The Akko Fortress

The north of Israel houses many archaeological treasures. One of these is the crusader fortress in Acre, built and inhabited by the Knights Templar at the turn of the 12th century. At the time it was built, the city was one of the main ports of Israel, and as such was much bigger. If you follow the ancient city’s walls, the crusader fortress was built directly in the center to ensure the vital supplies coming to and from Europe. Within the fortress there are rooms for all different uses, from hospitals, to dining rooms, public bathrooms, and most impressively, huge halls used for varying purposes. The crypt that lies underground contains crusader tombstones and the tunnel which leads there is as small today as it once was, so try and keep it single file. The fortress is an impressive structure, not just because of its huge size but because of the brilliant preservation that has taken place since its re-discovery. Even now it is used in the annual Acre festival and will always remain a place of significant history in all of Israel.