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Cremisan Monastery
Cremisan monastery is on the border between Beit Jala and Jerusalem, with the main building officially in Jerusalem and the storeroom on the other side of the parking lot in Beit Jala. The monastery can be reached through a long winding road from the city of Beit Jala. The road leading to the monastery reflects a clear image of the political situation of the times: on the left hand side there are Palestinian houses, some of them modern-looking others more ancient and some of them shabby, while on the right hand side rise the modern apartment houses of Gilo, the Israeli settlement bor- dering Beit Jala.
As you enter Cremisan, the outside world is immediately forgotten and the visitor is lost to the natural beauty of the place and serenity which characterizes it. For the 37 theological students from around the world, including Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt, who study there along with a dozen or so teachers, Cremisan is an island of tranquility. The main monastery building which dates from the last century has stone floors and high arched ceilings. The walls are several meters thick. Prominently pictured on walls throughout are Pope John Paul II and Don Bosco, founder of the Salesian order to which the monastery belongs. The main attraction for the regular visitor is the wine cellar and adjoining shop which is located a few hundred meters beyond the monastery building.
The wine production of the monastery is a modest 700,000 liters a year. The grapes come from the order's own vineyards and Beit Jammal and Rifaat as well as from Beit Jala and Hebron areas. Only 2% of the grapes come from the vineyards at Cremisan. The wine cellar with its high arched ceilings is full of casks of aging wine and brandy. Prices range from NIS 12 - 24 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine shop is open daily except Sunday, from 08:00 - 12:00 and 13:30 - 16:30. Organized groups are welcome to picnic in the extensive green areas surrounding the monastery provided they make advance arrangements.