To enter the Church of the Nativity, you have to bow. The main door into the basilica was made smaller over the centuries, probably to stop people riding in on horseback, and the low opening is known as the Door of Humility. Inside, the church built by Justinian in the sixth century over an earlier fourth century basilica of Constantine is one of the oldest functioning churches in the world, and beneath its altar a stair leads down to the Grotto of the Nativity, where a silver star marks the place where tradition says Jesus was born. The church and the pilgrimage route through Bethlehem became a World Heritage Site in 2012.
The church is shared by Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic communities under an old arrangement called the Status Quo, which governs who cleans, lights and repairs what. A major restoration in recent years revealed mosaics and wooden beams hidden under grime, and the interior is brighter than it has been for centuries. Queues for the grotto can be long, especially at Christmas and Easter.
Bethlehem sits on a ridge south of Jerusalem, in the hills of Judea, with terraced olive groves and the Judean desert falling away to the east. Manger Square, in front of the church, is the heart of town, with shops selling olive wood carvings and mother of pearl, crafts that local families have practised for generations. The separation barrier between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, covered with graffiti and murals, is a stark presence on the northern edge of town.
Bethlehem is in the West Bank, and access involves checkpoints and security considerations that can change, so check the current situation and your government's advice before travelling. The streets are steep, narrow and crowded, and parking is difficult, so leave the bike outside the centre and walk. Fuel and food are easy to find. Try the falafel, hummus and knafeh, a sweet cheese pastry soaked in syrup.