A Day in the Golan: Cherry Picking, Lavender, Wine and Stuffed Pitas

A travel piece follows a one-day culinary and scenic route through the Golan Heights, centered on Ein Zivan and nearby southern Golan stops. The trip begins at Bustan Bereshit, where visitors pick cherries, strawberries and seasonal fruit under the shadow of Mount Hermon and the Syrian border. The orchard is now in the short harvest window for Royal Dawn cherries and sour Vishnyak cherries, while Afghan mulberries are described as the standout fruit. The article says the cherry season lasts only about a month, so visitors should hurry.

The next stop is Ruth Sadeh’s Sade Aromatics farm in Ein Zivan, a lavender business she launched after breaking her leg and spending six weeks at home drafting a business plan. Sade says roses, not lavender, are the real kings of the farm’s fragrance line. The site includes workshops, a weekend stand selling lavender and rose ice cream, hibiscus and lavender drinks, and other products available in the shop.

From there the writer visits Pelter Winery, an established Golan landmark facing the lavender fields, for Carignan wine and cheeses made by Ruth Sadeh’s mother. The venue also hosts concerts and pop-up meals. Later, in Kibbutz Afik, former Jerusalem chef Ben Botbul serves a daily changing pita at Pita Tiko from a shaded eucalyptus grove. The meal includes green falafel, tahini, amba, s’chug, pickles, onion, and a heavily filled pita with Botbul’s comment, “What doesn’t drip does not taste good.” Botbul had previously worked at the Tel Aviv restaurant Gshen and moved to the Galilee West before relocating during the war to Afik.

The day continues at Ein Pik spring, a locally known bathing spot with a small pool beneath fig trees and a view toward the Sea of Galilee. It ends at Mishkan Ram in Avnei Eitan, a family business selling cheeses from small dairies, local honey, olive oils, wines from small wineries, and produce from regional farmers. Owner Or says, “All of southern Golan is the size of a neighborhood,” as the visitors leave with more to taste.