Qadisha

If someone asked me last year whether I wanted to head to the mountains of Lebanon and to stay a night, I would probably have doubted that would ever happen.  But here I was, after a long drive starting at Beirut and stopping at Jouneih and Jbeil, I was driving up towards the expansive nature and mountain sides of Qadisha.  About an hour’s drive from Byblos, this area is filled with beautiful green trees, bendy roads and amazing cliff views.  Each road winds across into expansive valley views and important Christian sites.

Originally this leg of my journey was supposed to be a hike around the scenic spots, but the poor rainy weather meant a change of plans, to a gorgeous drive along the bendy roads.  It has been a while since my last mountain side road trip in Bulgaria and the more recent drive from Seattle to Portland but the incredible nature did bring back some memories!  The roads here were really well maintained and it was a lot of fun driving into the unknown.

Everywhere we looked was beautiful rigid mountainsides and hills with cliff edge views!  It was just bend after bend of expansive views!  Seeing those Dubrovnik styled orange roof tiles dotted along the mountains was really scenic.  I don’t think I have been to anywhere else that has so much mountain scenery and cute little buildings since Sarajevo!

Hasroun

We had booked a room at a local home stay in Hasroun and as the sun was setting we made our way along the hills to the village.  Hasroun is nicknamed the Rose of Mount Lebanon because of the beautiful red tiled roofs and houses.  Surprisingly, they also have a large Maronite Catholic population.

Our home stay was a really cute two bedroom apartment with comfortable beds.  They were part of this larger group called L’Hote Libanais, a selection of guest houses around Lebanon.  Some of their accommodation looked incredible online and this was no different!

Our host was super nice and even invited us in for tea and a chat.  There was a lot of hand waving between French, English and Arabic but it was all fun and we seemed to understand each other.  She also sells jams and homemade goodies in her local shop!

The village is super cute with hints of Southern France.  My morning stroll around the village really made me think that I was in Provence! The town is filled with cute buildings, super friendly locals, cafes and lots of Christian sites.  A perfect place for a morning walk!

Local Meal

Since we arrived quite late, we struggled to find a local eatery still open. We had to drive to the next town to find an open restaurant.  Al Reef was a family run restaurant in a really homey atmosphere.  The lady spoke good English having lived abroad in Australia and now lives in town near her kids and grand kids.  It was a really special opportunity to chat about life in the mountains of Lebanon and the difficulties of sustaining a living out there.  Their daughter’s husband also works in the army and is an extra challenge for the family.  This was a great opportunity for us to really understand more about life in Qadisha!

All in All

The scenic roads and views of Qadisha valley is really worth the drive.  You will come across cute little towns and gorgeous mountain views.  It was a shame the weather wasn’t friendly for a hike but I will be back to check out more of the nature this area offers!  My next post is all around the journey down to Balbeck and the historical ruins. There is also a winery visit coming up! Stay tuned.

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Also published on Medium.