The distinctive blue doors of Safed's old Jewish quarter

Along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Hebron, Safed (pronounced "Sfut") is one of the four holy cities of Judaism.

Safed is also Israel's highest town, perched atop Mount Kenaan and overlooking the Galilean hills.

In the Middle Ages Safed became a refuge for Spanish Jews fleeing the Inquisition and soon transformed into a hallowed centre for the study of Kabbalah (mystical Judaism). There must be something in the water here because Safed continues to attract mystical types - from the Dalai Lama to New Age travellers to born-again Hasidic Jews.

Safed's old Jewish quarter is an atmospheric tangle of steep, narrow alleyways characterized by stone buildings with blue trimmings and is packed with quaint, ornate synagogues, some of which date back to the 16th century.

On the other side of town, the former Arab quarter (the 12,000-strong Arab population fled in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli War) is now the artists' quarter, filled with studios and galleries.