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Montfort Lake with forested hills above it, in Ma’alot-Tarshiha. Photo: Laliv g, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Regions / Western Galilee

Maalot-Tarshiha מעלות-תרשיחא

A hill town of about 23,000 near Montfort Castle and Nahal Kziv, formed by Jewish Ma’alot and Arab Tarshiha.

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Overview

Ma’alot-Tarshiha was formed in 1963 when the Jewish development town of Ma’alot (established 1957) joined the Arab town of Tarshiha, and became a city in 1996. Wikipedia puts the population at 23,042 (2024): 77.4% Jews and others and 22.6% Arabs, at about 600 m, roughly 20 km east of Nahariya.

Nahal Kziv, with Montfort Castle in its nature reserve, is beside the town, and the Tefen industrial zone, about 6 km away, is a major employer.

23,042 (2024)
Population
About 600 m
Elevation
₪1,346,273
Average sale price
14% to ₪259,920
Tax credit (2026)

Average sale price, all property types. Source: Madlan, based on reported sales; figures read Oct 2026. A guide only: actual prices depend on the home.

Paddle boats on Montfort Lake with houses on the wooded slope. Photo: Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher, CC BY 3.0.
Montfort Lake and the wooded slope above it. Photo: Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher, CC BY 3.0 (source)

Living in Maalot-Tarshiha

Quality of life

  • Nahal Kziv runs past the town, and its nature reserve includes Montfort, a Teutonic Order castle built from 1228.
  • Montfort Lake, east of the city, hosts the “Stone in the Galilee” sculpture symposium each spring (since 1991).
  • Cooler hill air at about 600 m.

Community

  • One city, two communities: Jewish Ma’alot and Arab Tarshiha, with Muslim (12.2%) and Christian (11.9%) residents (CBS, end of 2024, via Hebrew Wikipedia).
  • Yeshivat Ma’alot, a hesder yeshiva, has been here since 1975.

Value for money

  • Residents get a 14% income-tax credit on earned income up to ₪259,920 a year (2026), among the higher rates in our towns.
  • Madlan’s all-property average is about ₪1.35 million.

Good to know

  • Madlan’s average mixes apartments, houses and sizes; it is a rough comparison only.
  • Hebrew Wikipedia gives a socio-economic cluster score of 5 of 10 (2021).
  • We found no source on an English-speaking community.

Community

  • One city, two communities: Jewish Ma’alot and Arab Tarshiha, with Muslim (12.2%) and Christian (11.9%) residents (CBS, end of 2024, via Hebrew Wikipedia).
  • Yeshivat Ma’alot, a hesder yeshiva, has been here since 1975.

Religious life

Women’s mikveh (available in town)

The Ottoman governor’s house in Tarshiha, built of stone. Photo: רוני קניגסברג, CC BY 2.5.
The Ottoman governor’s house in Tarshiha. Photo: רוני קניגסברג, CC BY 2.5 (source)

Schools

Schools and English-speaking support are being researched and will be added here, each with its source.

Getting around

Maalot-Tarshiha has no railway station of its own. The station that serves it is Nahariya, about 18 min (18 km) away by road. On a weekday 50 trains a day run from Nahariya to Haifa Center–HaShmona, usually in about 37 min. 50 trains a day run direct to Tel Aviv Savidor Central, in 1 h 38 min at best and about 1 h 42 min usually.

About 21 bus lines stop in Maalot-Tarshiha on a weekday. Direct services from Maalot-Tarshiha include:

  • Haifa: 4 direct trips on a weekday (lines 271, 294), from about 53 min; Nateev Express.
  • Nahariya: 139 direct trips on a weekday (lines 39, 41, 44, 45, 49…), from about 15 min; Nateev Express.
  • Karmiel: 40 direct trips on a weekday (lines 12, 368), from about 24 min; Nateev Express.
  • Tzfat: 35 direct trips on a weekday (lines 367), from about 43 min; Nateev Express.
  • Acre: 19 direct trips on a weekday (lines 35, 271), from about 49 min; Nateev Express.
  • No direct bus to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem appears in the timetable; change at a nearby hub.

Times are from the first stop in town to the first stop in the destination city. Timetables change, so check the operator’s app before you plan a trip.

By road, Maalot-Tarshiha is about 44 min (51 km) from Haifa, 1 h 47 min (144 km) from Tel Aviv, 2 h 17 min (183 km) from Jerusalem and 1 h 49 min (145 km) from Ben Gurion Airport, the nearest international airport. These are free-road estimates with no traffic, so allow more at rush hour.

