Cremisan Sandwiched in between Israeli apartment blocks and Palestinian luxury villas lies the monastery of Cremisan, an almost forgotten landmark.

Cremisan is on the border between the West Bank and Jerusalem, with the main building officially in Jerusalem and the storeroom on the other side of the parking lot in the West Bank. The long winding road to the monastery is just past one of the coordinating offices between Israel and the Palestinian Autonomy.

almost at the entrance to Cremisan, does one have the feeling of isolation and rural beauty associated with the monastery.

The main monastery building, which dates from the last century, has stone floors, worn shiny with use and scrubbing, and high arched ceilings. The walls are several meters thick, providing defense against winter chill and summer heat. Prominently pictured on walls throughout are Pope John Paul II and Don Bosco, founder of the Silesian order, to which the monastery belongs.