“Batruna”, Canaanite city-state, Phoenician trading post, “Botrys”, for the Hellenic civilization which would mean the “bunch of grapes”, emblem of this attractive city on the Lebanese coast. According to legend, Batroun was founded by Ithobaal, king of Tyre, around 1000 BC. But the mention of the city in the tablets of Tell and Aamarna, (correspondence of the Phoenician kinglets with the pharaoh Akhenaten, around 1300 BC) tends to suggest that it was founded at an earlier time, and that it would have acquired a certain importance for Pharaonic Egypt. Strangely, Batroun and its caza appear as the very expression of a certain Lebanon, both dualistic and complementary: open to the Mediterranean and strong in their historical and mythical heritage, notably Phoenician, and inevitably converging towards the mountains, the highlands, the hinterland, imbued with mysticism, ancestral Maronite and Byzantine spiritual traditions, creators of a space of holiness.

All you have to do is start from the imposing Phoenician Wall of Batroun, carved into the rock and defying the horizon, and gradually venture into the heights of the caza, village after village, past churches that are often several centuries old, up to Hardine, for example (at an altitude of 1,100 meters, the village where Saint Nehmetallah Hardini comes from). This route allows you to grasp the ambivalence of the Batrounian landscape: sober and full of destitution, and yet rich in a mystical soul beyond the contingencies of the material world.

Strongly attached to its traditions and its faith, the caza of Batroun remains nonetheless open to modernity and tourism, like the city itself, which became throughout the 1990s and especially the 2000s the main tourist hub of the North: a dream metropolis for adventurers, dreamers or mystics fleeing the tentacles of the capital for the magical charm of this little, extraordinary piece of paradise.

The climb to the villages of the Batroun caza is more or less slow. Although the roads are well paved, they are nonetheless narrow and winding, like snakes. One of the access routes to the villages of the caza is located within the city of Batroun itself – this is the so-called “Basbina” square. Ijdabra. If we follow this route, the first village to appear on the horizon is Ijdabra (400 meters above sea level – four kilometers from Batroun). Even if it does not contain any monuments that are really worth the detour, this village quickly sets the tone for what the caza’s journey will be: a gradual discovery of churches often dating from the early ages of Christianity and built on pagan, Greek or Roman temples, old monasteries or highly symbolic places in the history of the Maronite faith. The village has two relatively old churches: Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (1866) and Saint-Saba (Mar Saba), next to which stands an old oak tree.

First real stop on the way: Ebrine (440 meters above sea level, six kilometers from Batroun) is a small, quiet village. The inhabitants are very welcoming, as everywhere in the caza, and one can quietly recharge one’s batteries there. Ebrine allows one to meet a great name in the history of the Maronite community. This is the famous patriarch of independence, Elias el-Hoayek, whose tomb is preserved in a large convent dating from the 19th century, that of the Maronite sisters of the Lebanese Holy Family (Order founded by Patriarch Hoayek). It is possible to visit the chapel that contains the tomb of Bishop Hoayek and to receive his blessing: the crypt of the chapel contains a very imposing statue of the Maronite patriarch, sculpted by his nephew, Youssef Saadallah el-Hoayek. Another place to visit in Ebrine: the old little church of Saint-Charbel, which dominates the city of Batroun where a place is set up outside for a possible impromptu picnic. There are other remains, barely perceptible, of churches dating from the 6th and 7th centuries, but it is difficult to access them by car. The village has other more recent churches, one of which dates from 1882 (Saint-Jean Baptiste). Finally, Ebrine is a dream camp site for scouts. The space called “al-Wata”, to the northeast of the convent of the sisters, is a pine forest ideal for camping.

Then located at an altitude of 400 meters and eight kilometers from Batroun, Rachkida is worth the detour. And for good reason: it is the only Shiite village in the region. If the mosque of Imam Hassan (1920) has no particular historical interest, Rachkida nevertheless contains a seemingly neglected jewel: a church (Saint-Georges – Mar Gergès) of great beauty, dating from the early days of Christianity, which bears the scars of time and which requires urgent restoration. The walls inside the church are painted in oil, but time has taken its toll. The church, hidden near fig trees, is completely abandoned, neglected.