Sources: Ministry of Transport timetable · OpenStreetMap routing · Wikipedia, Israel Railways

Maalot-Tarshiha is part of Western Galilee, with Kfar Vradim, Shlomi, Karmiel and Misgav close by.

Map showing Maalot-TarshihaKinneretMediterraneanWestern GalileeTzfatRosh PinaTiberiasMigdalYavnielKatzrinKfar VradimShlomiNahariyaMigdal HaEmekAfulaYokneam IllitKiryat TivonHaifaZichron YaakovCaesareaPardes Hanna-KarkurHaderaHarishHatzor HaGlilitKarmielMaalot-TarshihaMisgav
Hills and villages north of Ma’alot under a clear sky. Photo: שלמה רודד, CC BY 2.5.
The view north from Ma’alot. Photo: שלמה רודד, CC BY 2.5 (source)

Nature & attractions

In half an hour or less you can be at Yehi’am Fortress National Park (14 min), Montfort Castle (Nahal Kziv Nature Reserve) (14 min), Rosh Hanikra grottoes (21 min) and Akhziv National Park (22 min). Up to 45 minutes takes you to Amud Stream Nature Reserve (31 min) and Korazim National Park (41 min). For a longer day out, Tel Hazor National Park (49 min), Bet She’arim National Park (52 min), Hamat Tiberias National Park (53 min) and Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve (1 h) are within the hour.

All 12 parks and reserves within an hour, with drive times
  • Yehi’am Fortress National Park · about 14 min by roadThe ruins of a large Crusader and Ottoman fortress, which also tells the story of its defenders in 1948. INPA, Yehi’am Fortress
  • Montfort Castle (Nahal Kziv Nature Reserve) · about 14 min by roadThe ruins of a Teutonic Order castle built from 1228, above the Nahal Kziv stream, with a three-storey gate tower and a two-storey central hall. Wikipedia, Montfort Castle
  • Rosh Hanikra grottoes · about 21 min by roadSea-carved hollows in a white chalk cliff on the Lebanese border, about 200 m of connected passages reached by cable car; the Israel Nature and Parks Authority manages the site. Wikipedia, Rosh HaNikra grottoes
  • Akhziv National Park · about 22 min by roadThe remains of an ancient fishing village, a sandy beach and a lagoon, next to Israel’s largest marine reserve (Achziv–Rosh Hanikra, declared December 2019). INPA, Akhziv
  • Mount Meron Nature Reserve · about 23 min by roadThe largest nature reserve in the North, 90,596 dunams of Mediterranean woodland, declared in 1965. Wikipedia, Mount Meron Nature Reserve
  • Amud Stream Nature Reserve · about 31 min by roadA stream that runs all year, with rock pools, old flour mills and prehistoric caves. The upper section, reached from Road 866, is open to visitors. INPA, Amud Stream
  • Korazim National Park · about 41 min by roadA Jewish village from the time of the Mishnah and Talmud, with a synagogue and a ritual bath. INPA, Korazim
  • Tel Hazor National Park · about 49 min by roadA Canaanite and Israelite city with a palace and a water system 45 m deep, part of the UNESCO World Heritage biblical tells (2005). INPA, Tel Hazor
  • Bet She’arim National Park · about 52 min by roadA burial ground where Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi is buried, with the decorated Menorah Caves. INPA, Bet She’arim
  • Hamat Tiberias National Park · about 53 min by roadAn ancient synagogue with a mosaic floor, an 18th-century Turkish bathhouse and 17 hot springs by the Kinneret. INPA, Hamat Tiberias
  • Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve · about 1 h by roadA cliff-top park over the Kinneret, with Arbel Fortress, a cave village and the ruins of a Galilean synagogue. INPA, Arbel
  • Tel Megiddo National Park · about 1 h by roadThe palaces, temples, gates and water system of a major Canaanite city, part of the UNESCO World Heritage biblical tells. INPA, Tel Megiddo

Drive times are free-road estimates from the center of Maalot-Tarshiha (OpenStreetMap routing). Hours, fees and booking rules change; check the Israel Nature and Parks Authority before you go.

Tarshiha rooftops with a church spire and the hills behind. Photo: שלמה רודד, CC BY 2.5.
Tarshiha’s rooftops and church spire. Photo: שלמה רודד, CC BY 2.5 (source)

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Sources

Researched by DreamNorth, checked 18 Oct 2026. Developer and promotional material is marked as such; confirm details before you buy.