Once the private collection of Tel Aviv’s first mayor, the city’s premiere art museum has now grown to encompass a sizeable collection of contemporary art works by Old Masters and many others. The angular Herta and Paul Amir building, designed by American architect Preston Scott Cohen as an addition to the original structure, has become a beacon since its completion in 2011.

Located in the city’s north, this six-acre park, complete with manicured gardens, sports facilities and intercut by the tranquil Yarkon River, complements Tel Aviv’s urban charm. Featuring 3,500 species of plants and an impressive botanic garden, the park is the perfect place to take a stroll or rent a bike, while feeling as if you’ve left city life behind entirely. Also located in the park is the Yitzhak Rabin center, a museum celebrating the life of the assassinated former prime minister, designed by architect Moshe Safdie.

Located in Park Tzamaret, this site, once a settlement of a Bedouin tribe, is now host to some of Tel Aviv’s priciest properties. Among them are Yoo Towers 1 and 2, designed by French designer Philippe Starck. The luxury towers, completed in 2007, feature the designer’s signature playful baroque interiors, complete with swimming pools, a movie theater for residents, and of course, sweeping views of the Mediterranean.

Dedicated to the late-president Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995 while in the process of negotiating a monumental peace deal with Palestine, this spacious square is often the site of political rallies. On the north end of the square, Tel Aviv’s hulking City Hall displays the 1950s penchant for Brutalist architecture that preceded the Bauhaus wave of the ’30s. A number of stylish bars and restaurants with outdoor seating line the western and southern ends of the plaza.

A must-visit for those interested in learning more about Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus heritage, the center offers an extensive collection of books on the topic, and an exhibition space in the basement.

In addition to a guided tour offered once a week, a  90-minute, self-led walking tour takes visitors to over a dozen prominent Bauhaus buildings in the neighborhood including the Ehrlich house at 72 Herzl street and the Shiff house at 13 Herzl street, and explains how the style was adapted to fit the city’s tropical climate. The center also offers a variety of design-related goodies and sells work by local artists.

The buildings around this central square feature sleek Bauhaus designs from the 1920s and ’30s. With its signature sun-strip balconies, Cinema Chen is a prime example of a recently renovated International Style building—part of the municipality’s recent push to preserve its Bauhaus heritage.

The square itself was the social center of Tel Aviv until the ’70s, though this changed when the pedestrian area was raised to allow cars to pass underneath. Today, the square is undergoing renovation and will once again be pedestrian-friendly by the end of the year. Dizengoff Street itself is lined with eateries and bars, offering opportunities to soak up the city’s lively atmosphere.

Designed as a cultural hub by the city’s original urban planner, Patrick Geddes, this centrally located square underwent an extensive renovation in 2007. It is home to the impressive HaBima Theater—the country’s national theater, and the Culture Palace, home of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.

There is also a well-manicured flower garden in the center of the square, which plays recordings of classical music. To the north of the square sits Helena Rubenstein Pavilion, a 1959 Bauhaus-style building that houses an exhibition space and a permanent collection of decorative art.

In the late 19th century, Protestant German settlers known as Templers settled in this community in Tel Aviv. However, the group was expelled by the British in the 1930s when many began to voice support for the rise of Adolf Hitler. In 2006, 33 buildings—many over 140 years old—were restored, and now house restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and bars on a green swathe of land nestled between several high rises. Don’t miss the upscale Sarona market next door—an indoor marketplace, offering everything from European specialty goods to high-end Middle Eastern cuisine.

This angular building completed in 1989 by Israeli architect Salo Hershman is perhaps unlike any other in the city. Host to five theaters, a movie archive, and occasional festivals—like TLVFest dedicated to LGTBQ cinema—catching a film in the Cinematheque can be a great way to take a break from city sightseeing. The Israeli Film Center, which opened in 2011 and was also designed by Hershman, features a similarly unusual structure, and hosts exhibitions of Israeli artwork on the ground floor.

Stretching from lively Allenby street to Magen David Square, Tel Aviv’s most famous market is a fantastic place not only to stock up on local delicacies—like salted fish, pastries, or fresh produce—but also to enjoy an inexpensive, but high-quality, sit-down meal.

Chef-owned stalls on the market’s side streets feature restaurants that vie for the title of Best Hummus, or offer the chance for adventurous eaters to try plates like Jerusalem mixed grill—a rich dish of chicken hearts, spleens, and livers. Be sure to sample the halva, a tahini-based dense candy popular throughout the Middle East.

