Easy, breezy, beautiful—Tzfat. Also known as Safed (and Tzfas and Zefas), this is a town of deep peace and tranquility and an easy place to fall in love with. Located on top of Mt. Canaan, it’s the highest town in Israel, meaning it simply overflows with breathtaking views and cool mountain breezes. Everything here moves a little slower and people are a little calmer (but not much—they’re still Israelis after all). There are two explanations for how Tzfat got its name: either it came from the Hebrew word meaning “to scout,” because of its mountain vantage point; or from the word meaning “to anticipate,” because the religious believe that the Messiah will pass through the town on his way from Mt. Meron to Jerusalem. In fact, according to Jewish tradition, Tzfat is one of Israel’s four holy cities.

Unsurprisingly, religion has played a central role here. In the Middle Ages, the relatively tolerant Ottoman Empire conquered the area, and Jews started to arrive in Tzfat. The Spanish Inquisition drove more Jews to the area, setting off a Golden Age. One of the most prominent religious leaders during this time period was Rabbi Isaac Luria, also known as HaAri, who arrived here in 1572 and established the city as a center of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. (Urban legend says that Madonna tried to buy a piece of land here but was turned down by the city. Ouch, Madonna, you did that hand dance one too many times.) With a predominantly Jewish population since the 1948 War, the streets today are filled with Hasidic Jews and—because of the lack of Christian and Muslim holy sites—the tourists are almost all Jewish as well. This is definitely a place to stow those shorts, throw on a sweater, and relax as everything closes down for Shabbat. But that doesn’t mean that the hip and secular can’t find their own sense of peace watching the sun rise in Citadel Park or meandering through the alleys of the Old City. The small but extremely vocal population of English-speaking expats who have made aliyah to the city makes getting understandable directions surprisingly easy, and every fourth conversation you overhear will be in English. After a day here, you may just find that you want to join their ranks.