This Lebanese Guesthouse Channels the Wild Stillness of the Chouf

There is a bend in the road, up in Lebanon’s Chouf mountains, where the pines suddenly give way to the village of Ain Zhalta. In this secluded stretch things are quiet, the air cool, the light soft. Tucked somewhere into this landscape is La Maison des Sources, a guesthouse with roots stretching back two centuries, and where gardens and cedar groves frame the entire horizon.

The house itself, ancient as it is, has lived many lives. Once a private residence, later a school, it has been carefully restored by two families who imagined a place where heritage and hospitality might meet. The result is a guesthouse that feels less like a hotel and more like a lived-in mountain home, its architecture marked by plastered arches, worn staircases, and terraces that look out across the forested slopes of Mount Lebanon.

Inside, the atmosphere leans on plush simplicity. Eleven rooms, each with its own bathroom, are spread across the house in soft tones of wood and stone. Some are doubles meant for couples seeking a quiet weekend, others junior or senior suites that accommodate families. The mezzanine suites, split across two levels, are a favourite with children, who climb the little stairs as if they were in a treehouse. What unites them all is a sense of restraint: the design never overwhelms the original structure, and the house retains the wisdom of its age.

Then there’s the food. Mornings begin with a breakfast spread that is distinctly Lebanese—labneh drizzled with olive oil, fresh bread, thyme, jams, and fruit—served in a communal dining room or on the garden terrace. Lunch and dinner can be arranged, too, with menus leaning on organic salads, handmade pastas, and cheese or cold cuts, much of it sourced locally. The owners emphasise seasonal produce, giving the table a sense of the region.

But the guesthouse is not just about food and rest. Its setting makes it a natural base for exploring the Chouf. The Shouf Biosphere Reserve, with its ancient cedar groves and hiking trails, is minutes away. The waterfalls of Baakline, the stone alleys of Deir El Qamar, and the palatial courtyards of Beiteddine are all within reach. Guests return in the evenings to fireplaces, terraces, and gardens planted with native species that blur the line between house and forest.

For many, the attraction lies in this balance between nature and culture. There is Wi-Fi, of course, and a bar in the lounge, but the pace is slower. Sunlight filters through shutters. Children play in the garden. The guesthouse hosts hikers, writers, and families alike, people looking not for luxury but for authenticity, for the feeling of being both far away and right at home.

Rates vary with the season—winter brings snow, summer long warm nights—but the atmosphere is constant: unhurried, rooted, attentive to detail. For those who value heritage and landscape, La Maison des Sources is exactly what its name suggests: a house of springs, a place to pause and replenish before stepping back into the wider world.