This high-end boutique hotel—built in 1934 and named after French banking magnate Baron Edmond James Rothschild—is a prime example of an unornamented International Style building. Just outside its doors, tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard is an excellent place to walk or bike while taking in examples of Art Nouveau and renovated Bauhaus-style architecture along the way.

Designed in 1922 by prolific Israeli architect Yahudi Magidovich, this large synagogue sits at the heart of Tel Aviv’s financial center. Somewhat unexpectedly, the square surrounding it is host to a series of hip bars and restaurants, popular with a young crowd. Strolling the streets nearby offers a chance to visit art galleries, like Gallery 32 (Ahad Ha'Am St 32), which presents works by contemporary artists in another eclectic-style building erected in the 1920s.

Founded in 1887, Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhood is undeniably one of its most charming—and perhaps most glamorous. Colorful Ottoman-era buildings line cobblestone streets and are home to a variety of boutiques and shops, luxury boutique hotels and hip restaurants, particularly along the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, Shabazi street. Housed in a former girls’ school built in 1908, the Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance serves as the country’s premiere contemporary dance venue.

In rapidly transforming Florentin, this row of shops hearkens back to the neighborhood’s working-class Greek and Persian roots. Open every day—but most active on Fridays—the market offers an abundance of spices, dried fruits, nuts, and household goods.

Many shops at the market have been passed down among generations, with some dating to the late 19th century. In addition to classic shops—like rivaling delis Haim Rafael and Yam Tov—today the market is also home to a number of new, hip eateries, like popular hummus spot Garger HaZehav.

Often called the SoHo of Tel Aviv, Florentin is not quite as glamorous as its New York counterpart. With its youthful and artistic crowd, it may, though, be the hippest neighborhood in the city.

Tel Aviv’s nightlife takes flight on Vital street, which is filled with lively bars and restaurants. Those looking for more tranquil vibes can stroll the neighborhood’s narrow streets—perhaps discovering a record store or cocktail bar along the way.

Florentin also features an abundance of street art, much of it painted by well-known artists. Several streets away, The Block (Shalma Rd. 157), a top-notch nightclub, spins electronic beats until the wee hours of the morning.

Visitors looking to step off the tourist trail will enjoy visiting this spacious and diverse market in a quiet neighborhood inhabited by many of the city’s migrants. Produce prices are lower than in central Tel Aviv, and include a large selection of spices, dried fruits, nuts, fresh produce, and all that a market—or ‘shuk’ in Arabic—can offer.

In addition to a variety of restaurants found off meandering side streets, don’t miss popular Yemeni food stall, HaSaluf, which specializes in jachnun, flaky rolls of dough served with tomato and hardboiled egg.

Located a short walk from Jaffa’s Old City, a series of cobblestone streets comprise the bustling Jaffa flea market—one of the oldest bazaars in the world.

Wander through the grid of streets branching from Olei Zion Street and you’ll find a lively selection of stalls offering Persian carpets, tiles, copper and brass goods, and all the vintage furniture you could ask for (haggling is a must). There are also clothing boutiques, cafes, and stalls selling artisan-made goods.

Combine an afternoon of shopping with a leisurely lunch at one of the bohemian restaurants (with outdoor seating) on Pinhas Ben Ya’ir or Rabbi Nahman streets.

One of the oldest ports in the world—and the area from which the city of Tel Aviv grew—the ancient port is still used by local fishermen. However, in recent years, trendy shops and art galleries have popped up along the promenade.

Don’t miss the Jaffa Port Market, just below the old city. The converted former hangar features gourmet food stalls and plenty of shops ideal for design lovers, as well as a food market held on Friday mornings.

Jaffa’s former train station complex is located between the charming neighborhood of Neve Tzadek and the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to 22 beautifully restored buildings that house a variety of restaurants, clothing stores, and cafes. Once the villa of a wealthy family of German settlers, building number 8 is now home to a boutique by a local Israeli clothing designer, while an Arab building known as “the red house” for its rouge plaster, houses a Swedish fashion brand.

The train station itself, once used by travelers heading to Jerusalem, was built in 1882 and displays an architectural style typical of the Templers—German Protestants who settled in the Holy Land in the 19th century.