• The Hamra area, where the Crowne Plaza Beirut is situated, was the traditional home of the city’s main shopping and eating area, as well as a business center packed with banks, hotels, and offices. Although it now boasts modern amenities, some of the tiny shops in the back streets haven’t changed for decades and the area retains a charm of its own.
• North of Hamra, the American University of Beirut, is set on a beautiful landscaped campus stretching down to the shoreline. It has a small museum with a particularly interesting collection of Phoenician figures. The much larger National Museum next to the racecourse has been reconstructed and contains a much larger display of the country’s historical wealth.
• The Sursock Museum in east Beirut is housed in a splendid Italianate style 19th century villa. The interior is also "très" stylish, and exhibits include Turkish silverware, icons, contemporary Lebanese art, and a small but interesting library. The area also contains some superb examples of traditional Lebanese architecture.
• The Beirut Central District – or Downtown for short – is still in the process of reconstruction but already it is emerging as one of the world’s best-looking capitals. Strict construction rules have prevented a conglomeration of glass and concrete and a “pedestrians only” sector provides a pleasant weekend stroll just a few minutes away from the hotel. Street cafes abound, new retail stores are opening every month, and a buzz has returned to the center of the capital. The Grand Mosque, built in the Byzantine era as a Crusader church, was converted to a mosque in 1291. There are also interesting Roman remains in the center as well as evidence that Beirut was populated 5,000 years ago.
• A short distance in the opposite direction from the hotel, at Raouche, is one of the most famous natural features of the capital, the Pigeon Rocks. These offshore rock arches complement Beirut’s dramatic sea cliff at that point on the coast, and locals tend to congregate here to watch the magnificent sunset. The capital also has many bathing clubs along the shoreline, as well as several marinas.

Byblos
The ancient city of Byblos, about 40km (25miles) up the coast of Beirut, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Byblos was populated during the Neolithic period 7000 years ago. In the third millennium BC it became the most important trading port in the area and sent cedar wood and oil to Egypt. 

It was the major Phoenician center until the 10th century BC, and developed an alphabetic phonetic script, which was the precursor of modern alphabets. At various times it was invaded by Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and the Crusaders.

The historic harbour and picturesque old town remain unspoiled and the restaurants overlooking the harbor provide a pleasant setting for a leisurely outdoor meal. The ruins, to the south of the old town, are entered through the remains of the Crusader castle, which dominates the city’s medieval ramparts. There are remains of huts from the 5th millennium BC, the Temple of Baalat Gebal from 2800 BC, an L-shaped temple from 2700 BC, two royal tombs and a temple from the early 2nd millennium BC, and an amphitheatre from the Roman period.

Tripoli
Even further north, Tripoli, 86km (53miles) from Beirut, is the country’s second-largest city and the main port and trading center for northern Lebanon. Although more modern than the rest of Lebanon, Tripoli’s draw cards are its medieval history and Mameluk architecture. It retains an air of Arab charm, with its narrow alleys, souks, slow pace, and friendly people. Tripoli is also famous as the sweet capital of Lebanon, and any trip to the city would be incomplete without a visit to one of its lusciously sticky sweet shops.

Tyre
Ancient Tyre, on the coast in the south of Lebanon, was founded by the Phoenicians in the 3rd millennium BC. The city is famous for its Roman ruins, which include a well-preserved road which passes through a monumental archway, an aqueduct and a hippodrome which was built in the 2nd century AD and was one of the largest of the Roman period, seating 20,000 people. A festival is held in the hippodrome every summer. One set of Roman ruins is still preserved in reasonable shape despite being below the sea!

Bcharré
The trip to Bcharré and the Cedars, about 30km (19 miles) inland from Tripoli, passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Lebanon.

Bcharré is home to the Gibran Museum – the world famous author and artist was born here and is buried in an old monastery overlooking the town. The museum has a large collection of his oil paintings, drawings and gouaches, as well as many manuscripts. 

Above Bcharré, the road climbs to Lebanon’s last remaining forest of Biblical cedars, known locally as Arz Ar-rab (God’s Cedars). This is only a small forest. Although the tree once grew throughout the country, it has been heavily exploited, especially in the Ottoman period. Some of the trees here are 1,500 years old, and the site is classified as a national monument. Further up the mountains, the Cedars is a major skiing area, although nowhere near as large as the facilities at Faraya, an hour’s drive from Beirut.

Below Bcharré, the spectacular Qadisha Valley holds the tombs of the early Maronite patriarchs, as well as monasteries cut into the rock. The gorge is a hiker’s paradise, with paths along the top and bottom. Viewing it from the Bcharré end just before sunset is an amazing sight, and worth the journey for that alone.

Baalbek
Baalbek, 86km (53 miles) northeast of Beirut, was originally named after the Phoenician god Baal. The town was renamed Heliopolis by the Greeks and later it was made a center of Jupiter worship by the Romans. During its Roman era, Baalbek was the premier city in Roman Syria and at the center of an agricultural area that was known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire.

The modern town is very small, but its Roman ruins are probably the best archaeological site in the country. Baalbek’s Acropolis is one of the largest in the world. The Temples of Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus are other highlights to be seen.
Baalbek is also home to an annual music festival that attracts some of the best talent from all round the globe.


Zahlé
About 50km (32 miles) inland from Beirut up the Bekaa Valley, Zahlé is a charming, resort town set along the steep banks of the Birdawni River. There are dozens of open-air restaurants lining the river in the upper part of town. During summer, these restaurants are full of locals and Beirutis venture out to enjoy some of the finest Lebanese cooking in the country. It abounds in history and revels in the memory that for a brief period in the 19th century it was an independent state with its own flag.

Getting Around
Lebanon is a tiny country. You can drive from one end to the other in about 3 hours, depending on the time of day. Most people use service (pronounced 'servees') taxis to get around. These cars offer shared rides and tend to run like buses on set routes. The charge is a standard LL1,000 (65 US cents) for short journeys but make sure the driver understands you are taking a 'servees' otherwise he will charge a taxi fare. A number of private taxi firms offer more modern cars. Bus services operate within Beirut as well as to other major towns. The service is very cheap - and also fairly slow.

Money
Currency: Lebanese Pound (lira) (LL)

Most banks will change only US dollars and UK pounds (cash or travelers' checks), while moneychangers, found throughout Lebanon, will deal in almost any convertible currency. They also offer better rates than the banks.

International credit cards are accepted in larger business and, increasingly, in restaurants and shops.