So far, 5 (walking trips of 4 hours each randonnees) in Lebanon Maten region
Posted on: September 28, 2025
My private guide Doudou Gabriel has been showing me private tailor-made trips (no sharp ascending strips for large stretch) in our region not longer than 20 minutes ride in her car.
The first trip was to Na3ess. The letdown was that almost all the forest parcels were privatized and surrounded with green wire barrier. Thus, we were not able to discover the ancient trails and were stuck to main road in much of the trip. We passed the four known restaurants of Nasr, Fadel, Orsini and Yolla where they become heavily crowded on Sundays and are pretty expensive.
As we stepped inside the premises of Fadel we met three ladies sitting drinking coffee. They were the owners and sisters of the establishment and actually live there during winter season. One of them knew Doudou when she worked at a pharmacy in the town of Bikfaya during the covid calamity
They invited us to have a cup of coffee, and I agreed without consulting Doudou who refrains from eating or drinking during the walk, but she was lenient with me at our first outing, and we talked at length about the climate change and Chernobyl devastating impact on the spread of cancer in Europe and Lebanon..
We took a side trail and ended up on a large and well-constructed cemented road (not asphalt) that led to the ancient water-bottled factory that closed two decades ago. It struck me that this road is a special road and facing the mega square building of former Qatari first Emir Mosi, along with its high communication antenna.
We drove to the Message de Paix establishment and bought “Le plat du Jour” and then to a favorite bakery to Doudou on the way to Abu Mizan and bought a 5 loafs packet of thin delicious “sage” kind of bread.
The second trip took us from the town of Bolonia to the southern end of Shouweir and up a staircase of well-maintained and spacious of over 300 stairs to reach the main highway of Dhour Shouweir.
The letdown was in a good chunk of the trail where earth removers for construction of villa reduced the trail to ankle deep sand. Actually, the trail was closed with a sand barrier, and a large hole was made for throwing detritus and human excretion.
In a stretch we met with four scrawny dogs that obstructed our passage. They belonged to a private property, and the young Syrian caretaker of the villa cooled the dog down for us to pass. This caretaker inhabits a small house all alone during the colder season. Mind you that this forest is covered with snow for 3 months at this altitude of over 1,250 m.
Before we reach the highway, we took an “agricultural trail” (No agriculture but shrubs and trees bordering the trail) back to our parked car.
The third trip took us also from another point in Bolonia to town Khonshara. A great trip except in one long stretch in the forest where demolished archaic stairs of about over 50 cm depth-step each were to be surmounted.
We took a nice trail to Khonshara proper. We stopped at a special bakery that concocted special bread for the Orthodox churches in the region. These round and thick breads are cut in small squares for communion. We bought a bag of 4 breads for about $1.5.
In order to avoid escalading these harsh stairs in our trip back we had to discover other side trails from the main road of Khonshara. It was a way of discovering short bifurcations in the forest to cut through and shorten the road stretch.
Hidden dogs that barked as Doudou approach a trail frightened Doudou and we had to change to other shortcuts.
The fourth trip made me discover the beautiful town of Shouweir, its paved inner road with fine colorful stones and wonderful ancient houses and domains. Yes, we had to climbed countless stairs, up and down, but it was worth the visit.
We climbed one of the long stairs, that seemed not to end, to the upper region of the town. This stair is called “The Art Staircase” because it starts at the well-known sculpture artist house.
I encouraged Doudou to investigate any shortcuts to avoid climbing this stair and we were lucky to stumble on well-maintained beautiful villas and domains with pretty gardens, like the Baaklini and Yamine…
We passed the big private school of the Sacred Hearts sisterhood and to the large domain of the Evangelical Center which used to be a private school two decades ago.
This center is run by the pastor Najlat who maintains it and reserve it to groups of people for retreats and conferences. The day we visited it, the cooks and employees were preparing it to host a group of 45 for 3 day-stay. The dining room is a vast ancient space with ancient arcades Lebanese style.
Actually, two days later we met with a couple (Samir and Elaine) we know in our hiking trips who spend a day retreat. They had joined a group of 25 and had lunch at $30 per person. Once, this couple spend a 3 day-retreat there.
The fifth trip was in the Mtein this Friday. In the previous century, Mtein was the headquarter of the Qaymaqam Emir Alam El Deen.
After finishing walking the environ forest of about 5 km, we walked within the center of Mtein and visited the 3 “auberges” for bed and breakfast.
We visited the fancy Ardoum that usually take visitors for a 4-hours tour of the cave and tasting experience of wine and whisky for $10. This institution belongs to the Khairallah family. There are the Kontar and Abu Akl families too. Kind of mixed Christian and Druze community.
