"Paris of the Middle East", picturesque Beirut, without the slightest exaggeration can be called a city of contrasts at the junction of the East and West .The freedom-loving and democratic European spirit is successfully combined here and splendidly coexists with Arab traditions: in the very Parisian brasseries dance "dubku", from the elite restaurants of the high cuisine melancholic melodies of Feyruz are heard, local beauties with antimony eyes do not consider it shameful to show off in a bikini on the beach, and Lebanese gentlemen contrive right after evening prayer in Al-Omari mosque to catch a jazz concert .And in Beirut, a remarkable number of monuments are concentrated: Roman baths, Byzantine basilicas, Ottoman palaces, Christian churches, mosques, parks ... in short, no matter how much you visit the city, you will be guaranteed what to do!

How to get to Beirut

You can fly from the capital of our country to Beirut on the wings of Aeroflot: on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Sheremetyevo. The journey takes about 4 hours. Citizens of Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other Russian cities, will have to reach Beirut, too, through Moscow. But the people of Armenia were lucky: they will be flown to Beirut by direct flights of "Armavia". In addition, variants with transfer are possible, with such airlines as Cyprus Airlines (via Larnaca), Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul), Egypt Air (Cairo), Qatar Airways (Doha), Emirates (Dubai).

Beirut International Airport named after Rafik Hariri is located 5 km south of the city center .Public shuttle from the airport to the city is not available, so to overcome this distance will have to taxi .Official airport taxis carry the appropriate emblem on board and charge a fixed fee for the delivery of the passenger to the city center (at the same time, it will never bother to trade) .Ordinary city taxis park a little farther from the exit from the arrival hall and are known for the desire to "pick up" prices to the limit of .Advice: mercilessly bargain! In both cases, the trip should not cost more than 25,000 LBP (approximately 17 USD) .

Orientation

Downtown - Old Beirut - located next to the commercial port and the yacht harbor (marina) .All famous architectural and historical attractions are located here, but the authentic color is not enough - too many tourists .Ashrafie - the center of nightlife, where there are a lot of bars and nightclubs; Also here there are restaurants and pretty shops .More opportunities for shopping - in the Hamra and Verdun streets, and stretching along the coast of Ain el-Mrayse presents to your attention a bunch of hotels and restaurants overlooking the sea's expanses .Beach clubs are concentrated in Manara and Ramlet el Baida, as well as in Jnja .Ravshi can boast a natural monument - Pigeon Rock .

Transport in the city

Moving along the historical center of Beirut is easiest to walk - the distances are small, and the high traffic of streets does not have cars for wanting to take a taxi .For longer distances you can travel by taxi - ordinary, per customer, and "services" - in which the fare is divided equally between 4 passengers .The first will be taken anywhere you want, the second ply in certain streets (for all large and absolute majority of secondary) .Meters in the taxi are not available, and the fee must necessarily be discussed in advance .A trip from the end to the end of Beirut will cost approximately 10,000 LBP for individual taxis and 2,000 LBP for "services" .Pay "services" at the end of the trip .Among other things, you can pay for 2 seats and go more comfortably..

Also in Beirut there are municipal buses of white-blue or white-red "suit". The first are ordinary buses, the second - a mini version. The fare within the city ranges from 500 to 1000 LBP. Bus stop is not necessary to look for: buses stop by the stroke of the hand on any part of the road. To exit the transport, you need to inform the driver in advance.

Climate

March 1, Sunday Partly cloudy, light rain +15 ° С in the day +12 ° С at night ° С water	March 2, Monday Clearly +15 ° С in the day +12 ° С at night ° С water	March 3, Tuesday Partly cloudy, light rain +14 ° С in the afternoon +11 ° С at night ° С water
Beirut weather forecast for 10 days

Beaches

In Beirut, there is no shortage of beach clubs, but the lack of beaches is felt very much .Within the city limits, it is customary to come to a land area near the sea (not necessarily sandy or, even more so, with a descent into the water) to take sun baths, drink cocktails and generally relax in every way..Strictly speaking, and the neighborhood of the city does not improve the quality of sea water .The only beach in the usual sense of the word is located in the Ramlet el Baida area - $ .There is a certain amount of sand and a convenient approach to the sea .Ras Beirut is also a good stretch of coast, there are several resort hotels and modern elite residential areas .