Further away at an altitude of 450 meters and six kilometers from Batroun, the locality of Bejdarfel is a special case within a caza that is destined to open up more and more to tourism. The village meets international tourism standards. There is a large shopping center (supermarket, pharmacy, bookstore, snack bar, etc.) with no equivalent in the region. A project for an artificial lake is currently under construction, and Bejdarfel has organized an annual arts and music festival in the summer since 2001. However, Bejdarfel is of less historical interest than the vast majority of other villages in the region. The parish church of Saint-Pantaléon (Mar Bindi Leymoun, patron saint of the village, to whom women make vows in search of fertility) dates from 1763. A statue of the village’s patron saint adjoins the church. Another statue, much more recent (2001), occupies the market of the city, that of Our Lady of Bejdarfel. There is also a small cave – “al-Mdarat” – behind one of the properties of the village, that of the Lahoud. The cave is however not easy to access. You have to follow down a small winding and poorly maintained path for ten minutes before arriving there.

Continuing towards Kfarhay (450 meters above sea level, 15 km from Batroun), we go a little deeper into the Batrounian country. Legend has it that the bottom of the valley is filled with betyles, this circuit of pagan temples which at the time allowed pilgrimages. The village is the second stage of the Maronite journey following this route: there we find the great monastery of Saint-Jean Maron (Mar Youhanna Maroun), known for being the first Maronite patriarch (7th century). A monastery where the saint is said to have lived – currently the residence of the bishop of Batroun – and which was restored in the second half of the 18th century. The monastery church also houses the relics of Saint Maron (died in 410), repatriated from Filigno (Italy) to Lebanon in August 2000 by Monsignor Paul Emile Saadé. Kfarhay also houses a very beautiful church, Saint-Saba (Mar Saba) which dates from the Crusaders. It is built on the ruins of a Greek temple of which only one stone still exists, and on which one can read inscriptions in Greek. The other very old churches in the area are difficult to access by car; abandoned, some of them are nothing more than ruins. The village is also the headquarters of an SOS children’s village.

From Kfarhay, head east, then take the left fork to Boqsmaya (450 meters above sea level, 17 km from Batroun). A small village with narrow roads, but which offers the advantage of housing two restaurants offering mezze, in the square called “an-Nahriyya”, near the Nahr el-Jozz. Boqsmaya is especially famous for a small church, Saydet el-Bzez, built with the stones of an old Roman temple dedicated to Bacchus. The old church takes its name from the oves found on the old stones of the previous temple and which are reused. The parish church of Saint Simeon the Stylite (patron saint of the village) is 1,100 years old. It adjoins Saydet el-Bzez and was also built with some of the stones of the same Roman temple. The village is also home to other churches.

Then here we are Jebla (450 meters above sea level, 19 km from Batroun), Dael (600 meters above sea level, 22 km from Batroun), Oura-Andoula (750 meters above sea level, 23 km from Batroun) and Bechtoudar (950 meters above sea level, 27 km from Batroun): a succession of small villages, connected by a narrow and rather dangerous road.

In Jebla, the patron saint is Saint Michael. A church from the beginning of the 20th century bears his name. You can also find in this village the old church of Saydet el-Cornet, which has been restored.

In Dael, the only interest lies in the old monastery of St. Sergius (Mar Sarkis), which is very close to an old pagan cemetery. There is also a recent mosque in the village.

In Oura-Andoula, the only attraction is the church of Saint Theodore (Mar Tedros), which dates from the 19th century. There are also old sarcophagi, but they are found everywhere in the Batrounian high country.

Bechtoudar is home to the monastery of Mar Yaacoub el-Hosn (1860) and old sarcophagi.

On the road to Kfarhelda, the landscape becomes more and more marvelous as we approach this sublime place that is Bssettine el-Ossy, and its spectacular waterfall that tumbles down the cliff from a height of more than a hundred meters.

Kfarhelda (650 meters above sea level, 27 km from Batroun) is home to the ruins of several monasteries and chapels. It is home to the church of Saint Peter (Mar Boutros, 5th century), built in ochre stones, and which is an architectural marvel. The Byzantine church of Saint Theodore (Mar Tedros, 6th-7th century) is only partially preserved, while the chapel of Saidé is completely in ruins, but still venerated. However, the highlight of Kfarhelda is undoubtedly a small and very old church located on the road to Kfour el-Arabi, Our Lady of Kfarmalkoun (Saydet Kfamalkoun). The church, which is almost lost in the mountain, is absolutely magnificent, each of its stones seems to have its own story. Kfarhelda is an opportunity to take a break for lunch on the banks of the Nahr el-Jozz.

