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You won't believe what these Israeli hikers find on their 1,000 kilometer journey

Israelis and tourists are captivated by the 1,000-kilometer Israel National Trail, which National Geographic selected as one of the world's 20 most highly recommended treks.
A man walks near the village of al-Sira, one of dozens of ramshackle Bedouin Arab communities in the Negev desert which are not recognised by the Israeli state, in southern Israel August 20, 2013. For decades Arab Bedouins have eked out a meagre existence in the Negev desert, largely under the Israeli government's radar, but now many will have to make way for new developments. Israel has already invested around $5.6 billion to build military bases in the Negev desert and plans to build 10 new communities th

One of the oldest Israeli traditions is getting to know the country on foot. It dates back to the days following the establishment of the state, when young people and soldiers would go on long hiking trips across the country. It is, in fact, one of the still-revered sacred cows of Israeli society and one of the few older social values not yet shattered. In light of this, the education system, youth movements and various other frameworks continue to use it to educate youths and many other Israelis practice the tradition.

The country's numerous natural sites abound with marked hiking trails of a wide variety of lengths and levels of difficulty. Towering above them all is the Israel National Trail, which traverses the entire length of the country from Mount Hermon in the north to Eilat on the Red Sea coast. The trail is about 1,000 kilometers [620 miles] long, and it takes on average two months to walk it from beginning to end.

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