Lebanon Highlights

Byblos (Jbeil) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Lebanese Mediterranean coast, 40km north of Beirut, with 7,000 years of continuous habitation. The city gave its name to the Bible (Byblos was the Greek name for the papyrus scrolls traded here) and was one of the most important Phoenician cities. The archaeological site has extraordinary Phoenician temples, a Crusader castle, a Roman theatre, and Neolithic remains — all within walking distance of each other. The old harbour — with its fishing boats, seafood restaurants, and the Crusader castle as the backdrop — is one of the most charming in the Mediterranean.

The Cedars of God (Arz el-Rab) is one of the most sacred and ancient forests in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the mountains above Bsharri in northern Lebanon, with a grove of ancient cedar trees (Cedrus libani) that are among the oldest living organisms on earth. The cedars of Lebanon are mentioned over 70 times in the Bible and were used to build Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The oldest trees in the grove are estimated to be over 3,000 years old. The forest is at 1,900 metres above sea level in the Lebanon Mountains, surrounded by extraordinary mountain scenery, and is one of the last remaining stands of the cedar forests that once covered the mountains of Lebanon.