Beqaa Governorate

Best of Beqaa Governorate

Beqaa Essentials

The Beqaa Valley is Lebanon's premier viticultural region and a repository of ancient civilizations. This list highlights the 8th-century Umayyad city of Aanjar, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the well-preserved Roman temples of Niha. It features Lebanon’s oldest winery, Château Ksara, famous for its Roman-era caves, and the historic Rashaya Castle, central to the nation's independence. Natural landmarks include the snow-capped peaks of Mount Hermon and the ancient forests of the Shouf Cedar Biosphere Reserve.

Beqaa Essentials — Map

Eusebius / CC BY 3.0

A

Umayyad Ruins of Aanjar

Anjar (meaning "unresolved or running river"; Arabic: عنجر / ALA-LC: ‘Anjar; also known as Hawsh Mousa, is a town of Lebanon, near the…

B

Château Ksara

Founded in 1857 by Jesuit priests, Lebanon's oldest winery features a two-kilometer network of natural limestone caves. These Roman-era tunnels provide a constant temperature and humidity ideal for aging the estate's diverse range of wines.

C

Château St. Thomas

Established in 1990 on the hills of Kab-elias, this family-run winery produces a variety of wines including the indigenous Obeidy grape. The estate includes a wine shop and tasting room overlooking the Beqaa Valley.

אימאן שאהין / CC BY 2.5

D

Jabal Ash Shaykh

Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.

Nmaluf / Public domain

E

Roman Lower Temples of Niha

Niha is a village in the Bekaa Valley about 18 km north of Zahlé. It is famous for its Roman archeological ruins in the outskirts, and in…

Tsui / CC-BY-SA-3.0

F

Shouf Cedar Biosphere Reserve Limit

Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Chouf and Aley districts of Lebanon.

Bertramz / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

Nymphaeum of Temnin el-Foka

Temnin el-Foka is a village located approximately 28 kilometers southwest of Baalbek in the Baalbek District, in the Beqaa valley of…

H

Qlt rashya

An 18th-century fortress also known as the Citadel of Independence. It is historically significant as the site where Lebanese national leaders were imprisoned by French Mandate authorities in 1943 during the country's struggle for sovereignty.

I

Qsr bstrs

A 19th-century historical palace located in Aana, featuring traditional Lebanese architecture. The estate is historically associated with the Bustros family and is situated within a prominent agricultural and winemaking area.