Beiteddine
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Beiteddine

Beiteddine

Chouf Mountain palace town centred on Beiteddine's courtyards, mosaics, and Emir Bashir's 19th-century residence.

The Palace of Beiteddine is one of Lebanon's finest sights and makes one of the most popular day trips from Beirut. The road up through the Chouf Mountains is beautiful in itself, with sweeping views over terraced hillsides and deep valleys.

The palace was built in the early 19th century by Emir Bashir Shihab II, designed by Italian architects and constructed by local artisans. It is a sprawling complex of terraces, courtyards, small passages and richly decorated rooms. You will get pleasantly lost -- don't worry about finding your way out until you have seen the hammam (baths), the kitchens, the harem quarters, the grand reception room and the landscaped gardens.

Several museums and exhibitions occupy parts of the palace, including an Ethnographic Museum, the Joumblatt Memorial Exhibit honouring the late Druze leader Kamal Joumblatt, and an excellent collection of Byzantine mosaics displayed in the former stables.

The Beiteddine Festival, held each summer in July or August, is one of Lebanon's premier cultural events. International and regional performers play in the palace courtyard -- an extraordinary setting for a concert. Check the festival website for the current programme.

Just up the road, the curious Moussa Castle — one man's lifelong castle-building project — makes a good half-hour add-on. Beiteddine is often combined with a visit to nearby Deir el Qamar. Allow half a day for the palace alone, or a full day including the drive from Beirut and a stop in Deir el Qamar.

Guide

Getting There

Beiteddine is around 50 kilometres southeast of Beirut and 90 minutes by car. The drive climbs through the Chouf — orchards of olive, fig, and pomegranate, then pine forests as the road approaches the ridge. Buses from the Cola terminal in Beirut leave every couple of hours for Deir el Qamar and continue to Beiteddine; service is slow and best avoided in winter. Most visitors come on a half-day tour from Beirut or hire a driver for around US$80 a day.

Guide

Things to Do

The Palace of Beiteddine is the reason to come. The town itself is small, with steep stone lanes climbing the ridge above the palace. The valley views are extraordinary on a clear day, with the Chouf villages stacked on the surrounding slopes and the Mediterranean a thin blue line in the distance.

Guide

When to Go

At 800 metres above sea level, the Chouf is cooler than the coast — about 10 °C below Beirut on a summer day. May, June, and September are the perfect months: warm, dry, clear views across the valley. July and August are warm and pleasant for visits but the festival weeks book out the village. Winter can be cold and damp, with occasional snow blocking the higher roads; the palace stays open but the festival is silent.