Be it the Qal’at Sinjil citadel in Tripoli, the Roman temples of Baalbek or the thriving nightlife of Jounieh, the Lebanon has got a great deal to offer. Known as the Paris of the Middle East, tourists can sightsee ancient wonders by day and party through the night at bars and casinos.
Jeita Grottos
About 13 miles north of Beirut, at the source of Dog River, are the Jeita Grottos. Discovered in 1836, the caverns are on two levels.
The underground level is explored by boat while you can walk around the upper level. Both offer a dramatic, eerie landscape of stalactites and stalagmites.
Byblos
Byblos is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. Its beginnings are thought to date back at least 7,000 years.
A 12th-century Crusader castle looks out over the sea and what remains of the ancient village. There’s a reconstructed Roman amphitheatre on the edge of the cliffs.
In the heart of the medieval town is the Romanesque-style Church of Saint John the Baptist.
Byblos was once fashionable with the international jet-set. Hundreds of photos of 1960s celebrities deck the walls of famous restaurateur/diver Pepe’s bar on the harbour.
Beit Eddine
Set in spectacular mountains 31 miles southeast of Beirut, the Beit Eddine palace complex was completed in the early 19th century by Emir Bechir el-Chehab II. Built over a 30-year period, the palace has three main sections which include a public area, decorative living quarters, with the intriguing Hammam (bathing area), huge courtyards and ornate garden. The immense, vaulted stables in the lower palace used to accommodate 600 horses and their riders as well as the 500 foot soldiers of the Emir’s guard. Today they house a Byzantine mosaic museum.
The Cedars
The Cedars is both a small grove of cedar trees and a ski resort on Mount Makmal in Lebanon’s highest mountain range.
It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Lebanon’s mountains were once covered with cedar trees – some are more than 1,500 years old. Few, however, remain. The cedar is a protected tree and it’s forbidden to cut it down.
Jounieh
Situated on a pretty bay and surrounded by mountains, just 12 and half miles north of Beirut, Jounieh is the nightlife capital of Lebanon. The Casino du Liban reopened in 1996 after a £31.25m refurbishment. The gaming rooms, theatre and five restaurants are once again attracting a wealthy Lebanese and well-heeled international crowd.
There are plenty of other discos, clubs and shows to choose from, especially in the summer. During the day, Jounieh is a place to swim and relax at one of the beach resorts which line the bay. From Jounieh you can get a cable car up to Harissa on the mountainside where a 13-tonne statue of the Virgin of Lebanon has stood with her arms outstretched since the late 19th century.
Tripoli
An imposing citadel, known as Qal’at Sinjil, dominates Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city
Originally built as a castle by the Crusaders in the 12th century, it was subsequently taken over, partly demolished and rebuilt by the Mamlukes in 14th century and the Ottomans in the 16th. Below the citadel, the old part of town is little changed from medieval times. There’s a maze of narrow streets and lively souks to explore. The town also boasts many mosques dating from Mamluke and Ottoman times.
Baalbek
The Roman temples at Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, 54 miles from Beirut, are well preserved and immense.
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the main site consists of two temples. The highlight of the largest – the Jupiter Temple – is perhaps the six 23-metre columns which are the tallest in the world. The granite took three years to bring from Luxor. The smaller, but more intact, Bacchus Temple was built in the second century AD and is the most ornately decorated Roman temple in the world.