Beirut rewards exploration on foot through its contrasting neighbourhoods — from the gleaming Solidere-rebuilt downtown to the bohemian bars and street art of Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael. The National Museum and the Sursock Museum are both essential, and the Corniche walk to the Pigeon Rocks at Raouche is one of the great urban promenades in the Middle East. Beirut's coast also offers surprisingly good diving, with wrecks and caves just offshore.