If you are lost in your own travel ideas, I would recommend you to travel to Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. This wonderful city is often referred to as “the Pearl of the Mediterranean.”
Beirut was always considered to be the gateway between the East and the West. A lot of architectural monuments of the Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine eras were found in the city and are carefully protected, which gives the city a unique essence of an Eternal City, “the City that never dies.”
Now let’s pass to top tourist destinations in Beirut.
The Temples of Baalbek. It is one of the most stunning places in Lebanon. The complex consists of numerous temples and monuments from the Roman times. Top tourist attractions are the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter.
The next famous tourist destination is Al Omari Mosque of Beirut, which dates back to the 13th century. It was built on the remains of the Crusader Cathedral of St. John and became the Grand Mosque of the city in 1291.
Another must-see attraction of Beirut is Beit ed-Dine Palace. This complex represents the Lebanese architecture of the 19th century. The palace was founded by Emir Bashir and it took 30 years to complete the construction. There you can visit the Rashid Karami Archeological and Ethnographic Museum, where you can see pottery and gold jewelry from Bronze and Iron Ages.
Another tourist attraction is Jeita Grotto, comprising of the two caves. You can explore these underground caverns by boat, or the rope-way from the Nahr Al Kalb valley will take you to the upper cave.
A popular tourist destination is Charle de Gaulle Residence. French general Charle de Gaulle used to live there during 1929-1932.
The Lady of Harissa is a must-see bronze statue of the Virgin Mary from the 19th century. It is located on a hill in Kesrwan district. A round staircase leads you to the top of the statue. Don’t forget to enter and see the small chapel inside the Lady of Harissa.
I advise you to see the Pigeon Rocks in Raouche, which is one of the best places to travel in Beirut. This is a natural formation of rocks that stand in the sea.