The Fortress of Shkif Arnoun is constructed upon a strategic position overlooking the road linking the southern Bekaa to Damascus. The citadel was known to the Arab travelers as Shqif Arnoun, but the Western historians call it Belfort or Beaufort, meaning the handsome fortress. The builder of the fortress and the date of construction remain mysterious. Nevertheless, the fortress has exchanged hands several times throughout the 12th and 13th centuries. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in Lebanon, and visitors should not miss its impressive view, fortified walls and towers, water cisterns, and dungeon.