February in Israel is an month of transition from winter into spring, and with it comes a great selection of events, and things to do. February 2012 in Israel will be a month of music, theater, art, and much more, with amazing events taking place across the country. Here are our highlights of what to do in Israel this February:

The Sound of Winter is a new event starting in Jerusalem in February 2012. Every Monday during the month, the festival will move to another part of town bringing with it twenty to twenty-five events giving a grand total of eighty events in Jerusalem throughout the month! All of the events are free, and the events range from concerts to exhibitions, film screenings, cooking classes, workshops, art lessons, movie marathons and more! The Sound of Winter, Jerusalem will be taking place in Jerusalem in February 2012.

The Florentin Circus, one of Israel’s premier circus acts, will be performing in Tel Aviv in February and March, 2012. The circus is a modern circus meaning it features no animal performances, which combines dance, theater, and street performance. The Florentin Circus performs at Kfar Hayarok in north Tel Aviv where it has two tents in which it performs. The circus will be giving performances throughout February and March, 2012.

The Eilat Festival for Chamber Music is one of Israel’s top music festivals, taking place each year in a magical amphitheater facing the red mountains of the southern Israeli city of Eilat. The festival attracts world acclaimed musicians and ensembles who gather to give chamber and orchestral concerts, opera, dance and gypsy music. The 2012 Eilat Festival for Chamber Music will take place between March 11-17, and will feature British ensemble La Serenissima, the State Choir Latvija, as well as Stephen Kovacevic, Natalie Clien, Valeriy Sokolow, and Eniko Magyar

Pianist Richard Clayderman will be giving three concerts in Israel, in the cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, in early March 2012. The trio of concerts will be the first in Israel for four years for the French musician whose career has spanned over four decades. Clayderman has sold over 100 million albums in 57 different countries, with 290 gold and 90 platinum discs, and his greatest hits include “Ballade pour Adeline”, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, as well as themes from West Side Story, Love Story and Schindler’s List, all of which will feature in his concerts in Israel. Clayderman will perform in Israel between March 1-3, 2012.

Israel is a great country to visit as a backpacker or independent traveler. It is a country with massive cultural diversity to immerse yourself in, amazing historic and geographic sites to explore, and incredible facilities, hostels, and tours tailored and suited to backpackers and independent travelers. The amazing selection of what to do in Israel means that it is possible to visit Israel and have a trip that is totally tailored to your individual interests. This article will try to be a starting point for anyone planning a backpacking tour in Israel.

There are loads of museums in Tel Aviv ranging from large, national institutions such as the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Beit Hatfutsot: The Museum of the Diaspora, to smaller, more specialist museums such as the Museum of the History of Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Bauhaus Museum, and the Reuven Rubin Museum. There are also many great museums in the towns surrounding Tel Aviv: the Design Museum in the city of Holon to the south, and the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.