The hook
The largest Roman temple complex ever built, where columns the height of a seven-storey building still stand and a near-complete temple rises over foundation stones so colossal no one is entirely sure how they were moved.
01Why it's worth it
Baalbek, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, holds Roman building at its most gigantic. The Temple of Jupiter here was among the largest in the entire empire, and though only six of its enormous columns remain standing, they are so tall and massive they dwarf visitors and everything around them. Beside it, the Temple of Bacchus is one of the best-preserved large Roman temples anywhere, richly carved and almost intact. Most astonishing are the foundation megaliths, quarried blocks weighing hundreds of tonnes, among the largest stones ever moved by humans, whose transport still prompts debate. The scale is simply hard to believe, and because Baalbek sees relatively few visitors, you can often experience it in near-solitude. The catch is location: the Bekaa Valley's security situation varies, so current travel advice must be checked, but for those who can go, it is one of the great and least-crowded ancient sites of the Mediterranean.
02How to experience it
Take a guide to grasp the scale and history of the Jupiter and Bacchus temples and the megalithic foundation stones; nearby, the even larger "Stone of the Pregnant Woman" lies in the old quarry. Check current travel advisories for the Bekaa Valley carefully before going, as conditions can change.