Resorts in Lebanon

Beirut.

You will see the most famous historical monuments of the city: the Archaeological Museum, the Sursok Museum (a private museum, the exposition of which is more focused on works of modern art), built in 1912 in the Eastern Baroque style. The museum is interesting primarily for its library, in which one of the exhibits is the Bible, published in Paris in 1645 in seven languages. Special permission is required to visit the library. A sightseeing tour of Beirut will not do without a walk along the Beirut embankment, and you can also see the restored banking street, which is located in the very center of the city, and corresponds to the status of a “white city” street – solemn and elegant buildings of white color have been rebuilt all over the street. In the Hamra area you can visit numerous shops, mostly jewelry and boutiques with famous European clothing brands. You can also see the American University, founded in 1866, which is now considered one of the most prestigious and expensive educational institutions in the Mediterranean, as well as the museum of this university.

Grotto of Jeita.

The huge grotto, which was opened in 1836, amazes travelers with its beauty and mystery. This natural cave of stalactites and stalagmites, with a total length of 6 km, is divided into two levels: you can easily be taken to the upper level in a cable car, and despite the fact that its length is about 2 km, only 800 m are available for inspection. the grotto, which is not inferior in its beauty and play of colors, you can see while sailing on a boat. The upper grotto ends with a huge hall, the dome height of which is almost 100 m, and in the summer, once a year, if you are lucky, you can hear the musicians playing here, which is simply mesmerizing in such an atmosphere and acoustics.

Mussalaikh Castle.

The most beautiful castle, located in the narrow valley of Ras – ash – Shekka, just three kilometers from Batroun, first of all impresses with its architectural solution: Mussalaikha is built on top of a rock, and looks like it is part of it. Steep steps carved into the rock lead to the entrance to the castle, which visually creates the impression of its impregnability. The very place on which the castle stands is very ancient, but the building itself was built only in the 16th century and was the dowry of the princess of Lebanon. The natural beauty and majesty of the ancient rocks, the menacing view and the silent calm of the walls that served in the past to defend the overland road between Beirut and Tripoli – all this creates a single, unforgettable image of the ancient East…

Baalbek.

One of the oldest cities in the country, which arose in the 1st millennium BC. Initially, there was a temple of Baal (Baal) – an ancient deity revered in Phoenicia. Baal was considered the god of the sun and fertility. Then a temple of the Sun was built here, and Baalbek acquired the ancient Greek name of Heliopolis – the City of the Sun.

In the distant past, the city was one of the sacred places, and its temples were ranked among the wonders of the world of the ancient world. With the advent of each new civilization, the temples were destroyed, rebuilt, changed. Now you can see here the ruins of the majestic temple of Jupiter (the period of the Roman Empire), which seem miraculous and mystical – they are so huge (the height of the columns together with the pedestal reaches 24 meters), as well as the ruins of the Round Temple (Venus) and the much better preserved remains of the Small Temple (Bacchus).

Tripoli

Just an hour and a half drive from Beirut – and you will find yourself in a port city, the pages of history of which are inextricably linked with the Crusaders’ campaigns. Since then, the city has been building a large number of castles and fortresses, the most famous of which you can see during the tour – this is the citadel of St. Giles. In the past, being a small trading port city, during the Persian Empire, Tripoli grew and developed so rapidly that it could compete with such large cities as Tire and Sidon. In Lebanon, Tripoli is also famous for its orange orchards, at the time of flowering of which the city is filled with an amazing aroma, so the Lebanese themselves sometimes call it Al-Fayha (from the word “smell”). If you have enough time, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of the city, which presents archaeological finds, made in Arcadia. And in the vicinity of Tripoli, there are picturesque villages (Vuno, Rizes, etc.), which are an ideal place for nature walks. Here you can visit the monastery of St. Nicholas Varson (12 km.) and the monastery of Gorgoepikou (17 km) at an altitude of 650 m.

Visa to Lebanon

Citizens of the Russian Federation receive a visa (stamp in their passport) when crossing the border free of charge.

A prerequisite for obtaining a visa is

lack of any marks of Israel!
The validity of the passport must be 6 months at the time of entry into the country.
You can apply for a visa in 2 ways:
Registration of a visa upon arrival in the country for Russian citizens is free of charge.
Visa processing at the consulate in Moscow – $50
The term for issuing a visa in Moscow is 1-2 working days

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ISSUING A VISA IN MOSCOW: