Hebrew name: Mitzpor Ya'ar Schvaitz
Location: Switzerland Forest
Description: Switzerland Forest was planted by the British Mandate authorities and was later transferred to the management of KKL-JNf. To protect the city of Tiberias from Soil erosion, the forest was planted to cover the steep slope which leads from Ramat Poriya to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.
At its peak, the escarpment rises 400 meters above the Sea of Galilee, overlooking the beautiful landscapes of the sea, the Hermon mountain and the Galilee, with the city of Tiberias at the forest's feet.
In the 1960s, KKL-JNF established a drainage system based on streaming channels planned as leading gutters, with passageways alongside them. A six-KM landscape road passes through the forest, and it includes parking spots and observation points.
The big scenic lookout in the forest was built in 1986 as an observation point for travelers, thanks to a donation from the KKL-Switzerland. Throughout the years, the site has been renovated and upgraded.
Due to security problems and the wish to meet travelers' needs, the site closed down, and in 2022, a new floating scenic lookout was built, giving the unique feeling of mid-air observation.
The lookout stands on poles that are buried deep in the ground, and it is covered by local basalt stone, in accordance with the look of the forest.
2.5 million ILS have been invested in the lookout, about a million of which came were donated by the KKL-Switzerland Foundation
Directions: travelers coming from the north should drive through the Sapir Junction and the KKL boulevard. Travelers coming from the south should drive from the Achsania Junction of Poriya and the Oron Shaul Overlook to the Switzerland Forest.