Bcharre in 3 days

Qadisha Valley Trek (the most important and most spectacular walking route in Lebanon — the UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Ouadi Qadisha (Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) were inscribed together as a single World Heritage Site in 1998)): the trek from the Bcharre plateau (1,500m altitude) down the 4km trail into the valley (descending 400m to the valley floor at 1,100m altitude): the trail passes the most important medieval Christian sites in Lebanon: the Deir Mar Elisha (the Monastery of Saint Elisha — the most completely preserved Maronite monastery in the Qadisha Valley: the 14th-century church of Saint Elisha carved into the cliff face with the original frescoes (the most important surviving Byzantine-Maronite frescoes in Lebanon)), the Deirel Salib (the Monastery of the Cross — the natural cave converted into a chapel by 7th-century CE Maronite hermits: the rock-cut cross above the entrance is the most ancient Christian monument in the valley), and the Qannoubine Monastery (the valley-floor monastery — the former seat of the Maronite Patriarch from the 13th to the 19th century: the most important site in the history of the Maronite Church in Lebanon).

Qozhaya Monastery (the "Valley of the Saints" — the "Qozhaya" is the Syriac word for "the Valley of the Saints": the largest monastery complex in the Qadisha Valley and one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries in the world): the founding tradition (the monastery was founded by Saint Anthony the Great (the 4th-century Egyptian desert hermit who founded the Christian monastic tradition) or by his disciples who brought the Egyptian monastic tradition from the Nile Valley to the Qadisha Valley in the late 4th century CE): the Syriac printing press (the oldest printing press in the Middle East — a Gutenberg-style movable-type press installed at the Qozhaya Monastery in the 16th century CE by the Patriarch Sarkis el-Rizzi: the press was used to print the first book in Arabic script in the Middle East (a Psalter (the Mizmor — the Book of Psalms) in the Syriac language and Syriac script in 1585 CE)): the Qozhaya cave (the natural limestone cave behind the monastery used since the 4th century CE as a chapel, a prison, and a healing sanctuary (the cave was used to confine the mentally ill in the belief that the spiritual power of the monastery would cure the afflicted — the most important faith-healing site in Lebanon until the 20th century)).

Arak (the Lebanese national spirit — the most important distilled beverage of the Levant: arak is an anise-flavored grape brandy distilled from the Obeidi and Merweh grapes (the two most important indigenous Lebanese wine grape varieties) in copper pot stills and then redistilled with anise seed (the star anise (Illicium verum) or the sweet anise (Pimpinella anisum) — the essential flavoring ingredient): the Bcharre tradition of arak distillation (the Bcharre district is one of the most important arak-producing areas in Lebanon — the most important traditional distillers are in the villages of the Qadisha Valley where the cool mountain climate and the clean limestone spring water provide the ideal conditions for distillation): the "milk of lions" (the most common colloquial name for arak in the Levant — a reference to the louche effect: when water is added to arak, the dissolved anise compounds precipitate out of solution and turn the clear spirit milky-white (the "ouzo effect" of the Greek equivalent (ouzo) and the "pastis effect" of the French equivalent (pastis): the milky-white drink is the most visually distinctive cocktail preparation in the Levant)): the traditional serving (arak is always served diluted with water (1:1 or 1:2 ratio) over ice — never neat: the Lebanese arak is the most food-friendly spirit in the world (the anise flavor cuts through the fat of the meze and the lamb dishes and refreshes the palate between bites).

Lebanese mountain dinner in Bcharre: the kibbeh nayeh (raw minced lamb mixed with fine bulgur, onion and the traditional Lebanese spice blend (the seven-spice mixture: allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin and nutmeg) — the national dish of the Lebanese mountains: the freshness and the quality of the lamb is paramount (the raw lamb must be absolutely fresh — the Bcharre butchers slaughter the sheep on the morning of the day the kibbeh nayeh will be eaten): the most important ceremonial dish of the Lebanese Maronite tradition and the dish that marks the most important social occasions (the wedding, the feast day, the family gathering)): the manakish (the Lebanese flatbread baked on the saj (the dome-shaped convex iron griddle heated from below over a wood or charcoal fire): the most important everyday bread of the Lebanese mountain tradition: the dough is stretched thin and slapped onto the convex surface of the hot saj: the most important topping in the Bcharre tradition is the za'atar (the wild mountain thyme mixed with sumac, sesame seeds and olive oil — the most important herb mixture of the Levant): the manakish za'atar is the most universally loved food in Lebanon.