Cuisine and restaurants in Beirut

In Beirut, many catering establishments, both native Lebanese, and offering Turkish, French, Mediterranean cuisine. Certainly it is worth trying the traditional mezze - three dozen different salads, nut and bean pastes and tiny pies. At the same time, mezze is served both in "folk" eateries and in high-class restaurants - the composition of delicacies also varies the cost.

Quickly you can have a snack with Lebanese pizza "mankusha" - with cheese and spices and "manaish" - with cheese and minced meat, donuts "kake", fried nuts "krikri" and, do not be surprised, sweets - in Lebanon they are considered something like universal snack. In the course also shaurma and kebabs (what is called, feel the difference!). In addition, the city has a variety of fast food restaurants, including international KFC, McDonald's, TGI Fridays, Subway, etc.

In search of a more respectable institution, head to the Ain el-Mrayse embankment area: wonderful fish restaurants work here.

Shopping and shopping

The chic Middle Eastern fashion is the main interest of a shopaholic in Beirut. On the famous streets of Hamra, Mar-Elias and Verdun, there are boutiques of leading Lebanese couturiers, whose dresses adorn many Eastern and European stars. Famous fashion designers - Eli Saab, Basil Soda, Pierre Katra, Robert Abi-Nader - present to the ladies' court an exquisite feminine cut, flying silks and transparent chiffons and rich furnishings. Be sure to look into the shopping malls of Beirut: ABC Mall, Souks de Beirut, Beirut Mall, Miss ABC, City Mall.

For authentic things, go to the markets of Beirut: the ancient Central market with a mass of medieval crossings and a whole bunch of treasures (as well as any junk), a Sunday market in the eastern district of the city where you can find a variety of antiques, vintage clothes and jewelry, and the Saturday market El -Tayeb - for handicrafts and fresh farm products.

The famous souvenir shops of Beirut - L'Artisan du Liban, Oriental Art Center, Ceramic Lounge.

Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions Beirut

The sights of Beirut are very difficult to divide into authentic eastern and modern European - so great is their diversity .Most of the places of tourist interest are architectural and historical monuments: churches, temples, mosques and palaces .Equally interesting is the legacy of the French colonial past: well-kept squares and parks and elegant buildings with stucco facades .Do not remain deprived of Beirut and natural beauty - the most beloved by the townspeople natural phenomenon - Pigeon rock, arch standing at sea .

Historical sights of the city: Great Mosque of Mamluks Al-Omari (13th c.), The place of rest of the medieval saint Ibn al-Araq (16th c.), Colorful mosques Amir Assaf, Amir-Munzer and Majidiyya..Also there are temples of many Christian denominations: the cathedrals of the Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches, the church of the Capuchin monks of St. Louis, the Evangelical Church and the Maronite Cathedral of St. George..It is interesting to visit medieval monuments - the Crusader castle, the Ottoman Grand-Seray, now the government building and the Turkish military hospital .It is worth to see the remains of medieval city fortifications and the Turkish clock tower .Ruins of the Roman era: colonnade Beritus, thermae, exedra, columns of the Roman basil .

To be imbued with the spirit of colonial Lebanon, it is worth to visit the area of ​​Solidar, where there are many buildings in the French style, the Square of the Fallen and the central Place d'Etoile. American University of Beirut is a modern building located on 28 hectares of gardens and parks. And in search of natural attractions, go to the area of ​​Ravshi, to Golubina rock. Walking in the fresh air is also possible in the 40-hectare coniferous forest of Horsch-Beirut, parks of Sanaye and Khalil Gibran and the Botanical Garden.

Museums of Beirut: The National Museum of Beirut, which presents more than 1300 artifacts, from prehistoric times to the medieval board of the Mamluks, the Surskok Museum - the largest private collection of modern art exhibited in a magnificent 18th century palace, the Museum of Archeology and History .Ancient books, ceramics, carpets, religious objects and ornaments can be seen in the private museum of Robert Mu'awad .The Museum of the History of Armenians will tell about the life of the Armenian community and will show a lot of valuable exhibits .And the smallest tourists will like the Planet Discovery Museum, where they will be offered non-bodied experiments in the field of natural sciences .

Photos Beirut (15)