CAZA:

Keserwan
600 to 750m

Etymology:

Latin origin, "Augusta" which would refer to the emperor Augustus, or Syriac, "Gousto", meaning "shelter"

The village of Ghosta stands proud on a hillside of Keserwan’s mountain. Like an eagle’s nest perched in a preserved nature, it plunges steeply over the sea and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Jounieh bay and the coastal villages. Its beautiful stone houses and its old monuments, such as the 17th-century Ain Warka school or the historic Kreim monastery, trace the history of the Maronites in Mount Lebanon. Despite a rapidly urbanizing environment, a simple stroll along its tree-lined streets and its charming staircases fills one’s senses with delight and tranquility.

Must-do things
Architectural Heritage
  • Ain Warka school built in 1660
  • Saydet Nesbay monastery
  • Kreim monastery founded in 1720
  • Mar Semaan church
  • Mar Youssef church
  • Beit el-Bitar, former seat of the kaymakam at the time of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate
Natural Heritage
  • The pine and oak forest surrounding the village
  • The green valley plunging into the Jounieh Bay
Cultural Heritage
  • Ghosta summer festival held from August 28 to September 1st, on the occasion of the feast of Saint-Simeon
  • Dahret el-Zeitoun: the ideal starting point for paragliding
Where To Eat
  • La’moucheh: a restaurant located in Ghosta offering Lebanese cuisine
Nearby sites and villages
  • The historic center of the small town of Ghazir
  • The cellars of Muzar Castle in Ghazir
  • The Armenian Catholic convent of Bzoummar dating back to the 18th century
  • The religious sites of Daroun-Harissa
  • The labelled villages of Dlebta, Yahchouch and Aramoun
A little further
  • The ruins of Qalaat Faqra, encompassing a Roman temple dating from the year 43, and Kfardebian’s Natural Bridge
  • Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve which became part of the UNESCO Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2009
  • Jeita Grotto in Nahr el-Kelb valley, an exceptional cave whose lower part was inhabited in prehistoric times
  • Kfardebian ski resort
Designed by BETWEEN THE LINES