Welcome to Israel.

The Israel areas may be dangerous owing to political tension. Visitors should check official government advice before travelling to the Palestinian National Authority Region or to Jerusalem.

Israel is a remarkable, fascinating and controversial country.

It will be best known as the Holy Land.

Religious attractions include Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the serenity of Galilee and the ride across the River Jordan, the river in which Jesus was baptized.

Jerusalem attractions include Mount Zion and the Tomb of David.

Other sites are the Tomb of Judges; Yad Vashem, the memorial to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust; and Mea Shearim.

Visitors in East Jerusalem see the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Jaffa and Damascus gates.

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and is worth visiting.

Tel Aviv is an exciting city offering commerce, culture, nightlife and sandy beaches.

The Negev area, once largely desert, is now being irrigated and farmed in a settlement movement.

Galilee and the North Places of interest are Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) itself, Nazareth.

The Dead Sea is an inland lake lying 400m (1320ft) below sea level in the lower part of the Jordan Valley, flanked by the Judean Mountains to the west and the Moab Mountains to the east.

Other interesting sights around the Dead Sea include Mount Sodom, an 8 mile long mountain range made up of pure salt which has many caves with extraordinary hanging salt formations, and Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in ancient pottery jars.

Bethlehem lies 2500ft above sea level, on the ancient caravan route south of Jerusalem.

Bethlehem is, obviously, most famous for being the birthplace of Christ, although it is also well known for olive woodcarving and mother-of-pearl jewelry, which, today, has developed into a modern industry.

Jericho One of the prime sites of interest in the region for historians and visitors alike is the ancient town of Jericho.

Other sites worth visiting in the area include Deir Quruntal and Mt Temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days and nights fasting and meditating and where a monastery was later built.