'The most beautiful sight': Pilgrims reach Jerusalem's Old City after five-day journey from Jaffa

Pilgrims from nine European and Asian countries arrived at Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate on Thursday, completing a five-day walk from Jaffa Port along the Way to Jerusalem route. The Tourism Ministry-backed initiative aims to revive historic walking paths. The journey included visits to religious and archaeological sites and ended with a ceremony at the Tower of David Museum.

A group of pilgrims from nine European and Asian countries arrived at Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate on Thursday, completing a five-day journey along sections of the 111-kilometer Way to Jerusalem pilgrimage route from Jaffa Port. The initiative, organized by Golan Rice and Yael Tarasiuk-Nevo and hosted by the Tourism Ministry, seeks to revive historic walking routes leading to Israel's capital. The group included pilgrims from Germany, Italy, South Korea, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Hong Kong, and visited historic and religious sites in Jaffa, Rishon LeZion, Ramle, Tel Gezer, Latrun, and Ein Karem. The journey concluded with a ceremony at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, where participants received the "Jerusalema" Pilgrim Certificate. Pilgrims expressed emotional and spiritual significance, with one Catholic priest from Mumbai noting the sight of Jerusalem's walls as "the most beautiful sight for a pilgrim." Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yael Biton de Lange thanked the pilgrims for visiting during a difficult period following three years of war.