A living tapestry of heritage, nature, and culture, Lebanon represents a thrill holiday for both mainstream icons as well as off-the-beaten-trail adventure. In addition to its world-famous archaeological sites and cosmopolitan urban areas, the country contains many more secrets to be unraveled that still represent an almost daunting challenge to everyone who embraces the challenge of traveling off the beaten tourist track.
Travels commence in northern town Bcharre, within the Kadisha Valley. Famous for mountains and history, Bcharre has the Cedars of God, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Centuries-old cedries’ forests, in deference to the Lebanese sustainability, provide tourists with a peaceful promenade between centuries-old trees and an eerie experience with nature’s silence. They organize handicraft bazaars in the town by exchanging home-made goods in the town, with an element of originality brought to the town from the cultural perspective.
There, foreign travelers like to stopover in Byblos, that city never empty since the beginning of time. On the Mediterranean coast line, Byblos is a blend of an archaeological monument and modern-day charm. Of note is the site of the Crusader Castle, ancient harbour, and cobblestone old town streets lined with cafes. The city throbs with a seafood culture and vibrant fish market inviting locals and foreign visitors into their social dining culture.
Backcountry to it is Lebanese town Zahle, working Bekaa Valley capital. Pretty combination of nature and tradition, Zahle hugs vineyards and provides a view over the Litani River. Lebanon’s wine capital. Some vineyards offer tours, but family restaurants in town provide authentic food not yet found by groups of tours. Zahle is also famous for nightlife and embracing rural life.
For the broader framework, there is the Qadisha Valley, cliff melodrama, and availability of monastic heritage at risk. Hill monasteries like the Monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya are cut out from the hill and see religious as well as cultural diversity and dramatic contrast to the wasteland around them.
Its other major destination is its second-largest city, Tripoli, in Beirut’s shadow. There are the cultural and historical landmarks that thrive in Tripoli, then there are the yesteryear souks, where spices, cotton, and crafts are sold. There is the foreboding Crusader Castle, and the horizon spreads to provide a glimpse of its medieval heritage to ground a city still holding on to history and sanity.
Lebanon’s natural richness and loveliness continue to be full of contradiction. The vineyards replanted and the ancient ruins, the mountain valleys and the Mediterranean shores, the land seems to contain in it a sheaf of experience which tantalizes and leaves one breathless. And Lebanon so justly famous for past riches and abundance of food that its value lies in its ability to interest and surprise by variety and originality.
From sea-sightseeing through archaeological ancient landscapes, traditional living heritage, or plain dining sea or vineyard side, Lebanon is less of a destination to be visited than an experience from which one comes away carrying an indelible memory of survival, prosperity, and discovery.
