Mzaar Kfardebian

Mzaar covers around eighty kilometres of piste between about nineteen hundred and twenty-five hundred metres, served by a couple of dozen lifts, which makes it the largest ski area in the country and in the region. Its selling point has always been the drive: Beirut and the sea are ninety minutes away, so skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon is genuinely possible in some conditions. In summer the same slopes are used for walking and mountain biking.

History

In 1960 Sami Geammal, Emile Riachi and other pioneers put up the first ski lift, brought from Switzerland, and the first four chalets; the Mzaar Hotel opened in 1965 with the first chairlift, and by 2012 the resort had 20 lifts and about 80 kilometres of slopes (Wikipedia, Mzaar Kfardebian).

What you'll find

• The piste network - around eighty kilometres of runs between 1,900 and 2,500 metres.
• The ridge views - the Bekaa on one side and the coast on the other from the top.
• The summer trails - walking and biking routes on the slopes out of season.
• The resort village - hotels and chalets clustered below the lifts.

When to go

January to March is the reliable ski window, though snow varies sharply year to year and some seasons are short. June to September is good for walking. Weekends are extremely busy in season.

Before you go

Snow reliability is the weak point and warm winters have cut whole seasons. Lift queues at weekends are long and the road up jams. Prices are high by regional standards.

Nearby

The Faqra ruins are below the resort, and Kfardebian village is further down.

Key facts