Cedars of God Bsharri — Attraction in Bcharre

After more than a decade of dreams, this trip became real, at last. I had the option to visit the largest and the oldest cedar tree forest and chose the latter. Having learnt it is located about 2000 meters above the sea level and considering it was late November, I decided to buy a warm long cardigan and a woolen shawl, and I did well. I was intrigued with the forest name; my guide told me it was given by the monks who found it (and then took care of it) who could not discover the origin of this oldest cedar tree forest in Lebanon. Cedars are special trees. When they are adult, they are very resistant, strong, living for thousands of years; however, the young trees are very vulnerable and less than 10% make it to the adulthood. I set on my journey at 11 am, travelled along the coast for almost 2 hours (with a stop for the delicious Lebanese coffee), and then our car climbed the mountains for another hour or so. The seaside temperature was about +23°C, but it dropped to +10°C in the mountains. This was in places with the sunshine. In the shades of the forest, the temperature went even lower and in less than 20 minutes, my hands started freezing up to the point my camera failed to respond to the touch. I tried to warm my hands wrapped in the shawl and was somehow successful. The oldest cedar tree is located outside the reserve, on the top of the village; this is the tree model for the Lebanese flag (before, I used to think it was just an artistic image, only while preparing for my trip I found out there was a real tree behind, which is about 3,000 years old). The entrance to the park is free of charge, voluntary donations are welcome to support the project of re-introducing the cedars to all the Mediterranean-facing slopes of the Lebanese mountains (the cedars need the see humidity, they cannot live on the desert-facing slopes). After going some steps down, you will find yourself on a path leading you through the reserve. There are very old as well as younger trees, which raises hopes for this forest. Be ready to go uphill; in this altitude it is more difficult as one would expect. It was quiet, calm, soothing one’s mind. You will pass the church to get to the “main square” dedicated to the French poet de Lamartine who wrote many of his poems in this very forest. When the cedar on the top of the hill was killed by a lightning, a local sculptor created the poet’s image and few more sculptures in the tree remains. The cedar Trinity (pictured with a 2-storey building to show its size) is the highest part of the journey. As a surprise, the park closed at 4 pm the day I visited it, while it is supposed to be at 5 pm. I recommend checking at the entrance to avoid running to the exit. I arrived back to the hotel short before 7 pm, happy, tired, and totally satisfied. Wish you...

U may go to this place if you live nature.. it is very beautiful. The forest is rigorously protected. After a preliminary phase in which the land was cleared of detritus , the sick plants treated, and the ground fertilized, the "Committee of the Friends of the Cedar Forest" initiated a reforestation program in 1985. These efforts will only be appreciable in a few decades due to the slow growth of cedars. In these areas the winter offers incredible scenery, and the trees are covered with a blanket of snow.

The Cedar Forest of ancient Mesopotamian religionappears in several sections of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Lebanon Cedar is frequently mentioned in the Bible.6 Example verses include:

"Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down." (Zechariah 11:1, 2)

"He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit." (Job 40:17)

"The priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet stuff, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer" (Numbers 19:6)

"The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon" (Psalm 29:5)

"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12)

"I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive" (Isaiah 41: 19)

"Behold, I will liken you to a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and forest shade" (Ezekiel 31:3)

"I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars" (Amos 2:9)

"The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted." (Psalm 104:16 NRSV)

[King Solomon made] cedar as plentiful as the sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. (1 Kings 10:27,...

From my understanding, this specific kind of Cedar trees: the Cedrus Libani is local only to this region. The sight of trees that are this rare at this age is overwhelming knowing that the trees are older than the country itself. The initiative of planting so many tree saplings is so selfless(Cedar trees take tens of years to reach maturity, making Cedar planting an investment for future generations) that it gives visitors some sense of hope that at least this part of history will remain for generations to come. The tour through the forest could have been much better had there been a tour guide at the time of our visit. The Cedars of Lebanon in specific have a history that goes back thousands of years and is far from boring, it’s a shame that the history of this tree and this forest are not showcased adequately.

Now for the souvenir shops outside, make sure to visit all of the shops before buying any item. The shops more or less have the same merch(except for handcrafted items) so make sure you find the best price around.

Tip: -souvenir shops on both ends of the street have higher prices than the ones in the middle. Don’t be afraid to do a little bargaining for souvenirs

-grab a cup of coffee at the balcony of the restaurant facing the forest and enjoy the view.

-park on the side of the road leading to the forest to avoid traffic at...