Fashionable and trendy, Beirut is the cultural epicenter of Lebanon. The city is bustling with life and oozing with charisma. Beirutis live life to the full, taking in all the city’s gastronomic delights, ambience, and leisure activities until the wee hours of the morning. Between the time they leave work and the time they arrive home, a true Beiruti fits in shopping along the Rue Hamra, a gallery opening, drinks with friends at a new bar, dinner around 10pm, and a Lebanese espresso, before hitting a nightclub in Achrafieh around midnight.

Beirut’s new architecture – which includes contemporary high-rises, as well as Parisian-style buildings constructed in the old tradition with beautiful wrought iron work – blends well with the old. And the old can be very old. Visit the ruins of the Roman Baths near the Grand Serail, the Parliament building, the Al-Omari Mosque, and St. George’s Cathedral. If these sites captivate your interest, take a tour of the local museums. The National Museum and the American University of Beirut Archaeology Museum showcase antiquities from Lebanon’s past.Whether it’s music and theatre, galleries, shopping, or dining that you’re after, there is no end to the choices for those visiting Beirut.