Located in north Lebanon around 55 km away from Beirut, Batroun is one of the most marvelous Lebanese cities. Living in Batroun means living by the sea as it is a city known for having many beautiful beaches that are visited daily in summer by the city residents and tourists who doesn’t leave Batroun in summer and winter.
The beautiful sandy beaches, the dazzling sea water and the hot sun made Batroun look exactly like Mykonos, the Greek island. You do not have to travel there after you have visited Batroun! As the ambiance, the colors and the touristic places makes you feel that you are already there in Mykonos, enjoying a cup of Ouzo or Tsipouro! Thus in Batroun, you may be enjoying a cup of Arak, lemonade or even wine!
Visiting Batroun may be one of the most extraordinary experiences you will live in your entire life. Here are five iconic touristic places that you should visit in Batroun:
1- The old souk
The Batrounian old souk is a special place known for its design. All the places, markets found in the old souk are built using sand stone that are giving the place a vintage look.
In our old souk, you will hear greetings from everywhere, you will see how the residents are welcoming you in the most generous and beautiful way with their beautiful Batrounian accent and saying to you “Ahla w Sahla nawartouna!”
2- The Phoenician wall
Build in 1640 by the Phoenicians as a protection against sea storms and invaders, the Phoenician wall is one of the most iconic and touristic places found in Batroun. The Phoenician wall is composed from petrified sand dunes that were also used by Batrounian residents before to build many houses in addition to many places founded in the old souk.
3- St Stephan cathedral
Built in 1400 using sand stone, St Stephan cathedral is one of the most unique cathedrals in Lebanon as it is located directly by the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of three belt towers and two naves one facing the east and the other one facing the west. The cathedral construction was supervised by the Italian architect Giuseppe Maggiore.
4- The Batroun port
Located near St Stephan cathedral, the fishermen’s port is visited daily by tourists and residents. In this place, you can enjoy looking at the dazzling sea water, watching fishermen’s or enjoying a boat ride!
Batroun broke also the Guinness book record in 2016 for the biggest sea food display that was held on the port.
5- Hilmi’s lemonade
Other than its iconic touristic places, Batroun is also known for its delicious lemonade. Hilmi is one of the oldest places that was selling lemonade back in the late 19th century. Batroun broke also the Guinness book record in 2012 for making the biggest cup of lemonade with the help of 400 people who squeezed around 2,200 kilos of lemons.
