Urban trail Hamra

During the ‘50s and ‘60s, Hamra was the Middle East’s commercial hotspot and today it still brims with activity. From local design to the distr ict’s street culture, Lebanese mapping company Zawarib has chosen the prime places to experience Hamra at its b

Begin your day at Café Younes

with a locally brewed cup of cof fee – find yourself a seat outside on their sidewalk terrace where you can people-watch and see first hand the neighborhood’s dynamism. The nearby fruit and vegetable markets begin to get busy around 10am, and cars and pedestr ians fill the streets. Before leaving, take a look at the Café Younes cof fee roaster , on the adjacent street, where a wide selection of cof fee beans is on sale. Around the corner, the well-known Sadat Street will enter tain with its many antique shops. Here you can see tailors, patisser ies, baker ies and chocolate shops that date back to the ‘50s, many of which feature ar t deco and Bauhaus-styled shop signs.

Continue to Bar jis Design

, an eclectic furniture galler y located at the ver y beginning of Sadat Street. If you’re lucky, you might catch the designer herself, Hala Habib, getting creative at the back of the shop where cascading fabr ics and mater ials await to be transformed into beautiful home pieces.

The Mapping Company Quench your thirst for ar t on Sidani Street where an abundance of graffiti decorates the city’s walls. Inside the Mayfair Dorms building, enter AUB’S ar t galler y

and explore a collection of fine and contemporar y ar t from the region. Should your creative juices star t flowing, enter the hidden world of Art scape , a space dedicated to those who wish to express themselves via the wonderful world of painting and drawing. Expect to be seduced with the aromas of baked goods and fresh sandwiches on your Hamra stroll, though hold of f for a gourmet lunch of European fusion cuisine at Bagatelle

. Enter Jabre Doumit Street, of f Jean D’arc Street and you’ll find the romantically designed restaurant inside a restored 1930s house. If you’re feeling adventurous, make your way to Abdel Aziz Street to discover a house dating back to the beginning of the 20th Centur y. Push open a red door and walk into a beautiful secret garden with a fishpond. Afterwards, a tr ip to the nearby Manara is always fun, especially when the local fishermen are around for a chat. Learn how the fishermen use dough to get their daily catch and create jewelr y from the items they reel in, such as necklaces from tiny seahorses. Take a stroll along the picturesque Manara and pop by the old black and white str iped lighthouse, also known as the Manara Lighthouse, where the friendly lighthouse keeper Victor, might be kind enough to take you on a tr ip to the top! Af ter climbing the steep incline back to Hamra, reward yourself with a sweet treat from Particulier Chocolatier

, where homemade chocolate and delicious desser ts await. Nearer to sunset, rest your feet over a game of backgammon at the wonderfully Lebanese T-marbouta restaurant . Sit on the terrace amongst a crowd of journalists, students and locals where you can cool of f with a delicious lemonade or . They also of fer an extensive and delicious menu of Lebanese cuisine. By nightfall, slowly make your way to CRU wine bar where the owners will welcome you with a wonderful selection of wine, including a range of local boutique wines, such as Domaine Wardy, Domaine de Baal and Chateau Khour y. Complete the evening at Ferdinand ,a friendly lounge-style pub with an ar t-deco inter ior and settle in for some cocktails.