Altitude: 10m
Distance from Beirut: 15km
Getting there from Beirut: take the Highway going north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Jal-El-Dib, Antelias, Dbayeh, pass Dog River tunnel to Jounieh. Jounieh is a Mediterranean costal city about 15 km north of Beirut.

This is the city of ancient civilizations and a modern business center for the today visionary entrepreneur. In the sixth part of The Introduction to Jounieh in the Mid Nineteenth Century, Professor Butrus Al-Boustani said: "Jounieh is a place on the Keserwan coast which has warehouses, stores, and a dye house. Ships and boats bring supplies and its grain trade is very popular.

Thus a district of the following villages:
Sarba, Ghazir and Harat Sakhr were named for it. Its total population is 2,500.

Jounieh itself is not a residential area but mainly a commercial district whose workers come from neighboring towns. " Nowadays, Jounieh has grown into a densely built-up area of high-rise buildings, hotels and large resort complexes. Its beautiful bay, excellent restaurants, night spots and shopping attract visitors from all over. To get a sense of Jounieh's style, try strolling down the main street of the old town near the sea-front.

Enjoy the tropical palm trees, glitzy restaurants and the shops. At the same time, a traditional flavour remains; two hundred of Jounieh's old houses have been earmarked for preservation. Driving north along the town's old seacoast towards Maamaltein you will find a well-preserved Roman Bridge across the River Ghazir, which once formed the boundary between the Crusader County of Tripoli and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

In Maamaltein the Casino du Liban tempts visitors with slot machines, American Roulette, Black Jack, Baccarat and Casino Stud Poker, as well as restaurants, a theatre and a night club. Just south of Jounieh, Kaslik has its own special identity thanks to its yacht harbour, beaches, art galleries, and posh restaurants.


The yacht harbour, which belongs to the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon, has space for about 100 boats of all sizes, with room for visiting yachts as well. The club organizes annual car rallies.

You can also enjoy a ride in the cable car (le téléphérique), which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. Above Jounieh, and on the way to Harissa, a small hill named Bkerke, overlooking the Jounieh bay, is the seat of the Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite and it's thus known to be the largest Maronite city in the world.

Must see while in Jounieh

. Casino du Liban Casino du Liban offers gaming and shows; and is located in the northern part of Jounieh.
. Lebanese Heritage Museum Lebanese Heritage Museum displays items related to the culture and history of Lebanon.
. Harissa and the téléphérique
The téléphérique is a cable car that operates between Jounieh and Harissa. It offers the passengers beautiful panoramic views of the bay of Jounieh and the coast all the way to Beirut.

Harissa is an important Lebanese pilgrimage site high above Jounieh, located at 650 meters altitude from the coast and 20 km distance from Beirut the capital city; the site is accessible either by a steep winding road or a nine-minute journey by a cable car, known as the "Téléférique". It attracts both pilgrims and tourists who want to enjoy views of Jounieh. The main site is a huge 15-ton bronze (and painted white) statue of Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban/Harissa or Our Virgin of Lebanon, with her arms outstretched. The statue was made at the end of the 19th century and inaugurated in 1908.

Inside the statue's base there is a small chapel. A huge modernistic Maronite cath edral built of concrete and glass stands right beside the statue. Among other churches of various denominations, it is worth mentioning the Byzantine-style, Melkite Greek Catholic Basilica of St. Paul, located south of the statue and built between 1947 and 1962. The Papal Embassy, as well as the residences of four Eastern Catholic cardinals church, are in the vicinity of Harissa and Our Lady of Lebanon. On May 10, 1997, Pope John Paul II visited Harissa.

On your way there:

On your way to Jounieh, you can also enjoy the beauty of Kaslik and the Zouk:

. In Zouk, you will find the renovated old market which has boosted the touristic potential considerably. And you can enjoy the Zouk's architecture which has been preserved as it reflects the traditional Lebanese market and craft of the 19th and 20th centuries.
. In Kaslik you will enjoy the luxurious lifestyle embodied in its shops and entertainment outlets. Kaslik is perfect for both locals and tourists with its shopping avenue during the day and the many nightclubs and restaurant at night.
Its proximity to many sea resorts and to Jounieh makes it one of the preferred destinations for tourists.