- Address: Eilon, Israel;
- Working hours: 24 hours;
- Admission: free of charge.
In the north of Israel are the ruins of a castle built by the Crusaders. Here the knights withstood the numerous attacks of the Mamluks for five years, mainly due to the remote location of the fortress and powerful double fortifications. Only this did not help the Crusaders, therefore the Montfort Castle was taken and destroyed, after which it was not restored and is still in ruins. Tourists aspire to see it, to get acquainted with the history and to admire the picturesque remains of the ancient structure.
What are the interesting ruins for tourists?
Montfort Castle (Israel) is 35 km from the city of Haifa and 16 km from the Israeli border with Lebanon. From 1231 to 1270 it was the residence of the great masters of the Teutonic Order. The territory on which it was built, was conquered during the First Crusade and given to the family of De-Milli.
Soon the land was sold to the Teutonic Order, which built a powerful castle on it. It was called Starkenberg. The estate of the former owners was completely rebuilt and turned into the headquarters of the Crusaders. The Treasury and the archive of the Teutonic Order were transported here. When in 1266 the castle was attacked by Sultan Baybars, the fortifications withstood the attack.
Five years later the Mamluks returned. The second attempt to take the fortress was a success. This was facilitated by the destruction of the southern wall. Recognizing the defeat, the Crusaders gave Montfort's castle on condition that they could leave it together with the treasury and archive.
Despite the fact that time and atmospheric phenomena caused significant damage to the construction, some of its parts were preserved in a more or less decent condition. For example, the entrance to the castle, the remains of the outer defensive wall. Walking along the ruins, you can see the ruins of windmills.
Montfort Castle is open for tourists 24 hours a day all seven days a week. For sightseeing the fee is not charged. Visit the ruins should not only for research reasons, but also because it offers an amazing view of the Upper Galilee.
How to get there?
You can reach the castle on foot or by bus. The first way is to find the road leading from the village of Miilia. On it you need to go straight to the parking in Mitzpe Hila, from it you have to walk along the red route.
In order not to walk much, you can come along the road number 899, following the signpost between 11 and 12 km. The road leads to a viewing platform, from it opens an amazing view of the fortress of Montfort.