Jeita grotto

Jeita grotto, Lebanon

At مزرعة الراس, Lebanon, in the valley of the dog river you can find a giant flowstone cave called the Jeita grotto. It is 10 km long and separated into two parts: the upper grotto is the opposite of narrow (with heights of more than 100 meters) and you can see spectacular formations and very long stalactites (up to 8.2 meters long) while walking 700 meters through the grotto. The lower grotto is rather short but contains an underground lake on which you can have a short boating tour (400 meters). The navigation skills of the staff are quite impressive.

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Corniche

Corniche, بيروت

If there would only be one place for a nice walk at بيروت, Lebanon, it would be for sure the Corniche – the 4.8 kilometres long promenade along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It starts in the West of the city and leads then along the North of the city centre next to a street called Avenue de Paris. Along the way, you can see the lighthouse of Beirut and the famous Pigeon’s rocks. The Corniche is often filled with people walking, chatting, playing chess or fishing.

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Armenian quarter

Beer Christmas tree, Armenian quarter, بيروت

If you’re looking for good bars and restaurants at بيروت, Lebanon, you will be often pointed towards the Armenian quarter in the primarily Christian part of the city. This region of Beirut is easy to find as the road is also called Armenia and the bars and restaurants are lined up at this road are can be found close to it. Sometimes it is referenced to as Mar Mikhael but that is only half the truth; this interesting area partially also belongs to the city quarters Geitawi and Qobayat.

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Souk

Souks, بيروت

If you expect to find a traditional market (souk) at بيروت, Lebanon, you will be pretty much disappointed. The shopping mall Beirut Souks has taken over some structures of ancient markets and you can see some ruins of the old market between the houses but it is really a modern shopping mall. Nevertheless, it might be useful to get here as you’ve got everything in place: coffee bars, restaurants, shops and also a tiny post office a little bit hidden.

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Place de l‘Etoile

Place de l'Etoile, بيروت

The Sāhat an-Nadschma or Place de l’Etoile of بيروت, Lebanon, is an important square in the centre of the city. Different roads lead to it in a star-shaped way and next to it you can find the parliament, the archaeological museum and the Saint George church (a Greek orthodox cathedral). In the middle of the square, you can find an ancient clocktower from the 1930s. The area was once filled with bars and coffee bars that were destroyed during the Lebanese civil war.

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Martyrs‘ square

Martyr's square, بيروت

It is the central square of بيروت, Lebanon, and has played an important role in Lebanese history different times: the Martyrs’ square. It was formerly an open square next to the city walls and it is therefore close to the old city centre. It leads down to the harbour and the two most iconic buildings next to it are the Mohammad Al-Amin mosque and the ‘egg‘ – a cinema with a special architecture that remained unfinished due to the Lebanese civil war. Martyrs’ square is a place often chosen for public events, protests and protest camps.

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Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque

Mohammad Al-Amin mosque, بيروت

It is a house of prayer you can’t miss when visiting the بيروت, Lebanon. The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is a Sunni mosque located next to the city centre and the Martyrs’ square. It is a rather new mosque; its foundation stone with laid in 2003 by prime minister Rafik Hariri and it was opened in 2008 by one of his sons. It is well visible because of its four minarets and the 42 meters high cupola coloured in blue.

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National museum

National museum, بيروت

The national museum was the first point of interest I visited when coming to بيروت, Lebanon. Having seen nothing of the city before I was really surprised how modern and well designed this museum of archaeology is. The museum was founded after World War II and contains around 100,000 items from excavations in Lebanon. Highly decorated sarcophagi, fantastic mosaics, ancient coins, statues and also some mummies can be found in the exhibition – with items also dating back to the bronze age.

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Coral Beach Hotel and Resort

Coral Beach Hotel, بيروت

The Coral Beach Hotel is a nice hotel in the South of بيروت, Lebanon. It is very recommendable especially in summer – with a wonderful pool between the buildings and access to the Mediterranean sea, even as there is no beach. It formerly belonged to the Sheraton group and has large rooms and a good restaurant. The location of the hotel is the big advantage in summer, but also a big disadvantage as you always need to take a taxi to access the city centre. It is a ten minutes taxi ride from there to the city and also to the airport.

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Rafic Hariri International Airport

Rafic Hariri International Airport, بيروت

The Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) at بيروت is the most important gateway to Lebanon. It is a smaller but well-working airport located 9 kilometres south of the city centre. The airport has just one terminal but three runways and was renovated in 2019 – the old terminal is still standing and looking like a ruin. The airport was named after former prime minister Rafic Hariri after he was assassinated in 2005. It is also the home base of Middle East Airlines (MEA) which is said to be a good airline with well-trained staff.

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