Things to Do in Lebanon

A tour of the sprawling palace complex of Beiteddine, set in the rolling highlands 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Beirut, is a stroll through the sanctum of ancient Lebanese royalty. Easily the nation’s best example of 19th century Lebanese architecture, the manicured landscape and intricate buildings have been called the “Alhambra of Lebanon”, a nod to the calming and regal atmosphere permeating the palace grounds.

Commissioned in 1778 by Emir Bashir Chehab II, it was built over the span of 30 years by craftsmen and architects from Syria to Italy who sculpted the palace into a masterpiece of architectural and cultural fusion. Of particular interest are the ornate rooms of the emir’s private apartment quarters, the Dar El Harim, where private balconies provide views of the surrounding valleys and elaborate mosaic floors rest beneath carved marble walls. In the same section of the palace are the Hammam baths, which, in keeping with Roman tradition, feature three rooms of distinct temperature where guests and royalty could relax in the soothing waters.

Across from the Dar El Harim are the stable grounds where the 600 horses they once housed have been replaced by an extensive collection of Byzantine mosaics dating as far back as the 5th and 6th century AD. Other museums similarly occupy the modern day palace grounds, and stops such as the Rashid Karami Archeological and Ethnographic Museum offer a large collection of Bronze-Age pottery, gold jewelry and ancient Roman glass.

Though much of Beiteddine is open to viewing by the public, portions of the palace are still privately occupied, acting as the summer residence of Lebanon’s President. Visitors wanting to get a feel for an overnight stay in a Lebanese palace can book into one of the 24 rooms at nearby Mir Amin Palace, a stunningly restored five-star hotel which was once the private residence of Emir Amine, son of Bashir Chehab II.

Since its creation in 1857 by members of the Lebanese Jesuit community, the vineyard at Chateau Ksara has produced award winning wines ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah, from Gewurtzraminer to Chardonnay. Set in the Bekaa Valley at an average altitude of 3,300 feet, Chateau Ksara benefits from fertile clays soils and the warm days and cool nights of a classically Mediterranean climate.

The oldest and largest winery in Lebanon, Chateau Ksara is conveniently set on the road between the Lebanese capital of Beirut and the historic ruins of Baalbek. Visitors to Chateau Ksara are invited to take a complimentary tour of the ornately manicured property and sample some locally crafted Lebanese wines. Those wanting to broaden their palate should also try a glass of arak, the national drink of Lebanon which can be found in various forms throughout the Middle East.

A particular highlight of touring Chateau Ksara is viewing the ancient grotto which is now used as a massive storage room. Accidentally discovered in 1898 by the Jesuit winemakers, the 1.2 mile long subterranean grotto is carved into limestone rock and believed to date back to the Roman period nearly 2,000 years ago. Though its exact origins are still uncertain, the cool, dark recesses of the grotto provide the perfect temperature for storing and aging wines. Thanks to this fortuitous twist of fate, as many as 900,000 bottles are currently stored in the grotto with a few vintages dating as far back as 1918.

Chic, sexy and ultra-modern, downtown Beirut can once again be considered the “pearl of the Middle East”. A booming coastal metropolis in the midst of an economic revival, a city once divided by 15 years of civil war is now home to high end stores, trendy restaurants, and a modern population living among thousands of years of history.

Travelers to Beirut can relish in the simple pleasure of sipping a thick coffee at an outdoor café or people watching along the Corniche, a three-mile coastal promenade where bullet holes still riddle the well-manicured palm trees. Visitors can similarly amble along the newly constructed Zaitunay Bay esplanade where private yachts moored offshore bear witness to Beirut’s surging wealth.

Though Beirut has no shortage of easy transport, travelers can take pleasure in strolling in the pedestrian mall around Nejmeh Square and gawk at the masterfully planned architecture. Nearby, in Martyr’s Square, many of the country’s largest political gatherings have taken place and the grounds are still a hotspot for raucous political expression.

Beirut is much more than picturesque squares and glittering promenades. It’s also a regional center of culture and commerce. At the ultra-popular Souk el Barghout, shoppers can search for everything from designer shoes to traditional caftans. Meanwhile, across town, history buffs will get lost in the sprawling National Museum and the numerous cultural artifacts residing within.

