Discovered in the year 2003, Ain Wzein Natural Grotto consists of branching caves hollowed out in the bowels of the rock by water flowing from the depths of the mountains. It has become an important tourist site due to the number of visitors and has the additional advantage of being located in a beautiful natural environment. The grotto has scientific as well as historical importance as its extension deep underground helps in the study of the local geological formation.
Stalactites suspended from the roof of the cave are not merely impressive as natural sculptures; as well as his eyes, the ears of the visitor who walks along are charmed by a succession of musical notes provided by the droplets of water that drip from their extremities down to pools below.The grotto is located in Ain Wazein at an altitude of nearly 3,500 feet above sea level. It is thirty miles from Beirut, and five miles away from Beit-Eddine, center of the Shouf district. It lies on the Ain Wzein Road, near the northern end of Ain Wzein, and has been explored to a point 426 meters deep (approx. 1,500 feet.)The grotto takes the form of a series of passages and halls of varied width and height, all natural formations resulting from the accumulation of water under pressure.
Preparing the grotto for the general public has demanded three years of effort by devoted individuals so that now visitors may see the astounding limestone formations along its tunnels and galleries and scientific tours can be organized for high school and university students. All will be impressed by the domed vaults and strange formations molded by the waters over millions of years, creating a masterpiece of beauty without the intervention of human hands or imagination. Students of art classes for both painting and sculpture come here in order to be inspired for the production of works that breathe the spirit of the country’s natural beauty. Indeed, the subterranean labyrinth of Ain Wzein with its fantastic stalactite and stalagmite formations is outstanding even among the many wonderful underground systems that adorn the land of Lebanon.
