Beiteddine Palace
The 200-year-old palace of Emir Bashir Shihab II — courtyards, hammams, and one of the finest mosaic collections in the Levant.
No. 10 — 10
Beiteddine & Deir el Qamar
Chouf — Mount Lebanon
A 19th-century palace masterpiece beside a red-roofed village that once served as Mount Lebanon's capital.
Sights
Located in the Chouf mountains, the Beiteddine Palace is a masterpiece of 19th-century Lebanese architecture. Just nearby is Deir el Qamar, a picturesque village with red-tiled roofs and stone houses that served as the capital of Mount Lebanon.
The Itinerary
Top Places to See
The shortlist we always send first. If you have only one afternoon, start here.
Deir el Qamar
A protected village of red-tiled houses, the 17th-century Fakhreddine Mosque, and the Mir Amin Palace.
Mir Amin Palace
A second 19th-century palace built by Bashir for his son — now a heritage hotel with a panoramic terrace.
Chouf Cedars Reserve
The country's largest nature reserve, with five cedar groves and trails leading to Barouk and Maaser Ech Chouf.
Insider Notes
Quietly Highlighted
The corners that don't always make the guidebooks but reward the curious.
01
Beiteddine Mosaic Museum
Byzantine-era mosaics from Jiyeh laid into the palace’s underground vaults — a rare in-situ display.
02
Moussa Castle
The folkloric castle a few kilometres away — kitsch in the best way, with miniature dioramas of Lebanese village life.
What to Do
Entertainment & Atmosphere
Where the place comes alive — concerts, festivals, beach clubs, and the best ways to fill an evening.
Beiteddine Art Festival
Summer concerts staged inside the palace — a tradition since 1985, with everyone from Caetano Veloso to Yo-Yo Ma.
Hiking the Chouf cedars
Easy half-day hikes through ancient cedar groves — the Maaser entrance is the most photogenic.
Druze majlis hospitality
Several village houses welcome visitors for traditional sweet coffee and saj bread.
The Table
Where to Eat
Tested addresses across categories — from village mountain food to fine modern Lebanese.
Mounir
A short drive towards Broumana — Lebanese mezze with one of the finest mountain views in the country.
Al Midane
On the main square of Deir el Qamar — traditional Lebanese in a stone house with an arched terrace.
Kfardebian-style mountain mezze
Several roadside spots near the palace serve frikeh, kishk, and saj bread — village cooking at its best.
To Take Home
Souvenirs Worth the Suitcase Space
Locally made, locally sourced, and small enough to fly with — what to actually buy.
01
Druze soap & rosewater
Cold-process soaps and distilled rosewater from the Chouf villages — sold in unmarked white bottles.
02
Saj bread & kishk
Buy a tin of homemade kishk (fermented bulgur and yoghurt) from a village co-op.
03
Chouf honey
Single-village wildflower honey from the cedar reserves — sold by the apiarists themselves.
Continue the field guide
