A bustling and hectic city, Beirut is subject to high temperatures in the heat of summer, reaching over 35 degrees on a typical day in July. So, which better way is there to combat the heat if you're visiting this gorgeous city than to get inside into the cool depths of an art gallery? There are plenty of them scattered around the city, and art fans can be sure that these incredible collections are at the very pinnacle of their field.

Beirut prides itself on being a city of the arts; housing hundreds of art galleries within the city itself and throughout the suburbs, and with good reason. If it is not the Lebanese artists themselves working to create incredible new pieces of art, painters and designers from all around the world flock to this country thanks to its reputation as an artistic hub.

In Beirut, the art and fashion scene is particularly lively, with artists and designers coming from all countries, tastes and backgrounds to combine or clash in their various ventures, creating an arts community that is vibrant and often explosive in its diversity.

Beirut's universities are filled with hundreds of students of the fine arts who go on to utilise the many workshops that this creative city is packed with. Meanwhile, Beirut is no stranger to making space in its hundreds of galleries for all of the new art it is producing - or building new ones entirely once collections get too large.

If you are an artist yourself, there is no better place to meet like-minded people for inspiration than Beirut. Discuss techniques and ideas with fellow artists who understand all too well what it's like to create for a living, or for pleasure. You may find your own work will invigorate itself following a trip to this artistically rich city, something that many artists welcome with relish as it breathes new life into their work.

For those on the fashion side of the rails, Beirut is a fantastic opportunity to get up to date with the latest global trends. From the Gucci and Versace fashion stores adorning the streets to the city's position as home of many of the world's great fashion designers, the city is as cutting edge as they come and fashion shows are almost as numerous as the city's art galleries, meaning fashion fans will always have some fresh new trends to chase after.

Plus, with Beirut airport serving as a central hub for a wide range of air carriers, there are plentiful available to and from many major cities in both the Middle East and the western world, and so opens other avenues for tourists to explore further. But, if Beirut is your sole destination, then prepare to be swept up into a world of ever-changing art and fashion from the moment you step off the plane, creating an experience that will be difficult to forget.