For the 1.5 million people who call Beirut home, however, gambling on horse races at the Hippodrome and dancing all night at thumping nightclubs are elements of a daily Beirut life steeped in pleasure and enjoyment. For thousands of years Beirut has been an alluring fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lifestyle, and as Lebanon progresses into an increasingly modern future, Beirut will be the capital city leading the Lebanese charge forward.

Ever since its founding in 2,750 BC, the Lebanese city of Tyre (Sour) has been a center of conquest, exploration and empire. Originally an island city with one of the finest harbors in the eastern Mediterranean, scholars argue that the first explorers to navigate the waters of the Mediterranean Sea departed from the modern day port of Tyre. Although heavily fortified and able to repel many previous attacks, the island of Tyre was finally conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC when his armies constructed a causeway to get within striking distance of the island. Due to thousands of years of sedimentation caused by the man-made causeway, the city of Tyre is now an isthmus which forms a rugged promontory jutting out into the sea.

Tyre is renowned for having the cleanest beaches in Lebanon, and is also known for the authenticity of its souks and wealth of Roman ruins. In addition to the Monumental Arch which once served as the entrance to the city, the most notable ruin in Tyre is the massive Roman hippodrome set in the Al Bass Archeological site. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest ever constructed in the ancient world, the hippodrome staged raucous chariot events for crowds numbering over 20,000.

While regarded as safe for modern day travelers, Tyre has been a place of much turmoil in the past. The city was damaged in 1982 and 2006 during conflicts with neighboring Israel, and though Tyre is fully open for tourism and deserves a spot on any Lebanon itinerary, the political situation can nevertheless be tense.

When even the Phoenicians (an ancient society who populated Lebanon as far back as 1,200 BC) consider a place to be old, then you know it’s legitimately old. Such is the case with Byblos, A UNESCO World Heritage site so steeped in history it’s regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Dating back over 7,000 years, the ancient city now known as Jbail has been the home for civilians and soldiers since the dawn of modern humanity.

The modern city of Byblos is located just 23 miles (37 km) north of Beirut. While the coastal cafés and Mediterranean beaches are a heavy tourist draw, so too are the archeological ruins and the vibrant souks which lay scattered about the cobbled streets of the old town. Of all the ruins in Byblos, the most notable is Byblos Castle (Crusader Castle) which was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the late 12th Century and is open for public touring.

An ancient hub of commerce for transporting shipments of papyrus paper, (byblos is the Greek word for papyrus), Byblos is also revered as the birthplace of the modern alphabet. Millennia of ruins and history aside, modern day Byblos is a rapidly expanding coastal retreat awash in open air beach bars overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. A viable alternative for those looking to see-and-be-seen outside of Beirut, Byblos is a fascinating mosaic of history and hedonism which deserves a spot atop the itinerary of any Lebanon traveler.

Only two and half hours from the glitzy beaches of Beirut, the cedar groves of Lebanon are the pride of the Lebanese mountains. Northern Lebanon has some of the tallest peaks in the Middle East, some rising to over 10,000 feet, many of which used to be covered in dense forests of precious cedar.

From as early as 3,000 BC the surrounding civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and later the British lusted for the hard wood found in the forests of Lebanon. Unable to provide wood of their own for shipbuilding and railroad ties, the cedar forests of Lebanon were rapidly depleted and nearly destroyed.

Despite the international demand, however, some of the most remote groves managed to remain, the most famous of which is located in the village of Bsharre just 15 minutes from Lebanon’s most popular ski resort. Believed to be the oldest cedar grove in Lebanon, four of the largest cedars reach heights of over 115 feet and are locally referred to as Arz el Rab, “Cedars of the Lord”.

One of Lebanon’s greatest natural treasures, the mountainous area offers terrain and panoramas unlike anywhere else in Lebanon. After ambling amongst the cedars in Bsharri or taking to the slopes, visitors can descend into nearby Qadisha Grotto, an entrancing cave complex filled with limestone stalactites and stalagmites and which gushes with springtime waterfalls.

Given the distance of the cedars from the capital city of Beirut there are many hotel options available nearby, and although the ski resort is only open from December through April there is never a bad season for exploring the recesses of the Lebanese mountains.

