Now that autumn is upon us, it is time to set out on a trip down south – the air is now cooler, but the rains have not yet begun, so this is a great time of year to visit the wonderful Judean Desert. There are numerous trails and attractions down south, but less is written about the area surrounding Ma'aleh Adumim, one of Israel's fastest-growing cities. Located at 500 meters above sea level and just east of Jerusalem, Ma'aleh Adumim began as a small hamlet, and because it's technically in the territories, some Israelis are concerned about their safety in this region. This is a shame, because the city has really grown, and there are now wonderful museums, restaurants, attractions and even a man-made lake where visitors can ride around in pedal boats, and then hang out at a chic café while the kids have fun in the adventure park. In addition, Ma'aleh Adumim also boasts two important archeological centers from the Byzantine Era: the Martyrius Monastery and the Monastery of St. Euthymius. A third area that has brought about an increase in tourism to the city are tours of local factories. I recommend starting your day at the Megadim Outlook, from which there is an excellent view of the desert valley and the main road leading up to Ma'aleh Adumim, which is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as the border between two areas of land inheritance belonging to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Ma'aleh Adumim was also a popular stop on the Children of Israel's pilgrimage to the Temple during the First and Second Temple periods. And during the Crusader period, Crusaders often passed through Ma'aleh Adumim on their way to Jordan. After you've oriented yourself with the surrounding geographical area, go back to your car and drive a few minutes to the Moshe Castel Museum of Art. Designed by late Israel Prize Laureate architect David Reznik, the museum was built on top of the beautiful mountain overlooking Jerusalem and the Judean Desert. The museum displays works by Castel from a variety of different time periods, some of which are quite famous, such as works titled Hallelujah Jerusalem, The Woman and the Fox Fur, and The Ha'ari Synagogue in Safed. Castel's family was descended from Spanish Jews from Castile, who immigrated to the Holy Land following the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. His father ran a religious school in the Bukharan neighborhood of Jerusalem, and Castel's rich Jewish upbringing can be seen in many of his works. Visitors can join guided tours or walk through the museum on their own. Price: Children NIS 18, Adults NIS 36. Location: 1 Hamuzeon Square, Ma'aleh Adumim. From the museum you can continue in the direction of the Mishor Adumim industrial park, which is home to a number of factories that are interesting to visit. The first one I recommend touring is Aleinu Sustainable Aeroponic Greenhouse, where guests will learn about the new social, environmental and educational model of agricultural sustainability that turned a rooftop into a farm. None of the produce grown there comes in contact with the ground, and visitors can learn how practically anything can be grown with complete independence from available agricultural land. More than 20 different types of vegetables and herbs are grown in plastic channels, and they receive water and fertilizers through an automatic system. Pre-registration required: 054-527-5404. If you are a music enthusiast (or even if you're not), the next stop I recommend is Macmull's Guitars. Tal Macmull, 27, repairs guitars and builds new ones by hand from wood acquired locally. Macmull also conducts workshops in which he teaches participants how to build guitars – starting with a piece of wood and all the way until you can play music on them. Macmull explains how various designs affect the final sound the instrument makes, and then plays music on a variety of instruments and asks guests to guess which instrument he used. Tours last up to 90 minutes. Pre-registration required: 054-527-5404 If you're traveling with children and looking for a place to let the little ones run around and burn off some energy, it's definitely worth your while to go to Good Lanes Bowling Alley. While you're bowling, you can answer trivia questions about the Land of Israel and the Torah, and even win a few prizes. Next door to the bowling alley is a kosher meat restaurant called ZigZag, where you can recharge your batteries before moving on to your next stop. It offers business meals for NIS 45 that include tasty, home-style cooked dishes, with take-away available on Fridays. I highly recommend stopping there since both the food and service are good, and there aren't too many other options in the area. Location: 7 Sufa Street, Ma'aleh Adumim. There are a number of options for the second half of the day. One option is to visit the Monastery of St. Euthymius, which is run by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The site, which is open by appointment only, offers a glimpse of remains of the monastery from the Byzantine Period. There's an ancient water hole which local people used for drinking water, an arch from the Crusader period, rooms where nuns used to live, and stairs that lead down to the crypt where Euthymius's bones were stored. On the second floor there is an incredible mosaic left over from the monastery, as well as remains that show the building also functioned as an inn for pilgrims. There are also channels in the floor that show how water flowed into an indoor swimming pool. But the most impressive relic at the site is definitely the 17-meter-deep underground water hole, which is reminiscent of the Pool of the Arches in Ramle. Another archeological site that is just as interesting, and which does not require making an appointment, is the museum at the Good Samaritan Inn. Located near Ma'aleh Adumim on the road that leads down to the Dead Sea, the museum displays mosaics from the First Temple period, as well as a floor from a sixth-century synagogue, including images of animals, grapevines and Greek writing. There are three separate rooms in the museum, each one displaying items from Jewish, Samaritan and Christian communities. Price: children NIS 10, adults NIS 22. After a long day in the desert, you might be in the mood to jump in a natural spring. If this is the case, you're in luck because Ein Mabua is just a few minutes' drive from the museum. The spring flows into two pools: a square shallow one and a deep round one. The access to the spring is very convenient, and is just a short distance from the road. You can leave your car in a makeshift parking area alongside Road 458 and walk down the path to the spring. The water temperature remains constant all year long, and therefore you'll find hikers bathing even in the winter. Another reason the spring is so popular is because it is always emptying and refilling itself depending on the water level in the cave where the spring commences. So if by chance you arrive at the spring and the water level is extremely low, just wait a few minutes and it will probably fill up right in front of your eyes. Entrance to the spring is free of charge, but hikers are allowed in only at certain hours of the day, and park authority employees on site are strict about enforcing them. Note: If you are interested in a guided tour, I recommend contacting Shelley Brinn from Tour Adumim (www.touradumim.com). Tours including the above sites are set according to needs of the group and can range from two hours up to a full day. Tel: 054-527-5404 Translated by Hannah Hochner.