Let’s go to Beit Chléla (750 meters above sea level, 30 km from Batroun). We go up to Douma and Tannourine: a small chapel carved and embedded in the mountain, Saydet el-Bzezat. It was a place of refuge in the mountain for the first persecuted Christians. It is difficult to access by car, the path leading there being rocky and not paved. As soon as you arrive at the site, you have to take a small staircase that runs along the mountain and leads to the chapel. A wonderful panorama is offered to the view: it is possible to take in the entire expanse of Bssettine el-Ossy. According to local beliefs, the virgin of Saydet el-Bzezat (whose gaze is disturbing) oozes oil when a very religious person comes to her.

There is not enough space to talk about Douma (1,150 meters above sea level, 45 km from Batroun), a village with a considerable Lebanese heritage, and which also contains a hotel and restaurants. However, before reaching the village, it is worth stopping to visit the centuries-old Greek Orthodox monastery of Saint John the Baptist, which contains two very beautiful churches. The monks have no problem opening the monastery doors to visitors, but photos and cameras are forbidden inside. Recently, excavations in one of the two churches have uncovered the bones of young children who had taken refuge in the church, and whose heads were apparently cut off as a sign of victory, probably during the Ottoman or Mamluk era. Candlesticks were found near the bones, which are kept inside the church.

Bcheailé (1,250 meters above sea level, 37 km from Batroun) is on the way back to Beirut following the Kfifane-Smar Jbeil-Madfoun circuit. There are also many sites to see in this village, including inscriptions on rocks in the mountain (place called the Hermit – al-Habiss) or Qaleet el-Hosn, an old Phoenician, Roman and Crusader fortress now in ruins. But the unusual attraction that is worth the detour remains the existence of a dozen or so imposing olive trees reputed to be among the oldest trees in the world, with astonishing roots, and which are always green.

A “triptych of holiness”, this is how we could designate three places of exceptional beauty that are housed in the caza of Batroun: Hardine, Kfifane and Jrabta.

Lebanon has three saints. Two of them are intrinsically linked to the caza of Batroun, and the third lived there for a long time. First, Saint Nehmetallah Kassab el-Hardini, born in a wild, magnificent country that still preserves all its purity, all its mysticism: it is Hardine-Beit Kassab. The tomb of the saint is also preserved in the Saints-Cyprien-et-Justine monastery in Kfifane, which has become in recent years an important place of religious pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world, and especially for the Lebanese.

Then, Saint Rafqa al-Rayess, who lived the last years of her life in Jrabta, at the Saint-Joseph-Jrabta convent, where she rests. A place of great mystical beauty, and which calls for recollection, spiritual meditation and prayer.

Finally, Saint Charbel Makhlouf, originally from Annaya, Jbeil, and does not really have his place in the triptych of the sanctified villages of the caza of Batroun. However, he also lived, as a disciple of Saint Nehmetallah el-Hardini, at the monastery of Saints Cyprien and Justine, where the body of the miraculously saved brother Estéphan Nehmé el-Lefhedy is also preserved.

Apart from these three key places of Lebanese Christianity in general and Maronitism in particular, the region is full, like the rest of the caza, of very old churches built at the time of the crusaders, and some of which, abandoned, are unfortunately today abandoned. Breathtaking mountain panoramas, olive trees that abound as far as the eye can see, vestiges of the different civilizations that have crossed Lebanon, notably Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Byzantine, marvelous natural and rocky landscapes, affable local people who have a certain sense of hospitality: all this makes the Batroun caza an essential place for Lebanese and non-Lebanese tourists of all kinds: truckers and adventurers, fanatics of vestiges and ancient history, believers and mystics, or simply lovers of large wild and fascinating natural expanses…

From the city of Batroun, the climb to Hardine, which offers a symbiosis between the wild and the sacred, takes some time, since the village of Nehmetallah el-Hardini peaks at 1,100 meters, and some of its remains at almost 1,500 meters above sea level. It can be reached by the newly built highway, just as it can be taken by the more arduous but much prettier small roads that pass through the villages of the caza.

After leaving Batroun for Ijdabra, then Bejdarfel and Kour, the first village where you can take a short break is Kfarhatna.

Kfarhatna (450 meters above sea level, 15 kilometers from Batroun) contains a church built at the beginning of the 20th century on the remains of an old fortress. This is Mar Challita, the friend of animals that he healed in his church. There are also pagan tombs and wells. Zan.

