Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles

Lonely Planet review

The city is dominated by the vast Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles , known as Qala'at Sanjil in Arabic. In AD 1102 Raymond de Saint-Gilles occupied the hill which overlooks the valley, the town and the coast. He decided to transform this position, which he called Mont Pelerin (Mt Pilgrim), into a fortress. The original castle was burnt down in 1289, and again on several subsequent occasions.

It was rebuilt (1307-08) by Emir Essendemir Kurgi, and was added to right up until the 19th century. As a result, only the foundation stones remain of the original construction.The first entrance is a huge Ottoman gateway, over which is an engraving from Süleyman the Magnificent, who ordered the restoration (yet again) of 'this blessed tower, that it may serve as a fortified position until the end of time'. After this there is a bridge across a moat dug by the Crusaders. Inside the castle is a muddle of architectural styles and features, reflecting the different occupants and stormy history of the city. Though it's fun to explore independently, take a guide from near the entrance if you really want to know more about the citadel's history. There's no fixed fee for a guided tour, but expect to pay somewhere in the region of LL20,000.

The best exterior view of the castle can be had from the east bank of the Nahr Abu Ali, perfect if you're able to ignore the cascades of rubbish floating by in winter, and the pungent aroma of muddy river bed during the summer months.