Batroun, IXSIR Winery & Byblos

Overview

The tour starts with the visit Batroun, situated about 55 kilometers north of Beirut, a charming coastal town was a flourishing city and port in Phoenician times (3000 – 64 BC). The ancient Phoenician wall still stands guard over the city against the Mediterranean Sea. Batroun is famous for its summer season attractions — water sports, beach clubs and nightlife — but interestingly enough, the town retains much of its older splendor, with narrow, winding alleys making up its inner neighborhoods of dense housing, incorporated into the walls of its Crusader castle. Be sure to take a stroll through the 19^th century souk, where artisanal goods are still produced and restaurants and cafes offer local cuisine and Batroun’s highly prized lemonade. Also on display are the St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the 19th-century Orthodox Church of Saint-Georges, and the Lady of the Sea Chapel (Saydet el-Bahr), as well as the remains of the ancient Roman theater’s 11 tiers, which incorporates a garden where the stage once stood. Continue to IXSIR Winery, with vineyards spread from Batroun to Jezzine and in the Beqaa valley, IXSIR produces red, white and rosé since 2010. The winery is located in the charming Seigniorial House, a 17th-century bastion of regional heritage situated in the village of Bezbina, seven kilometers southeast of Batroun. Jean-Marc Quarin awarded it best grade for a Lebanese wine at Bordeaux’s La Semaine des Primeurs 09. IXSIR was also awarded the “Revelation of the Public” for its 2009 Grande Reserve White and the Media and Press award for its 2009 White. Then continue to Byblos one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Byblos is today a very charming city distinguished for its gorgeous ancient harbor, seaside fish restaurants, ancient souks, and charming residential neighborhoods, which date back to the Middle Ages, as well as an absolutely enormous wealth of historic sites and ruins. Not far from the sea, protected by an oasis of greenery and a few old houses, close to the souk of Byblos, stands the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist commonly known today by Saint Jean Marc.

Tour Highlights

• Discover the Phoenician sea wall located in the coastal city of Batroun & St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
• IXSIR Winery, known to be well-kept secret recipes and essences, produces red, white and rosé since 2010.
• Stroll in the old souks of Byblos and visit Byblos Citadel, Fossil Shop & Byblos old port, and St Jean Marc Church.

Offered Language

• English- French- Arabic- Russian- German- Spanish- Portuguese- Italian