Beirut by foot · By foot in Beirut
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By foot in Beirut
By foot in Beirut
Warning�: Beirut urban air is extremely polluted even in the recreational areas such as the stripe called the Corniche, so, walking or any type of physical activity is definitely harmful to health, therefore, avoid walking and exercising in the city. No part of the city is exception to this. Actually any visitor to the city, would notice this right after they leave the airport. Open air places, even the side streets are densely polluted mainly with exhaust fumes of the vehicles. So, walking down the Hamra street on an ordinary afternoon, the amount of exhaust smoke one pedestrian passively inhales, probably more than what he/she would in 10 years, in any other part of the world. Exhaust pollution is so dense in some locations that, one feels his/her lungs and eyes burn severely with exhaust smokes. So avoid all types of exposure to open air in public places, including parks and golf course, let aside the walkways and downtown locations. Beirutis are not aware of this point, as they are somewhat used to pollution on all urban places, so they almost never walk to even the closest distances but just drive or take a ride. Indoor smoking is allowed and widely practiced in restaurants, malls and even the airport building, including boarding gates (September 2011). So the entire city is under risk, particularly for little children, as well as the adults of any age group.
As the city is quite compact, walking is the best way of getting around, and perfect for getting off the beaten track to find unexpected surprises. Most people however will not walk throughout the city, rather they will walk within certain districts and take cars/taxis to get from one district to another. Streets are generally well signposted, but few Beiruti locals would know how to navigate according to their names, directions are usually given by building placement ("straight down the road until you reach building X, turn left there, then right..."), and many streets have local nicknames that wouldn't match the map. That said, if you find yourself lost in the streets, simply ask any passer-by for directions; no one will refuse to help! Otherwise you can stop at the nearest hotel or shop and ask. Hotel concierges and shop keepers will most definitely speak some limited English.
Some roads in Beirut are in poor condition. Not so much in the center, but the farther you get from downtown the more road works you will most probably find. So take care!
You can always check out a Beiruti-run walking tour called Walk Beirut. They offer weekly tours around the city.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Beirut
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Beirut Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.