The heart of Beirut is the Corniche - a long seafront walkway where everyone goes for a stroll in the evening. Families push prams, friends jog, fishermen cast lines into the sea, and street sellers push carts with sweet pastries, fresh corn and roasted nuts. On Friday and Saturday evenings the Corniche is full of people.
Just off the Corniche stand the famous Pigeon Rocks - two huge natural stone arches sticking up out of the sea. Pigeons (and a lot of other seabirds) nest on top of them. At sunset, the rocks turn pink and orange against the dark blue water - one of the most photographed views in all of Lebanon.
Beirut has been a port city for thousands of years. Ships from across the Mediterranean have sailed in and out of its harbour since ancient times. That long history of meeting people from many places is why Beirutis are famously good at switching between languages mid-sentence - it isn't unusual to hear Arabic, French and English all in one conversation.
The city is also famous for its food. Bakeries open before dawn, baking flat breads called manakish that people eat for breakfast. Caf茅s serve thick coffee with sweet pastries. In the evening, families eat mezze - lots of small dishes shared in the middle of the table - and stay at the restaurant for hours.