Lebanon: Qadisha Valley

On our Explore tour of Lebanon you can take a leisurely walk through this rugged, remote area that provided ideal protection for the early Maronite Sect sheltering from Christian persecution. Originating in Syria, the Maronites were believed to have avoided subjugation by mainstream Christians by seeking refuge in the mountains. Today Qadisha’s valley slopes and cliffs are strewn with red-roofed Maronite villages, monasteries built into the sides of cliff faces and hermitages where the 13th century frescoes remain on the walls.