Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East, located at approximately 34˚N, 35˚E. It stretches along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and its length is almost three times its width. From north to south, the width of its terrain becomes narrower. Lebanon's mountainous terrain, proximity to the sea, and strategic location at a crossroads of the world were decisive factors in shaping its history.
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes and a ski lift system. In North America, it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, so ski resorts usually are destination resorts, often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.
Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m (9,232 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top, in the United Nations buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli-occupied territories, is the highest permanently manned UN position in the world, known as "Hermon Hotel", located at 2814 metres altitude. The southern slopes of Mount Hermon extend to the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, where the Mount Hermon ski resort is located with a top elevation of 2,040 metres (6,690 ft). A peak in this area rising to 2,236 m (7,336 ft) is the highest elevation in Israeli-controlled territory.
Bsharri (Arabic: بشرّي Bšarrī; Syriac: ܒܫܪܝ; also Romanized Becharre, Bcharre, Bsharre, is a town at an altitude of about 1,450 m to 3,088 m. It is located in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate in Lebanon. Bsharri is the site of the only remaining original "Cedars of God", and is the birthplace of the famous poet, painter and sculptor Khalil Gibran. A museum in the town honours his life and work.
Hakuba is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019, the village had an estimated population of 9,007 in 4267 households, and a population density of 48 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 189.36 square kilometres (73.11 sq mi). Hakuba is an internationally renowned ski resort town in the northern Japan Alps. As the surrounding valley has an annual snow fall of over 11 meters, it is the central hub for 10 ski resorts with more than 200 runs. The village was the main event venue for 1998 Winter Olympics.
Baskinta is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of Lebanon. It is located 43 kilometers north east of Beirut.
Niseko is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. To Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkaido's Mount Yōtei, often referred to as the "Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido", and Annupuri ranges. The name Niseko derives from the Ainu language, and it means "a cliff jutting over a riverbank deep in the mountains". The Niseko town's main industries are agriculture and tourism. The resort itself, Niseko United, is part of the Mountain Collective. Moreover, the town is renowned for its quality powder snow and world-class facilities, including traditional onsen and restaurants.
Mzaar Kfardebian is a ski area in Lebanon and the largest ski resort in the Middle East. It is located one hour away from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is also referred to as Ouyoune el Simane.
Faraya is a village and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 46 kilometers north of Beirut. Elevation start from 1290 meters to 2000 meters above sea level and its total land area is 870 hectares. Faraya's inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Christians.
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliability of their snow cover and to extend their ski seasons from late autumn to early spring. Indoor ski slopes use snowmaking. They can generally do so year-round as they have climate-controlled environments.
Borovets, known as Chamkoria until the middle of the 20th century, is a popular Bulgarian mountain resort situated in Sofia Province, on the northern slopes of Rila, at an altitude of 1350 m. Borovets is located approximately 10 km from Samokov, 70 km from Sofia, and 110 km from Plovdiv.
Les Menuires is a ski resort in the Belleville valley of Les Trois Vallées between Saint-Martin-de-Belleville and Val Thorens. Owned and operated by Compagnie des Alpes, it is in the Savoie département of France.
Kafarakab is the francophone spelling of the name of a village in the mountains of Lebanon. In Arabic, it means the home of the hawk. The village, which is located in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, is of particular significance because it is one of the various historic points of origin of the Maalouf family. It was founded c. 1560 AD when three families of the Maalouf clan, living at the time across the valley in the village of Mhaydse, received permission from the ruling emir to establish the village. The family history is traced back to the beginnings of Christianity in the Middle East beginning with the Ghassanid tribe, which converted to Christianity nearly 2,000 years ago. The family name is now widespread worldwide.
Bukovel is the largest ski resort in Eastern Europe situated in Ukraine, in Nadvirna Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. A part of it is in state property. The resort is located almost on the ridge-lines of the Carpathian Mountains at elevation of 900 m (3,000 ft) above the sea level near the village of Polianytsia. It is one of the most popular ski resorts in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and is situated 30 km (19 mi) southwest of the city of Yaremche. In 2012, Bukovel was named the fastest-growing ski resort in the world.
Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
Mieussy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It is a traditional Alpine farming village in the Vallée du Giffre, around 35 kilometers east of Geneva. The area is known for its scenic views, skiing, and local foods. It is host to the "Foire d' Automne", a harvest festival which runs for two days in October.
Skiing in Lebanon has been a popular sport since an engineering student returning from studying in Switzerland brought back with him the sport of skiing to Lebanon in the early twentieth century. Lebanon is home to six developed ski resorts. Cedars Ski Resort Bsharri is the oldest and received its first ski lift. Mzaar Ski Resort, Kfardebian, is Lebanon's largest ski resort.
The Beirut River is a river in Lebanon separating the city of Beirut from its eastern suburbs, primarily Bourj Hammoud and Sin el Fil. The river flows mostly east to west from snow drains and springs on the western slopes of Mount Kneisseh and the southern end of Mount Sannine near the towns of Hammana and Falougha, before curving north and emptying at Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, east of the Port of Beirut. According to popular legend, St. George slew the dragon in a spot near the mouth of the river.
There is an ambiguity about the highest Lebanese village, although this ambiguity is not official. Lebanon is a country that has an average altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level, and contains the highest villages in the Middle East. The main villages of concern are Bekaa Kafra, Ainata, Kfardebian, Laqlouq, Tfail, Ouyoun Orghoch, and Souaqi. The information concerning altitudes given below is confirmed and based on Google Earth elevation indicator.
Faqra is a ski resort on the outskirts of the Kfardebian village in the Keserwan District in Mount Lebanon, 47 km (29 mi) from Beirut and 36 km (22 mi) from Jounieh.
