 Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, is a city of visual contrasts where the glitterati（上层人士）rub shoulders with（与……接触、并肩）the ghetto1（犹太人区）. Aptly described by the Ministry2 of Tourism as "The City that would Not Die", bombed out Beirut is on the rebuild. Liberally sprinkled with cyber cafes, jazz clubs and opulent（富裕、繁华的）shopping districts, it also struggles to fit in the endless stream of refugees befuddled3 by 17 years of civil war. Perhaps this is why Beirut has grown to be the most liberated4 and hedonistic（快乐主义的）city in the Arab world.
Before you begin your sightseeing trip in this city, it may be important to remember Beirut is retrieving5 its treasures from the rubbles left behind by 17 years of civil war. Much of the ancient historical monuments have been destroyed by bombardment and fire. The Lebanese（黎巴嫩人）hold the belief close to their hearts that the city will be as beautiful as she was after the rebuilding is complete.
The National Museum in Beirut houses an impressive collection of archaeological（考古学的） artifacts, statuettes（小雕像） and sarcophagi（石棺）from pre historic times in Lebanon to present. The American University Museum has a fine collection of Phoenician（腓尼基人）glass and Arab coins. The Sursock Museum, which is housed in a beautiful old house, holds regular exhibitions of modern paintings, sculptures and old manuscripts. Besides, it's worthwhile stopping to visit the Pigeons grottoes（岩穴）and the archaeological sites of ancient ruins in the central district of the city. For the nature loving and the aesthetic6 tourist, the Bcharre and the Kadisha Gorge7 are amongst the most picturesque8（独特的） spots of Lebanon. Bcharre is the birthplace of the famous poet, Kahlil Gibran.
 There are some beautiful mountain resorts that you could visit to get away from the heat and rush of Beirut. Reaching these places from Beirut is easy and you could make a pleasant day trip to these resorts by car or service taxi.
Beirut is a convenient place from where you can visit most of the interesting sights of Lebanon. As the country is small, no distances are great and you can reach almost any place from Beirut by road within a few hours. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Lebanon when the weather is warm but not unpleasant. Winters in the mountains are cold and it snows above 1300m. If you're interested in winter sports, especially skiing, you must go between November and March.
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