The White City of Tel Aviv is the rather poetic appellation given to one of the Middle East's youngest World Heritage Sites -- a living museum of several thousand buildings constructed in the mid-20th century in the Bauhaus or International style. The years prior to World War II brought an influx of architects from Europe to Tel Aviv, where they brought concepts from the Bauhaus school to the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean. I arrived in Tel Aviv on a warm spring evening in 2015, and immediately went to the Bauhaus Center at 77 Dizengoff Street to become more familiar with Tel Aviv's unique architecture. Sadly, the center was more of a store than a historical gallery, but it gave me a starting point for my walk around the city. After passing by the Cinema Hotel and Dizengoff Square, I continued for several blocks to Rothschild Avenue, home to a great concentration of Bauhaus-style buildings. Most of the buildings looked very lived in, and some were partially obscured by power lines and palm trees. Still, I appreciated the different approaches to balconies and windows in buildings on both sides of the street. The architecture was worth a visit, but I highly recommend ending the day by enjoying the sunset over the Mediterranean.
Logistics: Tel Aviv is fairly easy to navigate on foot, which is the best way to appreciate the many buildings that constitute this World Heritage Site.