Then to my familiar Beit Mtein where my cousins spent New Year Eve about 10 years ago. I had a breakfast of tasty, scrambled egg, fresh labny, cheese, za3tar, olive and a strong tea. I could eat for hours but we had to leave. We knew from Faysal Kontar, the owner of this facility, that they are getting ready for the grape molasse event on the next day Saturday.
Thus, we decided to share this event with their relatives and had a wonderful evening there the next day since Doudou knew that the couple who were retreating at the Evangelical Center will join us.
Doudou picked us up, Noel and I, at 6:15 in Koneitra, Ain Aar. We had a great evening. Doudou didn’t eat anything for the day, but she had to wait till 8:30 for dinner to be served. We had roasted potatoes, Lebanese luscious salad, hometown-made cheese, labneh, and olive.
The Kontar relatives sat at a separate table. at one point, the lawyer Elaine wanted to sit by the other lawyer to vehemently exchange opinions and she made the excuse that “Al 3aish moshtarak”(living together) is necessary.
The third station was Beit Jeddy that has 2 rooms upstairs along a winding wood staircase. Women get together and fabricate stuff for the town. The museum was closed but Doudou and I did not insist.
On our way back, we purchased in the town of Mrouj at a lady’s house louz and jawz.
Before I decided to write about these 5 trips I had posted on Fb our trip to Shouweir in Arabic.
بارح مشيت في اذقة بلدة الشوير. من اجمل الضيع. التلال غامرتها من ٣ جهات تحميها من العواصف. مشيت ٤ ساعات مع ال guide Doudou Gabriel و هي من بيت شباب كمان و خبيرة بكل trekking trails ب لبنان. تحب اكتشاف المنعرجات الصعبة و الطبيعة.
الشوير ب ازقتها المرصوفة بحجارة جميلة و بالنص قنات من نفس الحجارة. شفنا منازل ب تاخد العقل و في كتر بدهم ترميم. شفنا منازل م حداءق بعقليني و يمين و مركز ر ال انجليين. كانت مدرسة و تحولة للموءتمرات و استضافة شباب مع حل الوازم و ٣ اسرة في كل غرفة.
الشوير ثالث ضيعة ب عدد السكان بعد باسكنتا و بيت شباب ب المتن. معظم البناءين و تقصيب الجارة كانوا من الشوير. لم يبقى احد منهم
استكمالا لمشوار الشوير
خدنا درج الفن و يبدا من منزل النحات (الشلفوني, طبشراني؟). دودو صابرت علي و تقول عل كل مهلك و خود راحتك. و انا مع كل ٧ دراج اوقف وقول. يا دودو عم تستفيدي من هل الهوا العليل؟
و عند كل مفرق على هل الدرج الي ما الو نهاية تنوصل ل ضهر الشوير كانت دودو تقلي. انطور هون و تنط و تركض تا تشوف اذا في منفذ. عادتا في منفذ لكن دودو ما بتحب تنط على حواجز المتلكات الخاطة. و انا شجعها تحاول كل المنافذ.
هل مركز الانجيلي عندو مطبخ حديث و ملاصق للمطبخ صالونات كبيرة من العقد القديم. شي جميل. القس او القسيسة انجيل مسؤلة عن هل المركز. عاءيلات الشوير من مجاعص، بعقليني، خنيصر.. و ريس البلدية نعيم مجاعص. ضيعة نظيفة و عندها كل مكونات استقبال السياحة bed and breakfast و لكن ليس هناك شيءا من هل التسهيلات
ستكمالا للعربشة ب ضيعة الشوير. دراج لا تعد ولا تحصى. رجعنا و مرقنا على فرن صديق ل دودو. الصبح ب يعمل مناقيش زعتر و جبن. عند الضهر ب يعمل طباليج قربانة. ب قصوهن مربعات صغيرة للمناولة عند الروم.
و اخيرا وصلنا للسيارة المصفوفة عند اول الشوير من جهة الشمال. كنا اخذنا طريق ابو ميزان و طربق زغرين الحلوة و مزفتت.
قلت ل دودو ناخد الطريق النازلة تنشوف و ين بتوصل. مرقنا على مطعم السد. مطعم كبير من بنايتين و مدخل لصف cerfالسيارات مهمل و تعيس. حد المطعم في مزرعة صغيرة للدواجن. دجاج و ديوك حبش و دزينة ايل ظريفة و لطيفة (من خارج السياج).
الطريق ب وصل ل عين السنديانة و الخنشارة. مرقنا من حد معامل الخوري للالبان. عند وصولنا للخنسارة اعلنت دودو انها غنية لان المنازل مزبطة و الشوارع نظيفة. دودو ما بتامن ان كل الطرق بتوصل عل الطحون اذا gps الفرنساوي ما قال الكلام الفصل.
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