As contradictory and challenging as it is charming, this diminutive Mediterranean nation stands with one bejewelled slipper in the Arab world and one Manolo Blahnik planted firmly in the West. It’s a place where culture, family and religion are all-important, but where sectarian violence can too often erupt – claiming lives and scarring both the landscape and the national psyche.
Home to a world-famous national cuisine, a string of sexy beach resorts and the Middle East's most glamorous city (Beirut), this is also a country where the fiery orators and fierce foot soldiers of Hezbollah are based, and where scores of Palestinian and Syrian refugees currently shelter. Scarred by decades of civil war, invasions and terrorist attacks, yet blessed with magnificent mountain vistas, majestic ancient ruins and a people who are resilient, indomitable and renowned for their hospitality, Lebanon rewards the traveller with food for thought and a feast for the senses and the stomach. Don't miss it.
Top sights to visit in Lebanon:
- National Museum of Beirut
- Shouf Biosphere Reserve
- Al-Bass Archaeological Site, Tyre
- Main Square, Deir el Qamar
- Archaeological Site of Byblos
- Beiteddine Palace
- Jeita Grotto
- Baalbek Ruins
