Zahlé
Zahlé, or Zahlah, is 40 km east of Beirut on the banks of the Birdwani River. It is a nice city to relax for a while. Many locals visit the town to taste the local brew, named arak, made out of leftovers from wine producing.
There are several interesting sites in Zahlé. The banks of the Berdawni River are lined with terraces and café's. A 300 m (1000 feet) section is a promenade known as 'Al Wadi'. It is very popular with both locals and tourists and many of the larger restaurants are located there. Zahlé's most prominent monument is a 54 m (177 ft) tall tower with a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of it, known as 'Our Lady of Zahlé and Bekaa'. The top of the tower offers great views over the Bekaa Valley. The nearby Old Serail was built in 1850 and houses the town hall. The cathedral of 'Our Lady of Salvation' was built in 1720. Part of the church was damaged during Lebanon's civil war, but it has been reconstructed since. Zahlé:'s most luxurious hotel is Grand Hotel Kadri. It was built in the traditional stone architecture of the region. Opposite the hotel is the city's oldest park, called Memshieh Park. Another place that is worth a visit is the Château Ksara winery. Its vaults date back to Roman times.
- In Qabb Ilyas, rock sculptures can be seen that are thought to be of Roman origin. Qabb Ilyas is about 12 km (7 mi) southwest of Zahlé.
- Anjar is the location of the ruins of an Umayyad palace. The palace was inscribed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. Anjar is about 18 km (11 mi) south of Zahlé.
- Not far from Anjar is Majdel Anjar where you can see a Roman temple.
- In the rocks above the village of Furzol, some 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Zahlé is a series of Roman tombs that were cut out of the limestone cliffs.
- In the same area is Niha are two exquisite Roman temples, as well as 'The Fortress', which are two further temples higher op the mountain.
- Further afield is Kamed al Lawz which features Lebanon's most important Bronze Age settlement. This site is some 30 km (20mi) south of Zahlé.
- If you go from Zahlé 35 km in northwestern direction you'll come to the archaeological UNESCO word heritage site of Baalbek, where many Roman artifacts have been found.
Zahlé has plenty of accommodation and there are numerous restaurants, many of which are lined along the river, but especially in summer both get very busy with locals.