The old city of Jerusalem is definitely not a friendly place for a wheelchair user, but it’s a must-visit place if you are coming to Israel. The four quarters: the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Christian Quarter are home to awe-inspiring and spiritual sites, and there are several accessible routes in each of them. Be prepared to be shaken around while rolling on the cobblestone streets, and don’t come alone; you will need assistance every now and then.
Today we spent the day in the Jewish Quarter. Entering the old city with a car is a challenge by itself unless you are part of a tour group. The entrance is forbidden for private vehicles unless you are a resident or have a wheelchair parking permit. Other options are taking an accessible city bus or taxi or parking outside the old city walls and rolling in through one of the city gates; just make sure it’s accessible first! A free app named “JLM-Old City (Android, Apple) is available in eight languages and offers real-time navigation through the old city and information about accessible routes, sites, and gates.
We entered the old city through the Jaffa Gate (the automatic gate recognizes vehicles with disabled parking permits) and parked right at the Western Wall entrance (pre-arranged). Driving through the narrow streets and under the arcs was so cool!
The Western Wall
The Western Wall is the holiest site for the Jewish people today. It is the last remnant of the Mount Temple, and as millions of Jewish people from around the world come here to pray and place a note between the ancient stones, so did we. Unfortunately, during our visit, the Western Wall Tunnels weren’t wheelchair accessible due to extensive construction works (they usually are). A tour through them would have exposed us to history, sites, and artifacts that shed light on life in this unique city during the Second Temple period.
Please dress respectfully. Bare shoulders, short skirts, and shorts are not permitted. Shawls and wraparound skirts are available at the entrance to the prayer section.
Accessible restrooms are located next to the entrance to the Western Wall Tunnels.
At the Western Wall
Notes and prayers between the cracks
The twelve tribes of Israel
Into the jewish quarter
After visiting the Western Wall, we took a long stroll along the stone city wall, enjoying the beautiful views of modern Jerusalem and into the narrow alleyways of the Jewish Quarter. What a strange, beautiful place! Every couple of meters, there is a Yeshiva or a Synagogue; all buildings and streets are covered in Jerusalem stone. You can just wander around for hours, absorbing the history and the holy atmosphere. While you feel transported to an ancient era, the residents just go about their business.
The views from our stroll along old city wall
The alleys of the Jewish Quarter
We entered through HaYehudim Street, wandered through the alleys and squares, had drinks at a small café, and just enjoyed the views and the atmosphere. We passed the beautifully renovated Hurva Synagogue located at the heart of the Jewish Quarter. It is wheelchair accessible except for the 360° observation deck and the archeological floor.
From HaYehudim street, we could see the southern part of Cardo street, built in the Byzantine period, with its spectacular stone columns. The northern part of Cardo street was constructed during Roman times and functions today as a shopping area.
We didn’t do any sightseeing this time, but here are a few accessible options:
The Jerusalem archaeological park – Davidson Center offers archaeological finds from the First & Second Temple periods. Beautiful and fascinating. Most of the park is wheelchair accessible.
The Tower of David museum. The museum presents the history of Jerusalem, and the Citadel itself is an interesting ancient site. It’s mostly wheelchair accessible except for several exhibition rooms and the Citadel’s tower.
The different markets offer great ethnic experience, different smells, tastes, sounds, and colors in each Quarter. It’s my personal favorite thing to do when visiting the old city. The “JLM-Old City app” is really helpful with navigating through market street labyrinths.
You can find all the information about the Jewish Quarter and its points of interest here.
See you in Jerusalem!
Tali