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Beirut is a modern coastal city and a centre for shopping, nightlife, and swimming. There are a variety of good quality hotels, making Beirut an ideal centre for excursions to the countries many other attractions.
Nearby coastal resorts include Jounieh (which has a steep cable car connection to Harissa) and Jieh, a centre for water sports.
To the south are the biblical ports of Sidon and Tyre, with much of historic interest.
Historic coastal areas to the north of Beirut include Jbeil and Batroun.
Byblos claims (alongside Damascus, Aleppo and Jericho) to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. There is a Crusader castle, archeological sites and a wax museum. It is said that Byblos gave its name to the bible.
The coast line is overlooked by the mountain areas that make up much of the country. For visitors interested in history, the Roman and Phoenician remains of Baalbeck are the largest and best preserved from this period of history. Every summer there is an international festival of music, theatre and dance within the ruins.
Lebanon is famous for its cedar trees, which are it’s National symbol. A mountain reserve includes 400 historic cedar trees, some of which are thought to be 2000 years old.
Many summer visitors to Lebanon choose to base themselves in the cooler air of the mountain regions. The red roofed town of Zahle has excellent accommodation and is an ideal base.
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