🇱🇧 Lebanon
Castles near Beirut
15 castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins within 100 km of the city centre — every one on the interactive map, with photos, distances and directions.
The closest is Beiteddine Palace, 22 km south of the city centre; the most famous is Beaufort Castle — #126 of 3,708 worldwide — 63 km south. The oldest dated site in the circle is Citadel of Damascus, founded 1076.
The 100 km circle reaches into 4 countries — Lebanon (9), Syria (4), Israel (1), Palestine (1).
Within 25 km of Beirut
- Beiteddine Palace
22 km south · Palace & château
Beiteddine Palace is an 18th-century palace in Beiteddine, Lebanon, built by Bashir II.
Day trips: 25–60 km
- Sidon Sea Castle
38 km south · Castle
Sidon's Sea Castle was built by the crusaders in the thirteenth century as a fortress of the Holy Land.
- Byblos Castle
29 km north-east · Ruin
Byblos Castle is a Crusader castle in Byblos, Lebanon. In Crusader times it was known as the Castle of Gibelet , also spelled Giblet, which belonged…
- Mseilha Fort
46 km north · Fortress
The Mseilha Fort is a historic fortification located in Northern Lebanon, strategically positioned on the right bank of Nahr al-Jaouz river, in…
- Saint Louis Castle
39 km south · Ruin
The Castle of Saint Louis, also known as Qalaat al Muizz or the Land Castle, is a ruined castle in Sidon, Lebanon.
Farther afield: 60–100 km
- Beaufort Castle
63 km south · Castle · #126 worldwide
Beaufort or Belfort Castle, known locally as Qal'at al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnun, is a Crusader fortress in Nabatieh Governorate, Southern Lebanon,…
- Montfort Castle
97 km south · Ruin
Montfort is a ruined Crusader castle in the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel, about 22 miles northeast of the city of Haifa and 10 miles south…
- Citadel of Damascus
84 km south-east · Fortress
The Citadel of Damascus is an Ayyubid-era medieval fortified palace and citadel in Damascus, Syria.
- Al-Azm Palace
85 km south-east · Palace & château
Al-Azm Palace is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built…
- Nimrod Fortress
73 km south · Fortress
The Nimrod Fortress, also called Nimrod Castle, is a castle built by the Ayyubids and greatly enlarged by the Mamluks, situated on the southern…
- People's Palace, Damascus
80 km south-east · Palace & château
The People's Palace, also known as the Presidential Palace until 2024, is the official residence of the president of Syria.
- Toron
77 km south · Ruin
Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus.
- Citadel of Tripoli
68 km north-east · Fortress
The Citadel of Tripoli is a 12th-century fortress in Tripoli, Lebanon. It was built at the top of a hill "during the initial Frankish siege of the…
- Ateret Fortress
99 km south · Ruin
Chastelet also known as Beytulahzan was a castle located beside Jacob's Ford, a ford of the upper Jordan River in Israel.
- Lion Tower
69 km north-east · Fortress
The Barsbay Tower, also known as Lions Tower, is a small Mamluk military fortress located at the far eastern end of the Tripoli harbor in North…
Distances are straight-line from the city centre. City coordinates and population: Wikidata Q3820.
Frequently asked questions
How many castles are near Beirut?
The Castlemap atlas maps 15 landmarks (2 castles · 5 fortresses · 3 palaces & châteaux · 5 ruins) within 100 km of the centre of Beirut, measured straight-line — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks, not a count of every fortification ever built.
What is the closest castle to Beirut?
Beiteddine Palace, a palace 22 km south of the city centre.
What is the most famous castle near Beirut?
Beaufort Castle, ranked #126 of 3,708 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking — 63 km south from Beirut.
What is the oldest castle near Beirut?
The oldest dated landmark in the circle is Citadel of Damascus, founded 1076 — 84 km south-east. Earlier structures may have existed; this is the oldest with a documented founding year.
Nearby city guides: Sidon (38 km) · Tripoli (68 km) · Damascus (83 km) · Nawa (122 km). See also medieval castles · all rankings · castles by country.