Beirut -- The wild and remote Qadisha Valley, dotted with waterfalls, grottoes, monasteries and chapels, well deserves its designation as a UNESCO world heritage site and is on optimal display from a hiker's perspective.

"Qadisha" stems from the word "holy" in Syriac. Historically, the difficult access of the valley has brought Christian monks, ascetics and hermits to consider it as a refuge from religious persecution. Today the valley is a major hiking and pilgrimage circuit, which the most experienced hikers can complete in less than 6 hours. A weekend walker with the family will likely need the whole day to complete the hike.

In order to drive to the Qadisha Valley, starting from Beirut (126 km), take the highway North and turn at Shekka, 20 km south of Tripoli, then follow the signs for the Cedars until Bcharri. Starting from Tripoli, head to Zghorta, Ehden and then up to Bcharri (53 km). It is also easily accessible by bus, from Beirut or Tripoli.

There are several routes through the Qadisha Valley. The trail -- the most interesting 20 km out of 50 km -- starts from the main plaza of Bcharri and meanders through chapels and ruins, past the majestic monasteries -- some of them hosting little museums -- of Deir Mar-Elisha and Deir Qannoubin to finally reach Deir Mar-Antonio, the largest hermitage of the region.

Several options are available to hike this trail. Since it is part of the Lebanon Mountain Trail, local guides can be hired for about $40 a day -- contact details are regularly updated on www.lebanontrail.org.

Several hiking groups and eco-trek associations also offer day-trips to the valley -- starting from Beirut or Tripoli -- including transportation, insurance, guide and sometimes lunch from $20 to $30. For instance, Vamos Todos (www.vamos-todos.com) and Esprit Nomade (www.esprit-nomade.com) have this hike in their programs.

"With Vamos Todos we leave Beirut in the morning and come back at night. These are exhausting but great days, with no major hitch," say Nassib and Chantal, a busy couple in their 30s.

If you feel adventurous, a solitary excursion is possible as the path is well-trodden despite the lack of signposting. The only tricky part is an abrupt descent at the very beginning of the circuit. If you leave with decent hiking equipment -- including solar protection, appropriate shoes and a good supply of water -- the trail is manageable and there are even a few cafes and restaurants on the way. All the major stops on the pilgrimage route are also accessible by car.

For overnight accommodations, look either for rooms at a monastery, such as Deir Mar-Antonio ($50 a night, book at 06-995504), or in lovely Bcharri, at the friendly Tiger house hostel -- great for those on a budget -- ($10 for a bed in dormitory, single room $20, 03-378138), or the central Eco-club Bcharri (bed with breakfast and dinner $20, 03-832060).

For hikers with more than a day, the ascension of the Qornet al-Sawda is definitely something to include in their trip. The snowy peak, which summits at 3088 m, is considered to be the highest in the region aside from Egypt's Mount Sinai (2,285 m) and Mt. Hermon (2,814 m) on the border with Syria. From the summit of Qornet al-Sawda, both Syria and Cyprus are visible on a clear day.

Accessible by taxi from the valley are Lebanon's famous cedars, home to a ski resort and the remaining few millennium-old cedar trees, proudly displayed on Lebanon's national flag.

It is not necessary to be an expert climber to cover the few kilometers separating the cedars trees and the top of the mountain. This trail is easier than the one on the valley floor but requires a guide. Here again you can hire a LMT guide for the day.

Qadisha Valley hikers Nassib and Chantal love their country and are ready to perspire from time to time to enjoy wild Lebanon. "We like to walk and Lebanon offers amazing landscapes, but we do not have time to organize a trip … I am sure I would get lost or miss some sights!"

Mohammad, an architecture student also along the trail, takes a break from the ascension of the Qornet al-Sawda to echo this sentiment: "From all the places I've hiked in the last few years, the Qadisha Valley is by far the most beautiful hike I remember to this day."