Masyaf to Krak des Chevaliers in a day, via Montferrand and Raphanea

Most people who come to Masyaf Castle drive back to Hama the way they came. This route heads south instead. From the old town below the castle it follows the Homs–Masyaf road to Montferrand, the Crusader castle at Ba’rin, then to the site of Raphanea, a Roman legion town, and on to Krak des Chevaliers. Five stops, about 56 kilometres by car, a full nine-hour day.

The route

Start the day at Masyaf Castle. It sits on a single mass of rock above the town, and the climb from the town is short but steep. The passages inside are narrow and low. Go up to the top terrace and look east; the plain shows end to end from there. Saladin besieged this castle in 1176 and withdrew without taking it.

Come down from the castle and walk to the old town to the south-west. The town wall dates from 1249. Inside are a mosque that local people link to Saladin and a public fountain built by the emir Mustafa bin Idris in 1788; shopkeepers in the market will point you to both.

From Masyaf, head south on the Homs road. Ba’rin is on the way, about forty minutes by car. Leave the car in the town and walk up the path to the castle hill. A ditch deeper than 10 metres rings the hill. Walk round to the west face of the wall and you see the round tower that looks down into the ditch. The Crusaders built the castle in 1126 to besiege Raphanea.

Raphanea is about ten minutes further by car, between the villages of Ba’rin and Nisaf. The site has never been systematically excavated, and there are no signs. You will see ground, not a standing town, and you need to ask local people in Ba’rin where it is. The Legio III Gallica had its base here, and in 218 the 14-year-old Elagabalus launched his bid for the throne from this camp.

From Raphanea, drive south-west to Krak des Chevaliers. This is the longest leg, over an hour. The castle has two rings of walls one inside the other, with a ditch and a sloping stone glacis between them. Leave the south-west tower to the end; on a clear day the Mediterranean shows from there.

Timing

Be at Masyaf Castle at 09:00, and confirm the opening time at the entrance. Spend an hour at the castle and forty-five minutes in the old town, and set off at 11:00. You reach Ba’rin around 11:45. There is no shade on the hill; forty-five minutes is enough to go up and down.

Move on to Raphanea at 12:45 and give it no more than half an hour. Leave for Krak at 13:15 and you arrive around 14:30. The castle is open from 09:00 to 17:00 and deserves two hours; the inner court falls into shade in the afternoon. If you run late at Ba’rin, time at Krak gets tight. The stop to cut short is Raphanea.

Take care

Entry fees at Masyaf Castle, Ba’rin, Raphanea and Krak change, so confirm them at the entrance. The old town of Masyaf is free. The stones on the Ba’rin path are loose and the stairs at Krak are worn and slippery; wear shoes with a firm grip. Mind your head in the passages inside Masyaf Castle.

The countryside between Masyaf and Ba’rin is close to the area affected by the events of March 2025. Check the current state of the road before setting out. Fitting four stops into one day takes a car and a driver. Snow can fall on the foothills in winter; spring and autumn are the best seasons.