Beirut

Baalbeck (or Baalbek) is the historic highlight of any trip to Lebanon. Located 60 miles from Beirut, the site was a symbol of opulence and decadence in the ancient world. Until the mid 1990s, Baalbeck was off-bounds to tourists, as it was the seat of the radical anti-Western Hezbollah party. The political situation is a lot less volatile these days, and as visitors flock to the site once more Baalbeck has reclaimed its reputation as one of the great wonders of the world.