Ilana Goor Museum, Tel Aviv (must see)

The Ilana Goor Museum is housed in an 18th-century stone building overlooking the Mediterranean. Originally constructed as an inn for Jewish pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, it also served as a place of refuge, offering protection along the journey. The building later took on various roles—including a soap factory and a synagogue—before being transformed into a museum in the 1990s by Israeli artist and designer Ilana Goor.

Goor spent years restoring the building, carefully revealing its graceful arches and massive golden stone walls while preserving its atmosphere. The interior unfolds across multiple levels, with rooms arranged in a flowing, almost labyrinthine sequence. In the basement level, the building’s 19th-century industrial past remains visible. Look for the ancient stone troughs and rounded vats set into the floor, which were used for mixing olive-oil soap. While underground, note the clay pitchers embedded in the ceiling, an architectural feature designed to insulate the factory from the heat.

With more than 500 works—many created or collected by Goor over five decades—the museum brings together paintings, around 300 sculptures, video art, and ethnographic pieces. Often described as an “artistic jungle,” the collection feels immersive and highly personal. On the first floor, the Monk’s Room highlights this eclectic style. It features two 300-year-old wooden tables from a Greek monastery that serve as the foundation for the sculptural installation The Morning After, an assembly of bronze figures and objects exploring the cycle of life and death.

Windows and outdoor terraces open toward the sea, offering expansive views of the coastline, while quiet seating areas invite visitors to pause and take in the setting. The rooftop terrace, accessed via a narrow, winding staircase, is a particular highlight. It serves as a sculpture garden where large-scale bronze and iron works, such as the "Bird Nest Chandelier" and the "Bedouin Women" series, are positioned among olive trees and Mediterranean plants, providing a 360-degree perspective over the Mediterranean and the surrounding city.