Olive Presses, Chestnuts and Independence Day: October and November in Lebanon, and an Address to Keep for 2027
Autumn is when Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese. The summer crowds have flown home, the first rains wash the dust from the pine slopes of the Metn, and the mountain villages return to rhythms that are older than any of us: olives to press, pine cones to crack, chestnuts to roast, a pantry to fill before winter. For the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who live abroad and follow home from Paris, Montreal, São Paulo, Dubai or Sydney, these two months are a reminder of everything you miss, and of why you keep coming back.
October: first rains and the mountain harvest
In the villages of Mount Lebanon the olive harvest traditionally begins after the first rain of October and runs into mid-November. Families gather in the groves, nets are spread beneath the trees, and the presses work late into the evening. Olive oil is the heart of the
mouneh
, the Lebanese tradition of preserving the year's produce for winter, and October is when the jars of makdous, kishk, jams and fresh oil line the pantry shelves.
The pine forests around
Broummana
are a working landscape too. The stone pine has shaped the Metn for centuries, and in autumn the heavy cones are gathered, dried in the sun and cracked open for the small ivory pine nuts that end up on hashweh rice, in kibbeh and on top of fatteh. Drive the mountain roads this month and you will smell the forest before you see it.
October is also the start of the best walking season. The
Lebanon Mountain Trail
runs the length of the country, and its association organises guided autumn hikes along different sections, with clear air, long views and comfortable temperatures between the summer heat and the winter snow.
Beirut's cultural season returns
Down in the city, from 9 to 18 October 2026, Beyrouth Livres, the francophone book festival organised by the Institut français du Liban, brings more than forty authors, illustrators and artists from nine countries to the Seaside Arena, with readings, talks, concerts and signings in French, Arabic and English. It is a proud sign of a capital that keeps writing its own story.
November: chestnuts, Independence Day and marathon week
Chestnut season peaks in October and November. Street vendors set up their braziers along the mountain roads, and a paper cone of hot
kastana
becomes the best end to an evening walk.
On Sunday 22 November, Lebanon celebrates its Independence Day, marking the end of the French Mandate in 1943. Flags go up on every balcony and families gather, and many Lebanese abroad feel the pull of home a little more strongly that day.
A week later, on 29 November 2026, Beirut hosts the Spinneys Beirut Marathon, the country's biggest running event, with the full marathon, half marathon and 10 km race. Every year it draws runners who fly in from abroad especially to run through the streets of their city. Registration closes on 20 November, or earlier if the race fills up.
A quiet season at Quartier Suisse, and a reopening in May 2027
Up in Broummana,
just 15 minutes from Beirut
and in the fresh mountain air of the Metn, Quartier Suisse is resting for the season. The hotel is closed from October to May, and our small team is using these quiet months to prepare the house for
our reopening in May 2027
: refreshing the rooms, caring for the details and getting ready to welcome guests back for the summer.
For the Christmas and New Year holidays, a short opening may be possible
on request only
. If you are coming home for the festive season and would like to know more, simply write to us and we will let you know what is possible.
If you missed it, our September article on
the harvest month in the Metn
tells the story of the grape and apple season that leads into these autumn weeks, and our summer guide
Summer in the Mountains
shows what awaits you in Broummana when the hotel reopens.
Already dreaming of next summer in the mountains? You can reserve your room or suite in advance for summer 2027 and enjoy 10% off when you reserve before the end of March 2027. Take a look at
our rooms
and send us your dates.
Your address in Lebanon for the next trip home
So many of us live between two worlds: a life abroad, and a family, a village and a table waiting in Lebanon. Whether you come back for the summer, for Easter or for Christmas, it helps to have an address you trust. Quartier Suisse is a boutique hotel run by a professional, attentive team, with spotlessly clean rooms, a warm traditional lounge and the cool pine-scented evenings of the Metn, close enough to Beirut to see everyone and far enough away to rest properly.
Keep our address for your next trip to Lebanon. From May 2027 we will be delighted to welcome you, your family and your friends visiting from abroad. Plan your next trip to Quartier Suisse and reserve your room or suite in advance: reserve now for summer 2027 and get 10% off with our early-booking discount, valid for reservations made before the end of March 2027.
Get in touch with us
, write to
info@quartiersuisse.com
or call
+961.24.86.06.06
to reserve your summer 2027 stay or to stay informed about the reopening and the holiday season. Share this address with the friends and relatives who travel home too.
Until then, enjoy the olives, the chestnuts and the flags of November. Lebanon will be waiting, and so will Broummana.