The Téléphérique, owned and operated by Compagnie Libanaise du Telepherique et d' Expansion Touristique SAL, is a gondola lift

Gondola lift

A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...

, a cable-car system located in Jounieh

Jounieh

Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar , which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in...

, a city in Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 16 km north of Beirut

Beirut

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

. It was founded in 1965.

In only nine minutes, the a mile-long Téléphérique combined with a funicular transports passengers from the Mediterranean bay of Jounieh, above the maritime highway and the pine-forested steep mountain, to an altitude of 650 meters, arriving at the Our Lady of Lebanon

Our Lady of Lebanon

Our Lady of Lebanon , also known as Notre Dame du Liban, is a marian shrine and a pilgrimage site, honoring the patron saint of the Mediterranean country of Lebanon. The Lebanese Christians as well as the Druze and Muslims have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary...

 shrine in Harissa

Harissa, Lebanon

Harissa is a mountain village in Lebanon. The village, which is located 650 meters above sea level, is home to an important Lebanese pilgrimage site, Our Lady of Lebanon. The village is located 20 km north of Beirut Beirut, and it accessible from the coastal city of Jounieh either by road...

. The trips offers "spectacularly dramatic views", including "panoramic views over the Bay of Jounieh". Currently, the ride from Jounieh to Harissa on the Téléférique costs 9000 L.L or US $6.00.http://www.teleferiquelb.com/rates.htm. The ride is considered one of the most popular activities for tourists in Jounieh

Accidents

The history of Téléphérique has known only two incidents. In the first one on March 2, 1989 several people were stuck in a cabin over the highway for hours before being rescued. The second incident, similar to the previous one, occurred on February 21, 2007 when five people were stuck in two separate cabins. They were rescued after six hours. No injuries have been ever reported.

External links

• Official Téléphérique website