Lebanon is located right beside the countries involved in the recent world's most serious conflicts. Although this little strip of land along the Mediterranean sea is so attractive for potential tourists, it might seem that tourism has virtually died out due to the civil war in the neighboring Syria. But is it true? Do you plan to visit Lebanon in spite of the fact that most of government websites discourage to do so? Find out if Lebanon felt safe for us - from a point of view of an ordinary traveler.
Qadisha Valley, Lebanon - Rock Monasteries and Churches
At first, Qadisha Valley wasn't in our itinerary of places to see in Lebanon. Apart from the obvious sites of this fascinatingly diverse country, like Beirut, Byblos or the ancient Roman ruins at Baalbek, we wanted to see the Lebanese cedar forests in their natural environment as well as the spectacular Baatara sinkhole waterfall which is one of the most unique natural phenomenons I've seen.
However, after we organized a trip to Baatara/Cedar Forest Natural Reserve, our guides recommended we also see the magnificent yet way less known Qadisha Valley. And it was such a great piece of advice! Although the other two natural wonders are spectacular, it takes only a very short tome to visit them. Qadisha Valley, in turn, proved to be an amazing journey into the past where history of hermits and monks who had lived in the cave dwellings intertwines with the breathtaking views of the gorges and high mountainous peaks covered with white blanket of snow.