Beirut in a day: what to see

Beirut's city center deserves the first hours of the day: surrounding Place des Martyrs, the square that symbolizes the city, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque with its blue dome and the Maronite Cathedral of Saint George stand side by side, a direct testament to Lebanese religious coexistence.

A short walk away are the Roman excavations of the center, with remains of baths and columns brought to light during the post-war reconstruction of the 1990s.

Heading toward the sea you reach the Corniche, the long coastal promenade where Beirutis gather at sunset among coffee vendors and fishermen with their rods.

For lunch, the restaurants of the center or the Corniche serve Lebanese mezze, the assortment of small plates that is the foundation of the country's cuisine.

In the afternoon, the Corniche leads to the Pigeon Rocks, the two natural arches that emerge from the sea at Raouché, which have become the city's photographic symbol.

Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, neighborhoods with colorful Ottoman houses, are instead the heart of Beirut's nightlife and creative scene.

As evening falls, the restaurants of Mar Mikhael are the obvious place to dine, with live music and crowded terraces late into the night.

Place des Martyrs, Roman excavations, and the Corniche are enough to reveal Beirut's layers of history, while an afternoon choice between the Pigeon Rocks and Gemmayzeh completes the picture with nature or nightlife.

The National Museum, with its Phoenician artifacts, and a trip to Byblos, just north of the city, remain chapters for a second journey. Watching the Pigeon Rocks emerge from the Mediterranean at sunset is perhaps the clearest memory of Beirut.