Qannoubine Valley

The Qannoubine Valley—part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God—is one of the world’s most significant early Christian monastic landscapes. Dozens of churches, grottos and monasteries cling to sheer limestone walls above the Qadisha River, including Our Lady of Qannoubine (Deir Saydet Qannoubine), the historic seat of the Maronite patriarchs from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Other notable sites along the valley include Mar Lishaa (St Elisha) and Our Lady of Hawqa, all set amid cedar and pine slopes below Mount Makmel. Trails connect viewpoints, hermit cells and riverside orchards, making this a contemplative walk through living heritage.