The paths of Batroun

Day 1

Start the journey through the village of Smar Jbeil which houses a remarkable fortress dating back to the time of the Phoenicians and an old church on the central square (Mar Nohra and Basil). Visit the village of Rachana (L), a real outdoor sculpture museum where you can admire the work of several generations of artists from the Basbous family as well as architect houses that make the whole unique to Lebanon.

Visit the Monastery of Saint Rafqa in Jrebta.

Take the road to Maïfouq via the beautiful villages of Abdelli and Toula.

Visit the village of Maïfouq and its religious monuments like the exceptional church Saint Ellige, a former patriarchal seat of the 11th century.

Head towards Bchaaleh, a village renowned for its thousand-year-old olive trees (the oldest dating back to -4000) whose surroundings are rich in abandoned monasteries, old oil presses and other curiosities that certainly deserve a detour.

From Bchaaleh, go down to the village of Douma to spend the night.

Day 2

Visit the village of Douma, certainly one of the most beautiful in Lebanon due to its exceptional location and its architectural heritage which is almost entirely preserved.

Continue towards Tannourine, which presents a succession of villages on a vertical drop of 1000m as rich in natural heritage (especially on the heights with a magnificent Cedar forest and Balaa sinkhole) as in historical heritage (rock churches, monasteries, Roman archaeological remains, etc.). Don’t miss the village of Chatine, which preserves a noticeable rural aspect on the heights of Tannourine.

Day 3

Head towards the mystical village of Hardine, where there are almost as many religious monuments as houses, and whose singularity is made visible by a rocky plaque located in the heart of the village and the presence of a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury on the heights

Go down to the fertile valley of Kfar Hilda home to a succession of small waterfalls on a watercourse.

Finish the route by visiting the village of Kfar Hay, the seat of the first Maronite Patriarchate

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