Lebanon: Harissa – Cable Car & Funicular
Harissa is a mountain village about 20km north of Beirut, but it’s the location that is the main attraction – it’s perched 650 m / 2000 feet high on the coastal mountain range. Getting there takes a spectacular cable car ride that goes nearly vertically up (known as Teleferique), and then a funicular tram for some more verticality. All along and on top the views are spectacular of the town of Jounieh below and the mountains around. At the very top is the monument of Notre Dame de Liban (a 15 ton bronze statue of Virgin Mary painted in white). The whole thing sort of reminded me of Rio de Janeiro. A Maronite Christian cathedral is next to the statue built in the brutalist style (i.e. ugly and boxy).
