In Betzet, a cycling tour along the moshav’s roads and flat paths, a banana farm tour with tastings, and traces of a former British airfield come together. A monument in the center and the history of the village’s founding add historical perspectives to the options for a day out.
Local History and Remembrance
Betzet was founded in 1949 on the ruins of the village of Bassa, which is identified with ancient Betset. In the center, a monument commemorates moshav residents who fell in Israel’s wars. It stands on a traffic island and is only partially accessible. A visit to the village center thus brings together the story of its founding and a specific place of remembrance; please note that access to the monument is limited.
Cycling Tour and Airfield History
The cycling tour is suitable for the whole family. It follows the moshav’s roads and flat paths, passing through the plantation area and the site of the former British airfield. Remains of the airfield, including hangars and a runway, can be found in Betzet; the airfield is inactive.
The British Mandate authorities built the airfield during the Second World War to prevent an invasion of Palestine from Lebanon by Vichy forces. Today’s cycling tour through the site is therefore linked to a historical trace whose original purpose points beyond Betzet to the wider theater of war.
A Closer Look at Banana Farming
Idan HaPri offers a tour of a banana field, with explanations about cultivation and the different varieties. It includes tastings of fresh and dried fruit, as well as fruit tea. Groups and families can also take tours and tastings under the title “From the Field to the Plate,” and join workshops on making dried-fruit sushi and energy bars. Contact Idan HaPri directly in advance to ask whether your preferred tour, tasting or workshop is available.
The activities have different focuses: the cycling tour centers on routes through the moshav area and the sites along the way, while Idan HaPri focuses on banana cultivation, varieties, tastings and food preparation.
A Nearby Beach
Nearby Betset Beach is a supervised swimming beach with lifeguards, changing rooms, toilets and a snack bar. Check the current opening hours before your visit.
Archaeological Sites in the Northern District
In the wider destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo offer distinct archaeological experiences. At Tel Hazor, the visit focuses on the Upper City. The site also includes Solomon’s Gate, with six chambers and two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. An underground water-collection system preserves a vertical shaft 45 meters deep, with steps three meters wide cut into its walls. At Tel Megiddo, the Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of cult activity and the documented ritual practices. The orthogonal Iron Age city plan also has few parallels in the Levant. The archaeological highlights therefore differ: Tel Hazor is presented here for its waterworks and Upper City, and Tel Megiddo for its temple complex and urban layout.
Discover more destinations: Nir Dawid, Ein Zivan, Kalia Beach, Nov, Lehavot Habashan, Yehud-Monosson, Ein Ya'akov, Jisr az-Zarqa
Return to the wider travel guide: Israel.