Cedars Ski Resort (the most historic ski resort in the Middle East — the Cedars of Lebanon Ski Club (founded 1911) is the oldest ski club in Asia and the second-oldest in Africa (after South Africa)): the ski area at 2,000–3,088m altitude directly above the Cedars of God grove (the UNESCO World Heritage cedar trees are visible from the ski slopes — the most extraordinary skiing backdrop in the world): the resort has 7 ski lifts and 14 runs ranging from beginner (the gentle slopes at 2,000m) to advanced (the black runs descending from the summit of Qornet es Sawda (the "Black Summit" — 3,088m: the highest peak in Lebanon and the highest point in the entire Levant south of the Taurus Mountains)): the season runs December–April (the most reliable snow in Lebanon: Bcharre typically receives 2–4m of snow between December and March): the most adventurous skiers can ski from 3,088m to 1,500m (the Bcharre village level) in a single descent — the most dramatic off-piste descent in the Middle East.

Tannourine Cedar Forest Nature Reserve (the second-largest cedar grove in Lebanon — the 1,200 ancient Cedrus libani trees of the Tannourine Nature Reserve (established 1999): the most pristine and least-visited of the Lebanese cedar groves (far fewer visitors than the famous Arz el-Rab grove at Bcharre): the Tannourine cedars include some of the most ancient specimens in Lebanon — some individual trees are estimated to be 2,000+ years old based on their girth (the Lebanese cedar grows approximately 1cm in trunk diameter per year in the harsh mountain climate, so a tree with a 2m girth is approximately 2,000 years old)): the Tannourine village (the most beautifully preserved traditional Lebanese mountain village in the north of the country — the stone-built houses, the vaulted cellars and the traditional apricot orchards (the Tannourine apricot (the "Mishmish" — the most important fruit crop of the Lebanese mountain villages) is the sweetest and most aromatic apricot in Lebanon)).

Afqa Grotto (the most spectacular natural geological feature in Lebanon — the 200m-deep limestone grotto in the cliff face of the Ibrahim River valley from which the Ibrahim River (the ancient Adonis River — the "Nahr Ibrahim": the "River of Abraham" in Arabic, but the "River of Adonis" in the ancient Phoenician and Greek tradition) emerges as a waterfall 60m above the valley floor): the mythological significance (the Afqa Grotto was the most important sacred site in the ancient Phoenician world — the site where the goddess Aphrodite (Astarte in the Phoenician tradition) first met the mortal shepherd Adonis (the personification of the cycles of nature — the dying and rising vegetation god of the ancient Near East): the site of the annual Adonis festival (the "Adonia" — the Greek festival of mourning and rebirth based on the Phoenician myth: the most important festival of the ancient Greek world after the Eleusinian Mysteries): the Roman emperor Constantine I (the first Christian emperor) ordered the destruction of the Aphrodite-Adonis temple at Afqa in the early 4th century CE as part of his anti-pagan religious policy — the ruins of the Roman temple are still visible beside the grotto): the waterfall (the most spectacular waterfall in Lebanon: a 60m cascade from the cave mouth to the valley floor during the spring snowmelt (March–May): the most dramatic natural display in the Lebanese mountains).

Farewell dinner in Bcharre: the Lebanese mountain grill (meshawi): the lamb chops (the most important grilled meat of the Lebanese mountain tradition: the young mountain lamb fed on the wild thyme and sage of the Qadisha Valley has the most distinctive and aromatic flavor of any lamb in the Middle East), the chicken tawook (the marinated chicken kebabs — the most universally loved Lebanese grilled dish: the chicken marinated in the garlic and lemon and yogurt marinade and grilled on charcoal until charred on the outside and juicy inside), and the kafta (the spiced lamb mince mixed with the onion and the parsley and the Lebanese seven-spice blend, formed around flat skewers and grilled on charcoal: the most versatile and most widely eaten Lebanese grilled dish). The arak toast: "Saha!" ("Health!" — the most important Lebanese toast: the response is "Sahhetein!" ("Double health!")). The view: the Qadisha Valley at dusk with the last light turning the limestone cliffs golden and the cedar forest darkening on the plateau above.