Syria's Mountain Summer Escapes: Bloudan, Zabadani, Slunfeh, Kassab and Mashta al-Helou

Summer in Syria has an old ritual: going up to the *masyaf*, the summer resort. When Damascus and Aleppo pass thirty-five degrees, families climb into the mountains, where nights are cool, the air is clean and the food is grilled over charcoal. These are the best-known resorts and what makes each one special.

Near Damascus: Bloudan and Zabadani

• Bloudan, at around 1,500 metres in the western Qalamoun mountains, an hour from Damascus: old hotels, hillside restaurants and a wide view over the Zabadani plain.
• Zabadani, on the plain below, known for its apple, cherry and apricot orchards and its riverside restaurants.
• On the way you follow the Barada valley, the river that has watered Damascus since antiquity.

Above the coast: Slunfeh and Kassab

• Slunfeh, one of the highest resorts in the Latakia mountains, deep in forest. Mornings can be misty and nights cool even in August.
• Kassab, in the far north near the Turkish border, a village with Armenian heritage among the pines: tiled roofs, old churches and a road down to a small beach.

Mashta al-Helou and the Valley of the Christians

In the hills between Homs and Tartus lie Mashta al-Helou and the Valley of the Christians: green Christian villages, restaurants overlooking the valley, summer festivals, and Krak des Chevaliers close by.

Getting between them

The resorts are spread out and the roads are mountain roads, with little public transport. The easiest way is to rent a car, or take a car with a driver for a day or two and combine coast and mountains in one trip. See also our Syrian coast guide.