Zahle

Zahle sits where the Berdawni river comes out of a gorge onto the Bekaa plain at around a thousand metres, and the stretch of the river above the city, the Wadi al-Arayesh, is lined with open-air restaurants under plane trees where long mezze lunches are the point. The city is a centre of zajal, the improvised sung poetry that is recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage, and it calls itself the city of wine and poetry. Ottoman-era stone houses with red roofs climb the slopes above the river.

History

Zahlé was founded in the 18th century by Christians and has kept a mainly Greek Catholic character; it is known as the "Bride of the Beqaa" and the "City of Wine and Poetry", and the origin of its name is disputed (Wikipedia, Zahlé).

The main sights

• The Berdawni restaurants - open-air terraces along the river under plane trees.
• The gorge - the Berdawni cutting down from the mountains above the city.
• The old quarters - red-roofed stone houses on the slopes.
• The wine trade - Bekaa wineries with tasting rooms in and around the city.

When to go

May to October is the season, and the riverside restaurants only really operate in warm weather. Summer evenings are the point. Winter is cold and much of the Berdawni strip closes.

Practical notes

The riverside restaurants are the main attraction and outside summer they are shut. The city itself is workaday with limited sightseeing. Traffic through Zahle is heavy.

Nearby

The Niha temples are south, and Aammiq wetland is southwest.

Key facts