Nicosia

Without a doubt, the 1000 year old capital should be on every visitor's agenda. It lies roughly in the centre of the island, within easy reach of the other towns. A day in Nicosia will be a day well spent.

To walk through the old city is to step backwards in time. Narrow streets and old houses with ornate balconies jut from weather beaten sandstone walls, and craftsmen in small workshops practice trades unchanged for centuries.

Apart from the unique places of interest left from the ancient times with memories of many generations, the present Nicosia is a dynamic metropolitan city with highly developed infrastructure and an attractive modern look. The uniqueness of such combination makes the capital of Cyprus a place worth knowing and certainly a place worth visiting!

The city of Nicosia has a great variety of sights, tourist attractions and places of interest.The Lefkosia jewellery Museum, the Museum of the History of the Cypriot Coinage and the Municipal Arts Centre, are all worth a visit. The Leventis Municipal Museum of Lefkosia, with an imaginative presentation of the capital's history, was awarded the title "1991 European Museum of the Year". Don't forget to visit the unique Cyprus Museum, housing the island's most important collection of Cypriot antiquities and treasures from the Neolithic Age to the Roman.

As the island's capital, modern Nicosia offers all the facilities you would expect - excellent hotels, restaurants, night clubs. In Platres and the surrounding villages you could find no greater contrast to a conventional beach holiday! These villages are situated high in the Troodos mountain range famous for its refreshing mountain air, magnificent pine, cedar and oak forests, orchids, lavender and mineral springs. It is ideal for walking and horse riding, while the August festivals of arts, crafts, folk singing and dancing also provide fascinating entertainment.

Nicosia (Greek Levkosía) the capital of Cyprus, is now Europe's only militarily divided city. One of the world's oldest cities, Nicosia was the centre of an independent kingdom as early as the 7th century BC. Known in ancient times as Ledra, it came under Byzantine rule in the early 4th century AD and passed to Guy of Lusignan, the Latin king of Jerusalem, in 1192. The Lusignan kings held Nicosia until it was captured in 1489 by the Venetians. The city passed to the Ottoman Turks in 1571 and to the British in 1878. It was made capital of British-ruled.