A Renaissance festival in a Crusader fortress-- Yehi'am Fortress National Park

Over Sukkot, my husband and I went with another couple to the Israeli Renaissance Festival. Located in the hills outside of Akko at the Yehi'am Fortress, stepping through the gate was literally a step back in time.

What's really cool about the Yehi'am Fortress is that it combines the Crusaders, the Ottomans and the Pioneers of Israel all in the same walls. There is no recorded history of when the fortress was built, but we know that the walls were first destroyed in 1265 by the Mamluk Sultan Baibers. In the 1760s the walls, towers and moat were rebuilt by Bedouin Sheikh Daher al-Omar. It was settled again in 1946 by Jewish pioneers who lived within the crusader walls and was a major fighting ground during the 1948 Independence war.

Shmuel, our friends and I walked through the Renaissance festival. Around us were arts and crafts of the crusader time period, sword fighting, and people in costumes. Musicians playing period-appropriate instruments set the mood. Most of the crafts were perfect for children, from sand glasses and pottery making, to pinecone decorations and wood staining.

We then went up to the fortress where the Renaissance fun did not stop. Set back into the grand halls of the fortress, musicians continued to play, while children were given a sword lesson in an open area between the buildings.

We could see the views around us-- Akko and Haifa in the distance, with the rolling hills of the Golan Heights green before our eyes. As we walked down we could hear smidgens of Hebrew, English and Arabic around us, and enjoyed the mingling of the different groups from the religious to the secular, all enjoying the festival together.

After we left the fair, we stopped in Kibbutz Yehi'am at the Brewery and shared 2 pints of the home brewed dark and light beers. We all agreed we would be coming back with kids in the future.

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