Yarkon Bridges

From its source in Rosh Haayin to its estuary in Tel Aviv, the Yarkon River twists and turns for 27km. Ecologically, the river may be divided into three segments. In the upper segment, from the springs to the estuary of Nahal Kaneh, about 7km, there is clean water flowing. This is a segment that has never suffered the ills of most of the streams of Israel’s coastal plain. Unfortunately, its beauty is relatively unknown.

In the middle segment, from the Kaneh River estuary to the Seven Mills, about 16km, the water is mainly comprised of purified effluents treated in local wastewater treatment plants. Here, too, the Yarkon discloses beautiful and captivating places, especially since the quality of its water has improved.

The Lower Yarkon, 4km, is a wide channel that flows mostly in the vicinity of Ganei Yehoshua, Tel Aviv. A considerable proportion of the water flowing in this segment is saltwater due to the influx of sea water.

From the parking area we will walk north along the road, with the fence of the Baptist Village on our right. The village, which covers an area of 30 hectares, was founded in 1955. It is the center of the Baptist community in Israel and is a place of worship as well as a meeting place for the members of the community in Israel.

About 200m from the parking area we reach the corner of the Baptist Village fence. Here we turn right, between the north fence of the village and a cultivated field, and very soon we are on the bank of the Yarkon. The river is flowing, and the eucalyptus trees and reeds create a feeling of tranquility and charm. A special path was paved here very recently for bicycles, and a gate was constructed, which prevents cars from driving along the river.

After about 600m we reach the Concrete House Bridge. We will be returning to it in order to cross the Yarkon, but in the meantime we will proceed for several meters in order to get to the concrete house itself. It is a two-story building, which was built in 1912 as a pumping station for the Palestine Irrigation Company. In those days there was an architect in the village named Daniel Lichtenstein, who was looking for an opportunity to build with concrete—a material that had not yet been used in the land of Israel. His vision was realized on the banks of the Yarkon, where he built the first concrete building in Israel.

We will cross the Yarkon on the Concrete House Bridge, then go a bit further and reach the Yarkon Trail on the north bank. We will turn right and pass an old orchard house, from where we can get a glimpse of the Yarkon Source National Park on the other side of the river.

After another 1.3km we will reach the Train Bridge, which crosses the Yarkon. We will pass underneath it and discover the new Yarkon Source Bridge. If you are already tired, you can cross the bridge here, get to the pillbox station and proceed back to the parking lot. You will have “saved” approximately 1km but missed a lot more.

Instead, we will proceed on the dirt road another 150m and turn right to the riverbank. A giant eucalyptus marks the spot of another meander, which is called the Lotus Meander and is named after the large yellow water lilies that grow there. The flower is easily recognized by its large leaves that float on the surface of the water and by its large yellow flowers that appear on the water from March to September.