Spiritual Lebanon

Arrival at Beirut Airport. Installation at the hotel and overnight stay

Visit the National Museum of Beirut housing a prestigious collection of archaeological artifacts from all over the Lebanese territory.

Stroll along the Corniche and stop in front of the Pigeons Rock. Walk in downtown Beirut to discover the Place de l'Etoile and the Martyrs square, the archaeological sites: the garden of forgiveness and the Roman baths, as well as the various places of worship such as the Mohammad Al Amin mosque, the Saint George cathedral of the Greek Orthodox which dates from the 18th century and the Saint Louis church of the Latin community built in the 19th century.

Continuation to the Chouf Mountain, region of coexistence between the Druze and the Maronites. Visit of Beiteddine Palace, a gem of Lebanese architecture built at the beginning of the 19th century by Emir Bechir II Chehab. Walk in Deir al Kamar, once the capital of the Ottoman province of Mount Lebanon, stroll through its streets and visit the Saydet al Tell church.

Overnight in Beirut

Drive to South Lebanon, a Holy land because Jesus Christ walked on its soil. Visit Cana located in the hinterland of Tyre, the place where Jesus, according to early Church historians, invited to a wedding, performed his first miracle.

Visit of Tyre, the prestigious city of Phoenicia, its archaeological remains bear witness to its importance in the classical period.

Continue to Maghdoucheh village to visit the sanctuary of Saydet el Mantara (Our lady of Awaiting), built around a cave where the Virgin Mary awaited her Son during his visits to Tyre and Sidon.

Visit of Sidon, the ancient Saida of the Phoenicians, the city lived its golden age during the first millennium BC, especially in Persian Empire time (6th - 4th century B.C. Today we admire its monuments which date back to the Crusaders and the Ottomans periods: the crusader sea castle, the old souks, Khan el Franj, the Audi soap factory, Saint Nicholas cathedral and the Jewish neighborhood.

Overnight in Beirut

Drive to Jounieh, visit of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, the most visited Marian pilgrimage site in Lebanon overlooking the bay of Jounieh.

Continue to the convent of Our lady of Bzommar, Armenian Catholic patriarchal seat since the 18th century.

Continue to Annaya and visit the hermitage and the convent where the great Maronite Saint Charbel Makhlouf lived.

At the end of the afternoon, visit the archaeological site of Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world, then stroll through the old town and visit the crusaders church of Saint John.

Overnight in Byblos

Road to the hinterland of Batroun, the region was part ot the crusaders County of Tripoli, the fortifications and churches with frescoes testify to a certain prosperity in the Frankish era. Visit of the fortified castle of Smar Jbeil and the churches of the village: Mar Nohra (or Saint Licius), Sainte Thècle and N.D of the Succour.

In Edde the walls of the Church of Saint Saba still retains fragments of the 12th and 13th centuries paintings.

The route of the Saints of the Lebanese Maronite Order takes us to Jrebta where the tomb of the Maronite saint Rafqa and to Saint Cyprien and Saint Justine monastery in Kfifan to visit the tombs of Saint Neemtallah Hardini and Blessed Stephan Neemeh

At the end of the afternoon, stroll visit the old town of Batroun and its Saydet al Baher church overlooking the Phoenician wall.

Overnight in Byblos

Departure to North Lebanon. Visit of the church of the Maronite patriarchal seat in Diman, with its frescoes painted by Saliba Doueihy. Continuation to Bcharreh, on the magnificent road overlooking the deep valley of the Qadicha (the Holy Valley in Syriac), photo stops on the way before arriving at the Cedars of the Lord forest at 2000 m. The Cedars of Lebanon, once so famous (cf. Kings 19.23, Isaiah 40.16) made Lebanon “the mountain of perfumes.” A one-hour hike in the shade of these emblematic trees of the country.

Drive to the bottom of the valley to visit the monastery of Saint Antoine Qozhaya, a living witness of monastic and ascetic life in the Maronite church.

Overnight in Byblos

Transfer to the airport for departure