Perched on a rocky pedestal, this castle's dramatic location and the picturesque bridge crossing the Jose (Walnut) River make it a popular picnic spot.
The fortress as it appears today was built by Fakhreddine II in 1624 to guard the route from Tripoli to Beirut. You enter the diamond shaped castle by a narrow path and rock-cut steps. The


door, which is protected be a machicolated window, opens onto a triangular courtyard that leads to the different parts of the castle. On the southern side of the courtyard you'll find an arched rectangular room with a little apse on the south side, in the exact direction of "al qibla." This detail identifies it as a prayer room.
The old bridge was built about the same time as the castle.