Around Jerusalem there are some special hikes that combine nature, history and archaeology. Before heading out, pick up some artisan bread, cheese, wine, hummus (you can find zatar growing wild) and salads for a picnic, drive into the hills, hike to your destination and enjoy. Here are three outings for the whole family.

Nahal Katlav
One particularly lovely hike is Nahal Katlav in the Judean Hills, named because of the abundance of strawberry trees growing there. Katlav is the Hebrew name of the striking, red-barked evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Mediteranean region, the Strawberry tree (Arbutus Unedo). The name 'unedo' is cleverly explained by the Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, as being derived from the Latin unum edo "I eat one", which seems appropriate as most people find the small fruit bland and mealy.

The hike starts from the parking lot just off highway <386> at the Ness Harim Junction and descends into the nahal past a deserted stone building and then follows the dry river bed northward about 2 km to a T with Nahal Soreq and the train tracks. Soreq is biblical Hebrew for a choice grapevine. This region was known for its grapes and today grapes are again growing in the Judean hills (and with them a number of fine boutique wineries). Enjoy your picnic before you retrace your steps back to your car.

Masger Reserve
You cannot help but notice the khaki painted shells of trucks on highway <1> from Tel Aviv up to Jerusalem. For this hike you take the exit to Bet Meir (the moshav on the ruins of the Arab village of Bet Mahsir) and park off the road on the right just before the moshav. This hike in the Masger Reserve takes you to an overlook above Shaar HaGai or Bab el Wad, the gorge that cuts through the hills and marks the entrance that leads to Jerusalem from the coast. This is the same road that in 1948 was closed by the Arab villages along its length (like Bet Mahsir) putting Jerusalem under siege. The convoys of trucks carrying food for the inhabitants of Jerusalem were attacked along this road and many Israelis lost their lives. The poet Haim Gouri wrote about it, the poem was set to music and has become a legend.

Bab el-Wad
Do remember our names forever,
Convoys broke through, on the way to the City.
Our dead lay on the road edges.
The iron skeleton is silent like my comrade.

Take a copy of the poem with you to sing. Have your picnic with the whoosh of traffic way below you.

Ein Lavan
The third hike is an example of hiking to a maayan, a natural spring where water works its way out of the hillside. At some point someone cut into the bedrock to make a pool, perfect for a dip on a hot summer day. Drive out to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo near Malcha (itself a fun destination for kids) and park the car at the farthest parking lot, a gravel road (you can also drive it or conceivably push a stroller) with a blue trail marker continues west to 2 springs. To your right the hill above the trail is called Rekhes Lavan (White Ridge) because of the kirton (chalk, a soft kind of limestone) and the valley below to the left with the train tracks is Nahal Refaim (Valley of Giants). After following the winding road you will come to a small parking area, a green Parks sign and steps on your right.

Climb the stairs to Ein Lavan that fills 2 pools, a shallow one for smaller children or for cooling your feet and a deeper one, about 1.5 meters, great for swimming. After your picnic follow the spring back towards it source to find some burial caves from the Second Temple period.

The second spring, Ein Itamar, is farther and more challenging to find. Our youngest son, AdirChai, who is the family expert on maayanot told me about it. From Ein Lavan descend the steps and continue along the road, at the fork stay right where the blue trail joins the black. The road becomes paved again, there is a gravel path that forks to the left (don't take it, follow the black trail) and when the road turns right and is climbing there's a dirt path to the left that leads down (blue trail again), follow it until it turns sharply to the left. Look for the ruins of a stone building, the pool is below it.

This guest post is written by Shmuel Browns. Shmuel is a licensed tour guide who lives in Jerusalem. Passionate about Israel, Shmuel takes people throughout the country exposing them to its history, nature and culture. Shmuel blogs about his experiences at http://israeltours.wordpress.com/