Israel), the color palette of olives, oriental spices, fresh pastries, up to kitchen utensils and cheap clothes. The temperament of the locals, who jostle between the stands of extremely loud vendors, cannot be missed. This one is especially characteristic of Friday mornings, when shopping is done for family Shabbat dinners and lunches. We must not forget that shops are closed on Saturdays or Shabbat. We will not experience Tel-Aviv in its entirety if we do not visit a no less lively street Nachalate Benzamine on Tuesday or Friday mornings, when it becomes the scene of an art market that is a real parade for the eyes. Here at the stalls, artists present and sell different styles of jewelry, useful and decorative products for the home, and on the street, in addition to stopping at various pantomimes, musical and other performances, girls can encourage themselves and have a girl of Ethiopian descent do their entire hairdo in 45 minutes. bouquet. One of the largest shopping centers in Israel is in Azrieli Center and with 49 floors is the tallest building in Tel-Aviv. When entering any public building, we get used to the watchful eyes of security guards. We can climb to the observatory, which is the highest in the Middle East and from where we can see the coast from Hadera in the north to Ashkelon in the south and the Judean hills in the east. A stone's throw away, on the outskirts of Tel-Aviv, is Ramat Gan, home to Israel's diamond center and where you can visit the diamond museum or buy a diamond. Israel is the largest center of diamond grinding. One of the most popular streets for shopping and chatting over coffee is the street Shenkin, which is also a bohemian gathering place. Despite the more attractive competition of newer centers, you can go shopping in Israel's oldest and still popular shopping center Dizengoff Center. In Dizengoff every Thursday evening there is a food market with stalls. In it, on the 19th floor, we can also welcome the staff of our embassy.

White city
All diplomatic missions with the exception of two are in Tel-Aviv, the Israeli parliament - the Knesset, government institutions and ministries, and the presidential palace are located in Jerusalem. Otherwise, Ben Gurion announced the establishment of Israel precisely in Tel-Aviv on May 14, 1948, in a house on to Rothchild boulevard no. 16, which is now a museum. Tel-Aviv boasts the title of the first bearer of the title of Israel's capital, which was transferred to Jerusalem a year later, after the end of the 1949 war. The heart of Tel-Aviv is precisely Rothchild Boulevard with its popular cafes and restaurants and the green boulevard. Rotchild Boulevard is also the aorta of Bauhaus-style architectural representation, for which UNESCO declared Tel-Aviv a White City in 2003 and protected it as the largest concentration of buildings of this international style of construction (around 4,000 buildings). More than 2,700 buildings were built in this style between 1931 and 1939 by Tel Aviv architects who had studied in Europe in the 1920s and returned together with Jewish architects from Germany, Austria and Poland who fled from Nazism. The wave of emigration accelerated the demand and need for housing. The social and economic situation dictated quick and easy construction. Today in Tel-Aviv you can also see modernist buildings as well as 30 skyscrapers over 100 meters.

Queen Esther ends her world tour at Yarkon Park
Yarkon is the largest city park, which covers an area of 3.8 km², with various green areas, a botanical garden and an artificial lake that enables sports activities. Most people used to hang out in it during the concerts of world-class stars such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Michael Jackson, U2, Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Dire Straits. September 1 and 2 this year, the big event will be the performance of the queen of pop, with the Hebrew name Esther, who is better known as Madonna. She will end her tour with a concert in Tel Aviv. Madonna already concentrated in Tel-Aviv 16 years ago, and in the last four years she visited Tel-Aviv twice privately, last year in the framework of the Kabbalah Congress, which took place in the Hotel Dan and in which a thousand followers of the Kabbalah celebrated the Jewish New Year. which they combined with a pilgrimage and a visit to the most important places for kabbalists around the country. This year, the Jewish New Year will be celebrated September 18 and 19, followed by Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Despite the fact that Tel Avivians live a secular life and, unlike other residents of Israel, adhere to Jewish traditions to a significantly lesser extent, the rhythm will slow down a bit during these holidays, even for Tel Aviv conditions. The New Year is of a family nature, when family members gather and dedicate themselves to each other, it is a time to reflect on past actions and make plans for the future. Leonard Cohen, who will perform near Tel-Aviv on September 24, has already made his plans, namely that he plans to donate the proceeds from the sold-out concert to the Amnesty International foundation for the coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians. The theme of the concert is similar to the Tel Aviv spirit of "tolerance and peace".

THE TEXT WAS PREPARED BY: Maja Kutin