Baalbek
Baalbek's Temple of Bacchus is often described as the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world, and it's certainly one of the best preserved…
Baalbek
Baalbek's Temple of Bacchus is often described as the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world, and it's certainly one of the best preserved…
Baalbek
Dominating the centre of modern Baalbek, this wonderful Roman temple complex is one of the Middle East's major archaeological highlights. The monumental…
Beirut
Located on the former Green Line, this is Beirut's major cultural institution. Its impressive, magnificently displayed collection of archaeological…
Lebanon
The largest of Lebanon’s three natural protectorates, comprising an incredible 5% of the total land area, this is the largest natural cedar reserve in the…
Tyre
This sprawling site lies 2km east of the centre, entered off the highway. Just past the entrance is a vast funerary complex, with hundreds of ornate…
Beirut
Under the St Joseph university, this atmospheric and beautifully designed museum presents an extraordinary collection of exquisitely selected and…
Lebanon
The main square is a showcase of fine Arab architecture, including the Mosque of Emir Fakhreddine Maan, built in 1493, and, behind it, a cobbler's souq…
Tripoli
An enticing blend of tradition and modernity, the web of narrow streets of Tripoli's port quarter makes for wonderful strolling. The Phoenician city stood…
Beirut
When a bomb fell on the Orthodox cathedral in 1975, the only silver lining was that it revealed these ruins beneath. Though the area is small, an…
Saida
Along with Tripoli's, Saida's old city is Lebanon's most characterful and authentic souq area. It's a delight to wander the narrow lanes, ducking into…
Lebanon
Sitting majestically on a hill surrounded by terraced gardens and orchards, Beiteddine Palace is one of the highlights of the Chouf Mountains. This…
Lebanon
One of the Middle East's greatest natural wonders, the stunning Jeita Grotto cave system extends around 6km into the mountains 18km, northeast of Beirut…
Baalbek
This temple was built on a monumental scale and is one of the largest Roman temples known. Dedicated to Jupiter Heliopolitanus, it was built from the 1st…
Byblos
A restored 12th-century Crusader castle surrounded by a 10m-wide dry moat is located just inside the entrance to Byblos' atmospheric archaeological site…
Saida
A highlight of the souq area is the Khan Al Franj (Inn of the Foreigners), the most beautiful and best preserved of all the limestone khans built by…
Lebanon
Producing a range of wines made with grapes from its three vineyards (one at Basbina in the hills above Batroun, one in Jezzine and another in the Bekaa…
Qadisha Valley
From where the Qadisha road meets the valley floor, it's a 5km (1½-2 hour) walk to the serene still-working convent of Deir Qannoubin, probably the oldest…
Saida
Facing the northern tip of the harbour, the Omari (Great) Mosque is said to be one of the finest examples of Islamic religious architecture of the 13th…
Tripoli
One of the most beautiful buildings in the old city, this semi-open vaulted-roofed khan was formerly a Crusader hospital and is today a beautifully…
Byblos
A well-restored Crusader castle dominates Byblos' atmospheric archaeological site, which incorporates Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Greek and Roman ruins –…
Beirut
This privately owned contemporary-art museum is housed in a 1912 mansion located in one of Achrafiyeh's most attractive streets. After a major facelift…
Mleeta Resistance Tourist Landmark
Lebanon
An intriguing mix of memorial, museum and theme park, this resistance monument at Mleeta, on Mt A'mel near Nabatieh, celebrates and commemorates Hezbollah…
Beirut
Now the city's major landmark, this huge, striking amber-coloured blue-domed mosque near Martyrs Sq was opened in 2008 and has four minarets standing 65m…
Beirut
Luna Park is a rickety old amusement park, with all the attendant charms and nuisances, at which most Western tourists turn up their noses. Bypass the…
Beirut
These limestone outcrops just offshore are prime selfie territory and a Beirut landmark. They are impressive; one has an archway eroded through it. A…
Saida
About 3km northeast of Saida, this is Lebanon’s only Phoenician site boasting more than mere foundations. Begun in the 7th century BC, the temple complex…
Beirut
The world would be a poorer place if it didn't host idiosyncratic cultural institutions such as this one. Conceived and funded by jeweller and collector…
Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles
Tripoli
Towering above Tripoli and the river, this Crusader fortress was originally built during the period from 1103 to 1104. Burned down in 1297, it was partly…
Tyre
Dating from the 3rd millennium BC, these atmospheric ruins cover a large area leading down to an ancient submerged harbour. Highlights include a street…
Qadisha Valley
According to his wishes, the body of poet and artist Khalil Gibran (1883–1931), author of the much-loved The Prophet (1923), was interred in the chapel of…
Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut
Beirut
The AUB Museum was founded in 1868 and is one of the oldest in the Middle East. On permanent display is its collection of Lebanese and Middle Eastern…
Tripoli
While certainly not new – Hammam Al Jadid was built around 1740 – it was in use until the 1970s and is very well preserved. It was donated as a gift to…
Tripoli
Attached to the east side of the Great Mosque is Madrasa Al Qartawiyya, which was built by a Mamluk governor of the same name in the early 1300s, over the…
Qadisha Valley
Extending around 500m into the mountain, this small grotto contains some impressive limestone formations. Though not as spectacular as Jeita Grotto near…
Baalbek
Opposite the entrance to the main ruins is the exquisite Temple of Venus, which preserves a section of a circular building with fluted columns. During the…
Lebanon
On the main street opposite the main square is this beautiful 18th-century palace, which now serves as the town hall (look for the two carved lions above…
Saida
Located in a beautifully restored stone-vaulted soap factory dating from the 17th century, this is a museum of what has traditionally been an important…
Beirut
The Aïshti Foundation is a combination of seemingly strange bedfellows. On one hand, it’s a high-end mall aimed at people who have a few grand to spend on…
Tripoli
Believed to date from the 14th century when it was used by Egyptian merchants, this dilapidated khan is home to several friendly soapmakers, including,…
Byblos
Head to the archaeological complex's most modern building – a rather lovely 19th-century house – to inspect its oldest. Just south of the house, you can…