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The Cedars Resort in Bcharre, LebanonSnow Ski, Drive to the Coast for a Swim, or Walk Among the Cedars
The Cedars Resort near Bcharre is the best place to see the huge and majestic Cedars of Lebanon. The trees there are known as Arz el Rab - the Cedars of the Lord.
Arz el Rab is the oldest stand of cedars (Cedrus libani) in Lebanon. Some 375 old cedar trees inhabit a glacial hollow in the mountains there. Four of the trees reach to a height of 115 feet and measure 45 feet in diameter at the base; these living trees are thought to be at least several hundred (and maybe almost 2000) years old. There are another thousand or so cedars of lesser age. The grove has been surrounded by a stone wall since 1876. History and Mythology of the Cedars of LebanonHistory and mythology are something not easy to parse. The story of the Cedars of Lebanon – the oldest know piece of literature in the world - is a good example. There was a king about 4500 years ago in the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk - in what is now Iraq, about 140 miles from Baghdad. The king longed to be great, to be famous. That much is history. According to legend, the king undertook a task that he felt would define greatness for others: he entered into the vast forest that once carpeted Western Asia and began to cut down its huge cedar trees. He did this even though he knew that Humbaba, the guardian spirit of the forest, would come and fight with him. The king struggled with that demon and killed it. Today you can still visit what is left of the cedar forest that made Lebanon the envy of kings around the world. The Cedars ResortThe Cedars Resort sits in Lebanon's highest mountain range, on Mount Makmel, and is among the most spellbindingly beautiful spots in West Asia. From the summit of the mountain you have a panoramic view of the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon, and on a clear day you can see the island of Cyprus. While Arz el Rab on the resort property gives the place a sense history, the main attraction of the resort is its long ski runs and lengthy ski season. Parts of the property reach to almost ten thousand feet in elevation. The ski season starts in December and runs into April at The Cedars. In colonial times the French used the site as a military ski school. Nine ski runs grace the slopes of the resort. Five are designed for more experienced skiers. The resort compound, about 15 minutes up the mountain from the town of Bcharre, provides accommodation, dining, ski instruction, equipment rental, etc. Several hotels and chalets form a resort village of sorts. Arz el Rab is about half a mile from the resort compound. You can ski one day at The Cedars and be back down on the Mediterranean coast soaking up the sun the next day. Or during the summer you can use the resort as an escape from the heat of the coast. Ski slopes line both sides of the summit, and skiers crossing the summit descend into Lebanon’s scenic Beqaa Valley. The Town of Bcharre & Khalil GibranBcharre (also Bsharre, Bsharri, or Bsharreh), near the resort, is famous in it own right as the birth place of the popular Lebanese poet, artist, philosopher and mystic Khalil Gibran. There is also a chapel in the forest itself; the Maronite structure dates to 1843. Today the Arz el Rab stand of cedars is on the United Nations list of World Heritage sites.
The copyright of the article The Cedars Resort in Bcharre, Lebanon in Lebanon Travel is owned by Greg Cruey. Permission to republish The Cedars Resort in Bcharre, Lebanon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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