Zan (650 meters above sea level, 18 kilometers from Batroun) is the first village of interest from a tourist point of view. It is also of great beauty. If the parish church, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, dates from the beginning of the century (1904) and does not present any particular historical interest, one can see right next to it the oldest oak tree in the Batroun caza. So old and imposing that iron belts have been placed all around its branches to prevent them from breaking.

In addition, the remains of the old Mar Sarkis church border the village cemetery. The church was built on the remains of a pagan temple. Pagan tombs carved into the rock can also be found in the area. Finally, the church of Saydet el-Barbara, rebuilt on an old church, part of which is carved into the rock, is worth a visit. It is located near the monastery of the Sisters of Charity. Ftahat Sourat then Kfarchleimane.

If Fathat (550 meters above sea level, 17 kilometers from Batroun) and Sourat (500 meters above sea level, 13 kilometers from Batroun) are not of any particular interest (Sourat was nevertheless a very important village at the time of the Crusades), the same is not true for Kfarchleimane (750 meters above sea level, 18 kilometers from Batroun), the first real major stop on this tour. After a few minutes’ climb by car, it is possible to see a small church entrenched below, to the left. The church is inaccessible by car, and you have to go down on foot. But the place, which borders the village cemeteries, is breathtakingly beautiful. In the middle of a site that was probably Phoenician, there are carved rocks that are surprisingly beautiful. The church itself, Saydet Naya, is very beautiful. It was built around 1700 – but has apparently been renovated – on top of a rock cut and dug into a burial chamber. Behind the church, near the cemetery, there is a very small cellar chapel embedded in the rock. Sheltered by a metal grille, it contains wall paintings that have deteriorated over time. According to local explanations, the chapel must have originally been a burial chamber, redeveloped into a place of worship around the 12th century. There are still paintings an ochre-coloured Christ Pantocrator painted on the left wall of the chapel as well as a Virgin breastfeeding the Child Jesus. Also discernible is an inscription in Greek that states: “Jesus Christ triumphs”, near a painting depicting an archer shooting at a beast, probably the devil. There is also another Pantocrator painted on the ceiling of the chapel, but the painting has been seriously damaged by fires lit in the cellar.

Rachkeddé (600 meters above sea level, 14 kilometers from Batroun) contains an old church, Mar Sarkis and Bakhos, built on the ruins of a Roman temple.

Helta (650 meters above sea level, 18 kilometers from Batroun), birthplace of the Maronite Patriarch Elias el-Hoayek, is home to the patriarch’s house, a site perfectly equipped for tourists.

The church of Mar Abda is built on a Roman temple, and the church of Our Lady (Saydet), of great beauty, is considered to be one of the oldest in the caza. It has been restored.

After a long drive down to Bsetine el-Ossy, you have to go back up to the village of Kfour el-Arbi, which peaks at 1,150 meters above sea level (35 kilometers from Batroun). The climb is long and difficult. The roads of Kfour el-Arbi, a small village lost in the wild nature of the caza of Batroun, are more paths than roads. The village has several churches, but it is possible to access, from Niha, a splendid Crusader fortress that overlooks the mountain. This is Saydet el-Qalaa, which was built just under Hardine, but which is only accessible from Niha.

The main road to Hardine (1,100 meters above sea level, 32 kilometers from Batroun) from Kfour el-Arbi is currently out of service, so you have to take what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful roads in Lebanon: a vast pine forest in its wild state, still untouched by any construction. Ideal for a good walk by road scouts. By car, the path is very pleasant, but you have to drive slowly. It leads to the heights of Hardine, and more precisely in front of the hermitage of Saint Nehmetallah Kassab el-Hardini. Hardine is without a doubt the most beautiful stage of the journey. It contains about ten churches and monasteries, some dating from the time of the Crusaders. The most beautiful spiritual site to visit is the Saint-Phocas monastery (Mar Fawqa) which dates from the 15th century. Saydet el-Qalaa, the chapel overlooking the fortress visible from Niha, is carved into the rock. It is worth the detour: the panorama it offers is unparalleled. But it is not easy to access. It is especially possible to visit the house of Saint Hardini, set up for tourists.

But Hardine’s jewel is the remains – very poorly preserved – of a Roman prostyle temple dedicated to Mercury and which is located at the top of the mountain (at an altitude of 1,500 meters), very close to a television station. The road is not easy to access, but the site is worth the detour. Behind the temple, one can take in a large part of the caza of Bécharré, in particular Qnat.

