Lebanese Cedar Forest Day Trip
Drive from Byblos into the Lebanon mountains to visit the ancient cedar forests, the Cedars of God that gave Lebanon its identity and its flag, the remaining ancient groves protected above the Qadisha Valley.
- 1
Mountain Drive
Drive the winding mountain road from the Byblos coast into the Lebanon range, ascending through terrace-cultivated hillsides, stone villages, and forest to the high mountain landscape where the cedar groves survive.
- 2
Cedars of God Reserve
Enter the Cedars of God reserve at Bsharri where the ancient trees, some over 1,000 years old, are protected by fence and guardians, the remaining grove a fraction of the forests that covered Lebanon in antiquity.
- 3
Ancient Trees
Stand beneath the ancient cedar trees where the massive trunks and spreading canopy create a cathedral-like space, the trees that supplied wood for Solomon's Temple and Egyptian pharaohs standing before you in protected reserve.
- 4
Ski Resort Area
Pass through the Cedars ski resort in the same area, where Lebanon highest ski lifts operate in winter on the same mountain ridges that host the ancient trees, the cedar and ski mountain coexisting in this remarkable landscape.
- 5
Mountain Monastery
Visit one of the mountain monasteries carved into the cliff face above the Qadisha Gorge, the medieval Maronite Christian monasteries that took refuge in these inaccessible mountain retreats from Byzantine and later Muslim rule.
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Panoramic Viewpoint
Stand at the mountain panoramic viewpoint where the Mediterranean is visible to the west and the Bekaa Valley opens to the east, the full geographical drama of Lebanon compressed into a single view from this cedar mountain ridge.