Set 36 miles (58 km) outside the capital city of Beirut, the ancient city of Anjar is literally a Lebanon attraction unlike any other. While many of the ruins in Lebanon existed under a multitude of rulers, the fortified city of Anjar was occupied solely by the Umayyad dynasty during the 8th century AD when it flourished for a mere number of decades. This city's Opulent rulers eventually fell to the Abbasids, but at one point their influence stretched from the valleys of India to the shores of southern France. With the exception of a mosque in nearby Baalbek, Anjar is the only place in Lebanon which provides an example of the Umayyad period.

Located in the fertile Beqaa valley amid the Anti-Lebanon mountains and along a prosperous trade route between Beirut and Damascus, Anjar made a perfect summer retreat for the ruling dynasty. Disrepair and earthquakes eventually took their toll on the city which was once protected by walls over 6 feet thick and filled with over 600 shops. The once bustling town of Anjar was left unexplored until its eventual excavation in 1949.

Today visitors can amble past the partially restored walls of the main palace and gaze at Umayyad graffiti which dates to 741 AD. Wandering the grounds of the sprawling 1.2 million square ft. compound can take a couple of hours, and a bevy of Lebanese and Armenian restaurants are situated around the city grounds. Although there are no accommodation options readily available in Anjar, lodging can be found in the nearby town of Chtaura, or, for those making a day trip from Beirut, a host of tour operators depart directly from the city.

25 miles (40 km) south of the capital city of Beirut lies Sidon, grand city of the Phoenicians and third largest city in modern day Lebanon. Traditionally a sleepy fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, Sidon has flourished in the past century to become a regional hub of commerce and the de facto capital of southern Lebanon.

While the air of industry and modernization abounds, relics from the Phoenician era and vestiges of old world charm are nonetheless available for inquisitive Sidon travelers. At the Sidon Sea Castle visitors are able to peruse the well-formed walls of a seaside fortification constructed in 1228 by invading Crusaders, only to be later decimated by conquering Mamluks in 1291. With two towers still standing and connected to the shore by a renovated causeway, the castle provides a platform for panoramic views stretching back towards the port. Adjacent to the sea castle are the narrow alleyways and souks of the old town, a labyrinth of stonework and wafting aromas where street side markets and food stalls still flourish.

Just outside of Sidon rests the forgotten Temple of Eshmoun, a Phoenician holy site from the 7th century BC named for the Phoenician God of Healing. It was inhabited for nearly a thousand years, but the temple was eventually abandoned as the spread of Christianity eclipsed the need for complexes dedicated to pagan worship. Rediscovered in the early 20th century, Eshmoun is considered to be among the best preserved Phoenician sites in all of Lebanon.

Set 53 miles (85 kms) outside of Beirut in the fertile Beqaa Valley, the ancient city of Baalbek is inarguably Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure. An architectural pinnacle of empire known to the Romans as Heliopolis, this UNESCO World Heritage site has served as a center of worship for a staggering number of millennia.

Civilizations as old as the Phoenicians worshiped here and themselves built massive stone structures to “Baal”, revered Phoenician deity and possible subject for the town’s name of Baalbek. With the arrival of the Romans in 64 BC, Baalbek was converted to a pagan center of worship and work was begun on the massive Temple of Jupiter, a hulking structure of granite columns which would eventually become the largest temple ever built in the history of the Roman Empire. While many of the columns have crumbled and eight were even relocated to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, six columns still remain standing and provide a relevant framework for the sheer size of the ancient Roman ruins.

Confounding to scholars at the Temple of Jupiter are the dimension and weight of the stones which are used in the platform of the temple. While many of the stones comprising the foundation already weigh in excess of 450 tons, three gargantuan stones 14 ft. high and 64 ft. in length are believed to weigh over 1000 tons. These are known as the Trilithon, and they are one of the most mysterious elements of ancient architecture found anywhere in the world.

In addition to the Temple of Jupiter visitors can walk among the ornately designed Temple of Bacchus as well as the smaller Temple of Venus, the three of which comprise the triad of deities that Baalbek was centered around: Jupiter, Venus and Mercury.

Humbling in their size and stupefying in their architectural history, the ancient ruins of Baalbek are on par with any other ruins and wonders of the ancient world.