Wardaniyeh is a town in Iqlim el-Kharroub — the coastal side of the Chouf district, Mount Lebanon — rising about 350 m above sea level on the hills just above Rmaileh. People often describe it as a Lebanon in miniature: Muslims and Christians live here side by side the whole year round, sharing daily life and each other's occasions, in celebration and in mourning.
elevation ~350 m
Wardaniyeh is a town in Iqlim el-Kharroub, the coastal side of the Chouf district in Mount Lebanon, above Rmaileh at about 350 m. It is known as a model of Muslim–Christian shared life, with a municipality its residents trust across parties and communities. It is distinct from El Ouardania in Tlemcen Province, Algeria.
During the 2024 war, Wardaniyeh took in more displaced people than its own resident population, providing shelter and food through a relief effort funded almost entirely by donations from the town's residents and its expatriates.
The town's football ground, upgraded by the municipality to official match specifications. The town also has a licensed sports club and a children's sports academy.
A seniors' club and association set up by the municipality, with a walking path, a reading centre, rest areas and regular activities, plus medical supplies provided through the association.
Wardaniyeh's municipal life is marked by cross-party cooperation rather than a single political color: residents from all parties and communities work with the municipality on its projects, and the municipality has a local reputation for careful, honest handling of public money.
People value Wardaniyeh for its shared life and for a municipality that looks after young and old alike. Since 2016 it has worked to close service gaps within its means — the upgraded stadium, a licensed sports club and a children's academy on one side, the Beit Kbarna seniors' club on the other — alongside in-kind and financial aid for poorer households, home repairs, municipality-funded health coverage for residents who need it, and a monthly medicine fund the town's people finance for one another.
~40 km from Beirut · ~35 min drive
The town of Wardaniyeh is in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, at around 350 m elevation.
Wardaniyeh is about 40 km from Beirut, roughly a 35-minute drive.
Landmarks in Wardaniyeh include Wardaniyeh municipal stadium, Beit Kbarna seniors' club.
People value Wardaniyeh for its shared life and for a municipality that looks after young and old alike. Since 2016 it has worked to close service gaps within its means — the upgraded stadium, a licensed sports club and a children's academy on one side, the Beit Kbarna seniors' club on the other — alongside in-kind and financial aid for poorer households, home repairs, municipality-funded health coverage for residents who need it, and a monthly medicine fund the town's people finance for one another.
Wardaniyeh is one of the seventeen municipalities that form the Union of Municipalities of Iqlim El-Kharroub El-Chamali — the northern half of the Iqlim El-Kharroub belt of Chouf District. The union takes Mazboud as its seat and runs from Jiyeh and Rmaileh on the Mediterranean up to roughly 795 metres at Daraya and Aanout on its eastern, mountainous edge. Within the union, Wardaniyeh is home to the Islamic University — one of the higher-education campuses serving the area.
Source: UN-Habitat Lebanon (2023), A Road Map Towards a Socioeconomic Development Plan for the Union of Municipalities of Iqlim El-Kharroub El-Chamali, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.