Zikhron Ya'aqov is a town located about 30 km southern from Haifa, at the end of Mount Carmel's range.
The town's name means Jacob's Memorial and it spreads over a cliff east to the costal highway, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The settlement was founded by Jewish pioneers in 1882 under the name of Zammarin.
The condition of these Hovevei Zion members was difficult when some of them were forced to leave the region.
About a year later the Baron Edmond James de Rothschild has become the patron of this settlement and changed its name to Zikhron Ya'aqov, in the memory of his father, James Jacob Mayer de Rothschild.

The settlement was population was based on farmers and until today Zikhron Ya'aqov's population goes over 16000 when a major part of its residents are still farmers.
Among this characteristic there are upscale villas being built to attract more families to come and live in this pastoralist town.

In the town there are two wineries that operate as a part of its special characteristics, the Carmel Mizrahi Winery and the Tishbi Winery.

The center of the town was reserved through the years and today it is considered to an attractive location for tourists and visitors on general.
The main street of this historic place is filled with coffeehouses, shops, special designed houses and buildings, and the name that has been brought to it with the years is Derech HaYayin (The road of the wine).

One of the places to visit in the town is the Ohel Ya'aqov (Tent of Jacob) synagogue, which was built by the Baron in order to serve the town people for prayer.
In 1885 Rothschild helped to establish the first winery in Israel, Carmel-Mizrahi Winery, together with a bottling factory, in Zikhron Ya'aqov.
The Wineries has become an attractive site for tourists were they can visit and get a close glimpse on the wine production.
When you visit the town you must pass through the Aharonson House. The place has been transferred into a little museum where you can learn about the Nili spy ring, Sarah Aaronsohn.
Sarah Aharonson, together with her two brothers, Aaron (a noted botanist) and Alex, and their friend Avshalom Feinberg volunteered to spy on the Ottoman positions in favor of the British.
When Sarah got arrested, in October 1917, after 4 days of torture she managed to shoot herself. 

Another place you wouldn't like to miss while visiting Zikhron is the Baron Rothschild's Gardens.
The place is actually a very big and wide park where you can walk between beautiful flowers, visit the Baron's Grave, get some impression from the magnificent views and even arrange a picnic in the park.