Bkassine’s forest is the largest fruitful pine forest in the Mediterranean, spreading over one million and two hundred square meters of land, surrounding villages such as Kaytoule, Maknouniye, Haytoura, Roum and Machmouché. This forest is among the most important features of the village and the region. It is home to several traditional constructions of the past such as kilns, olive presses, old bridges, water sources and hydraulic mills.
The Waterfall and Fakhreddine’s cave in Jezzine: At 74 meters, the Jezzine waterfall is the highest in Lebanon; it gives Jezzine the title of “Bride of the Fall”. The best location to view the fall is by taking the road downwards next to the Statue of the Virgin Mary at the west entrance of Jezzine, known as Saydet el Maabour. A short walk will take you directly to the base of the fall where the roaring sound of the gushing water will suspend your thoughts in time. Five hundred meters away from the fall is a cave known to have been the refuge of the famous Lebanese Emir, Fakhreddine II until Ottoman smoke nally dislodged him, leading to hisarrest, his trial and his execution in Constantinople, back in 1635. A great spot to view the waterfall is from a recently installed balcony on the George Aziz Avenue.
On the road to the Shouf, a spectacular landscape awaits you with a scenic view of the surroundings where neatly arranged terraces lay below. Further down the road, next to the famous Azzibeh restaurant dating back to the thirties, and crossing the Azzibeh pond where the youth used to come for a refreshing dip in the summer, is the “Jisr el Khalas” or the “salvation bridge”. The bridge’s name was created either because it marked the border between 2 jurisdictions or because it facilitat- ed crossing in winter when the water level was high.
Bkassine has a very particular water infrastructure dating back to the early 1900s; tunnels filtering water seeping throughwet soil were constructed to carry drinking water to the village. The tunnels’ rehabilitation project was implemented in collaboration with the French town of “Lille Métropole”and was cofinanced by “L’Agence Françaisede Développement” and “L’Agence de l’Eau Artois Picardie”. A check point on one of the tunnels can be inspected at location: 33°33’05N 35°33’59E