The Téléphérique, owned and operated by Compagnie Libanaise du Telepherique et d' Expansion Touristique SAL, is a gondola lift system located in Jounieh, a city in Lebanon 16 km north of Beirut. It was founded in 1965.
In only nine minutes, the 1.5 km (1 mi) long Téléphérique line transports passengers from the bay of Jounieh, above the maritime highway and the pine-forested steep mountain, to an altitude of 650 meters, arriving at the Our Lady of Lebanon shrine in Harissa[1]. The trips offers "spectacularly dramatic views"[2], including "panoramic views over the Bay of Jounieh"[3]. Currently, the ride from Jounieh to Harissa on the Téléférique costs 9000 L.L or US $6.00.[1]. The ride is considered one of the most popular activities for tourists in Jounieh[4]
The history of Téléphérique has known only two incidents. In the first one on March 2, 1989 several people were stuck in a cabin over the highway for hours before being rescued. The second incident, similar to the previous one, occurred on February 21, 2007 when five people were stuck in two separate cabins. They were rescued after six hours. No injuries have been ever reported.