This is probably my favourite part of the tour. Seeing that two-tone classic car with the Israeli plates parked near the ruins is just perfect. It'ss a bit of high-level historical humour: 2,000 years after the Greeks named the mountain" Horse City" (Hippos), Israelis brought a"Little Horse" on wheels back to the site.
Meet the Sussita—the car that became a national legend.
- The Battle for the Name Back in 1959, an Israeli company called Autocars held a contest to name their new vehicle. Sussit"" won, and it was a stroke of genius. It hit two birds with one stone:
It honoured the famous Sussita fortress that was all over the news at the time.
It comes from the Hebrew word Sus (horse), making it the literal workhorse for a brand-new country.
The""Camel Foo"" LegendYou'lll eventually hear the most famous Israeli urban legend:""Camels love to eat Sussitas"" Unlike the Romans who built with heavy basalt, the creators of the Sussita used fiberglass. The joke was that the fibreglass contained straw so that camels would mistake the car for a snack. While camels didn't actually eat them (fibreglass is a terrible lunch), the myth stuck forever. It'ss the ultimate Israeli" dad joke""
A Masterpiece... Sort Of Look at those lines! It looks like a cross between a vintage fridge and a tiny spaceship.
Rust-proof: Since it was plastic, itdidn'tt rust—a huge plus for a country on the Mediterranean.
The Engine: Under the hood, it usually had a British Ford Anglia engine. So, the""Israeli Hors"" actually spoke with a bit of a British accent.
The Sabra Export: Israel actually tried to sell these in the US under the Sabra brand. Americans were a bit confused by the""plastic box"" but theycouldn'tt deny that it was impossible to corrode!
- Why did the""Hors"" stop running? Even though it was a hit in the 60s, production ended in 1981.
The""Stoo"" Comfort: To put it nicely, the interior was... tight.
Safety: While a Roman basalt pipe could handle massive water pressure, a fiberglass Sussitadidn'tt handle car crashes quite as heroically.
The Competition: Once Japanese small cars flooded the market, the Sussita began to look like a relic from the Stone Age (or the Basalt Age).
The Perfect Symbol Seeing the car next to the city is like a meeting of two""technological miracles"" One is made of eternal basalt and moved water with gravity; the other is made of plastic and moved on pure Israeli chutzpah. Both represent an era when people believed they could build anything—whether a city on a cliff or a car made of fibreglass.
Imagine the perfect spring morning in Israel—the sun is warm but not yet "blasting" you, and the air smells like fresh wildflowers. It's the absolute best time to grab the keys and head to the eastern side of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).
First Stop: Kursi & The Views Start your day at Kursi. It's this massive Byzantine monastery ruin where the vibe is just... super chill. You can walk across ancient mosaics and literally feel the history. But don't stay too long because the drive up the mountain is even better. Make sure to pull over at Mitzpe Nukieb. On a clear day, the view is insane—you see the whole blue "bowl" of the Kinneret stretched out from Tiberias to the Golan Heights. It's one of those "stop and just stare" moments.
The Main Event: Susita (Hippos) Then, you've got the crown jewel: Susita. It's like a ghost city sitting on a hill. They call it the "Pompeii above the lake." You'll walk through the old Roman forum and see giant columns that were knocked down by an earthquake 1,200 years ago and just... stayed there. It's got this wild mix of ancient Roman vibes and old Israeli military outposts.
Trains and Hummus When you head back down, swing by the old Tzemach train station. It's been restored and feels like a movie set from the early 1900s—back when trains ran all the way from Haifa to Damascus.
Finally, once you're officially "toured out," hit up Hummus Eliyahu at the Tzemach junction. Trust me, a warm bowl of creamy hummus with olive oil, fluffy pita, and a solid cup of coffee is the only way to end a trip like this.
Pro tip: Go right now while it's spring. The Golan is bright green, and everything looks like a masterpiece.