To go back down from Hardine to Kfifane, and if you want to do the pilgrimage in a single day (the climb to Hardine is tiring and can be a route in itself), you should take the road to Kfarhelda, Beit Chélala, Oura-Andoula and Dael to reach Assia. You have to be careful when going back down from Hardine, because some places are still mined since the war. Signs placed at the side of the road indicate these antipersonnel minefields.

But the Kfifane region is completely different from that of Hardine, in that it is much more accessible.

Jrabta and Kfifane are two important stops in terms of religious tourism, and the two monasteries, which are very well equipped for tourists, are always full. Furthermore, unlike the jurd of Batroun, it is easy to find a multitude of restaurants and snacks on the road to Kfifane and Jrabta.

The Batrounian high country now seems far away, and the wildness of the hinterland landscape gives way to beautiful little villages. The road to Assia (870 meters above sea level, 27 kilometers from Batroun) is lined with olive trees as far as the eye can see. In Assia, the parish church of Saint-Georges (1846) is built on Roman ruins. Another very beautiful site to see is Saydet el-Qalaa, an old church surrounded by old rocks. Assia is famous for the pottery that is made there using an old technique that does not use the wheel. Nehla, Mrah el-Hajj, el-Alali then Chabtine.

The descent to Kfifane continues through a succession of pretty little villages, including churches dating from the 19th century. Chabtine (500 meters above sea level, 15 kilometers from Batroun) contains several churches, including the remains of one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, built on the ruins of a pagan temple. The beautiful Byzantine church of Mar Sarkis and Bakhos dates from 1872.

The detour to Deria (500 meters above sea level, 13 kilometers from Batroun) is worth it, not for its ruins, but for an old oak tree located near the Mar Nohra church, which is built on the ruins of an old church.

The Mar Doumit church in Jran (400 meters above sea level, 9 kilometers from Batroun) presents a rather strange sight: the altar is built on two pillars of an old Roman temple, on which the church was built. It is also possible to find in Jran a Mar Sarkis and Bakhos church dating from the Byzantine era and another church, Saydet el-Ramat, dating from the 18th century. Ramat is the birthplace of the Maronite patriarch Yaacoub el-Ramati (1139-1151).

The monastery of Saints Cyprian (named after the Maronite patriarch of 1230) and Justine of Kfifane (400 meters above sea level, 10 kilometers from Batroun) invites you to take a spiritual break. Very large, it houses the coffin of Saint Nehmetallah Kassab el-Hardini (since 1858). The monastery dates back to the time of the Crusades, and this antiquity is demonstrated by the presence of several cisterns carved into the rock. There is also a large sarcophagus lid behind the monastery. Inside the monastery, you can find beautiful churches and visit the rooms where Saint Nehmetallah Kassab el-Hardini worked and prayed. The body of Blessed Stephen Nahmé also rests there.

Outside the monastery there is a beautiful church, Saydet el-Zrouh. There are also three other churches in Kfifane – one of which, Mar Abda, dates from the 14th century – and a mosque.

Jran, again, then Mrah el-Zayat, then Abdelli. The church of Our Lady of Mrah el-Zayat (450 meters above sea level, 12 kilometers from Batroun), which dates from the 19th century, was built with stones from the fortress of Smar Jbeil.

Abdelli (650 meters above sea level, 16 kilometers from Batroun) is a very beautiful village, where you can find a camping site in summer, called “al-Mighraq”. The site is covered by water in winter. There are two old churches in the village, one of which dates back to the time of the Crusades.

Jrabta (540 meters above sea level, 20 kilometers from Batroun) is home to the convent of Saint Joseph, where Saint Rafqa lived the last years of her life. The monastery houses her coffin. The place is immense, with signs to help tourists and visitors find their way. It is an essential place of pilgrimage, a place of meditation and prayer of deep serenity. The convent of Saint Joseph-Jrabta is famous for the religious clothing that is made there and for its pastries, including the “marsaban”. Handicrafts are also done there. In addition, there is a church in Jrabta, Mar Abda, dating from the time of the Crusades, and other churches from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

To go back down to Beirut, you can make a detour by going back up to Toula where you can visit and pray in the Saint Doumit church, or make a spiritual stop at the Laure Abana-Our Father, then you must take the road that leads to Jran, not without having made a detour through the village of Sghar. Then, an important and pleasant stop is the visit of the old fortress of Smar Jbeil then that of the “Inspired Hill” of Ghouma made by the engineer Pierre Bassil, and finally that of the workshop of the sculptor brothers Basbous in Rachana. We then come out on Madfoun, to take the highway back to the capital.