The Templer Inn

By staying at the Templer Inn for 5 nights we happily experienced a Jerusalem below the “tourist” level. We did visit the Old City and the Israeli Museum and Masada and other sights. But the richness of the visit came from getting to spend time with our hosts, Alon and Revaya. Every morning they filled our table located in their sunny garden with specialties as yogurt with granola, olives, homemade pastries and bread, hummus, spreads, salads, vegetables, grapefruit juice, lemon jam, and more. They talked with us over breakfast about the history of the old German Colony neighborhood founded by the Templers, his family’s move in 1951 to the house that was built by the Templers, Templer architecture, their family including their three children, the city, politics. As Alon said: “We’re Israeli. You can ask us anything.” Following their recommendations, we shopped for marvelous cheese and wine on nearby Emek Refaim Street, walked in the neighborhood to see the old homes, reached the walking trail converted from the railroad tracks and visited the compound, now museum and park, that used to be a home for lepers. Plus, the 3-room “apartment” consisted of a front room/kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. A wonderful “home” to relax in at the end of the day. We couldn’t have been happier!

We spent 8 days at our Jerusalem ‘home away from home’ and loved every minute of it. It was built from the local stone, well over a century ago and is furnished to reflect the city and Israel. The location is brilliant .. you can walk nearly everywhere if you’re reasonably fit .. with lots of eateries and essential shops close by. Breakfasts were typically delicious local fare and far too big to devour everything every day. On the days we had early starts for tours, hosts Alon and Revaya provided us with a prepared Breakfast in our rooms the night before. They were wonderful hosts, providing sage advice, arranging bookings and always eager to hear about our daily adventures .. to get some tips for future guests. The Templer Inn’s not cheap, but we found it so much more friendly, welcoming and comfortable than a flash hotel, especially if you’re staying more than a couple of nights. For us, it was worth every cent.