Deir Qannoubin

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From where the Qadisha road meets the valley floor, it's a 5km (1½-2 hour) walk to the serene still-working convent of Deir Qannoubin, probably the oldest religious community in the valley (some sources date the building to as early as the 4th century). The permanent residence of the Maronite Patriarchs between 1440 and 1790, its church features a fresco of the Coronation of the Virgin being witnessed by a group of Patriarchs.

Walking here from Bcharré and Deir Mar Elisha is a pleasure, but there are also jeep taxis that will bring you here from where the road meets the valley floor for LL5000 per person. They leave you a 10-minute stroll short of the monastery. You can just about get here in a normal car if it's been dry.

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