Deirmimas is a picturesque hill village surrounded by olive groves. The village overlooks the Litani river and Beaufort Castle to the west and the snow-capped summits of Mount Hermon to the east. The Litani River has long been the source of life and beauty in southern Lebanon and Jabal Amel. Tourists and residents of the village continue to be drawn to the banks of the river to visit its historic windmills. Beaufort Castle is the largest and most scenic Crusader castle in Lebanon and has been fought over even in recent times.

 

 

The road leading to Deirmimas is winding and steep, hidden by groves of olive trees that spread out for miles. The mild winters and temperate summers of Lebanon are perfectly suited to the cultivation of olives.

 

 

Olive groves sustain all of the towns and villages of southern Lebanon. Traditional olive cultivation skills date back to the third-century Phoenician plantations. The Lebanese have been able to make a living from the olive tree for centuries and olive production is an integral part of village society and culture.

 

 

Deirmimas continues to be a major producer of olives and olive oil. Throughout Lebanon, its olive oil is known as the 'Bordeaux' of olive oils; in 2008, the two existing mills pressed over 90 tons of oil (160 tons in 2006). The village also produces a prized soap, known as saboun baladi, from the oil.