Lebanon’s location between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arab Peninsula facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. On this one week itinerary you will have a good glimpse about the country. Because of its financial power and diversity, Lebanon was referred to as the “Switzerland of the East” during the 1960s, and its capital, Beirut, attracted so many tourists that it was known as “the Paris of the Middle East”.
Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the country experienced a period of relative calm and renewed prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce, and banking. At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. My trip included Beirut, Sidon, Byblos, Batroun, Chekka, Tripoli and Bsharri. Other cities worth to visit include Tyre and Baalbek.
Beirut is the perfect place to start and end your trip. Renting a car is a good option giving you more flexibility to explore the surroundings. Lebanon is small and you can cross the entire country from north till south in 4 hours. Accommodation around the country is expensive and doing day trips from Beirut can be a good idea. While traveling Lebanon I had 2 hubs, Chekka where I had a couchsurfing host and Beirut.
Beirut
The Beirut Central District or Centre Ville is the name given to the historical and geographical core of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. The BCD, also called downtown Beirut, has been described the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country.
The corniche is a seaside sidewalk of Avenue de Paris, popular on weekends and evenings. Following this walk you end up in Raouché, a residential and commercial neighborhood in Beirut, known for its fancy apartment buildings, restaurants, and cliff-side cafés. Off the coast of Raouché, there is a natural landmark called the Pigeons’ Rock (also known as the Rock of Raouché) which is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.
Byblos
Byblos, also known as Jbeil is the largest city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The highlights of the city are the old market and the harbor area. If you climb the houses you can get a good point of view for pictures in the harbor.
Batroun
Batroun is a small beach town with few interesting sights. Starting from the coastline, there is an Ancient Phoenician wall built for protection from tidal waves.
The town has historic Roman and Greek Orthodox churches and is one of the oldest cities on earth.
In the harbor it is still possible to see fishermen using traditional fishing boats and a great view on St. Stephen’s Church.
Due to a famous tattoo artist, Rony Sassine, I chose Batroun to make my Lebanese tattoo. Together with Iran and Myanmar, Lebanon became one of my top favorite countries and I decided to register my love with a cedar tree tattoo.
Chekka
Chekka is a coastal town located in North Lebanon. Due to a couchsurfing host I used Chekka as a hub to travel in the north. Chekka is home to some of the largest cement and paper factories in the eastern Mediterranean and also also an agricultural city. It is a bus ride away from the city of Bsharri & Cedars of God. My host was a religious family from the Maronite Church. They drove me around and brought me to the Churches of Saint Maron.
Tripoli
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 85 kilometers (53 miles) north of the capital Beirut. The highlight of the city for me was the souk that is very old and easy to lose your self around small alleys. Another interesting site is Baqar Island, a place where you have animals such as deers, rabbits, ducks and gooses. Is a peaceful place to see the sunset. To get to the island you must only cross a bridge and is free of charge.
The Tripoli railway station is located near El-Mina district. It began operating in 1911 and was connected to the Syrian city, Homs, with a single track. This station was connected to Mar Mikael, the central station of Beirut in 1945. In 1975, the station was abandoned and now contains a number of multipurpose buildings. These buildings were severely damaged during the civil war (1975–1991). A series of ancient multi-purpose wagons, made in 1895, 1901 and 1906 remain on the site. The traces of war are visible on the trains. The station is officially closed for visitors, but it is possible to snick in.
The Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, is a citadel and fort on a hilltop. While in Lebanon there were a lot of protests happening and around the citadel army trucks.
Bsharri & Cedars of God
The best part of my Lebanese trip was hiking to the Cedars of God from the city of Bsharri. Bsharri is a town at an altitude of about 1,450 m and the headquarter of Maronite church. from there you can hike 2 hours for the Cedars of God where you can see the cedar tree that inspired the Lebanese flag.
Sidon
Sidon, known locally as Sayda or Saida, is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. Tyre to the south and Lebanese capital Beirut to the north are both about 40 kilometres away. Beside the fort in the coast, the Soap Museum – Saida was a highlight for me, because it showed the history of soap making in the region, its development and manufacturing techniques. Was possible to see the entire process of soap making and learn about the history of the “hammam” (bath) traditions.
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