Category: Lefkosia

Whilst Cyprus offers the modern shopping experience you would expect from a European country – with high streets and malls of brand names and independent retailers – the island also retains its traditional shopping allure with unique, locally made items.

With a rich history and many local handicrafts still practised as a speciality in individual villages and regions, you can pick up an authentic piece of the island’s heritage, from intricate lace tablecloths to rustic pottery. And the art of handmade or authentic continues with food and drink, such as painstakingly prepared sweets and delicacies and bottles of olive oil, or the world’s most historic wine.

The island is also popular for its custom-made jewellery and clothing, including gold, leather and tailoring, making it easy and cost-effective to have a one-off created specially to your specifications, taste and personality.

So, whether as a souvenir, a gift for loved ones, or just to treat yourself, there are a multitude of wonderful items you can purchase to take home… the only problem will be deciding what to buy, and how to fit it all in your suitcase!

Cosmopolitan, glamorous and bustling, the capital of Lefkosia (Nicosia) is uniquely comprised of an ancient, walled city and a modern, fast-paced metropolis that is the epicentre of the island’s business and commercial activity.

There is no end to the options that Lefkosia provides, blending the current with the traditional. Its retail experience ranges from town centres and malls to traditional shopping quarters of winding streets. Its leisure and nightlife is a mixture of the popular and exclusive, with trendy bars that nestle amidst old, historically rich monuments. A wealth of interesting galleries and museums mix with fun entertainment for all the family. And its selection of cuisine is equally as diverse as its overall character.

All at once, you will be transported back to Medieval times at the ancient city that is surrounded by Venetian walls and heart-shaped bastions, and yet, just a heartbeat away you are undoubtedly in a progressive, European capital.

As you leave the city and enter the rural areas of the region, a different world unfolds; tranquil and picturesque, stretching across countryside and mountain villages, and offering further pursuits such as hiking and cycling in traditional surroundings.

A city always on the go, the many layers of Lefkosia’s various attractions and features make it the island’s capital in every sense.

With its distinction as the only divided capital in the world, Lefkosia (Nicosia) and its surrounding region combines the heartbeat of the island’s commercial and businesses centre with an interesting past, and rural areas where escape is possible in naturally beautiful, green environs.

The capital itself is steeped in history and culture, with a charming old city surrounded by massive Venetian walls, and the island’s largest concentration of museums, art galleries and religious and historical monuments, that all tell wonderful stories of the island through the ages.

Leaving the busy capital behind, the region then expands to the countryside, where a different side unfolds amidst orchards and olives groves, forests and hillsides.

Visitors will encounter the ruins of two rich city-kingdoms that also form part of the Lefkosia region; those of Tamassos  and Idalion (both south of Lefkosia).

Tamassos was built near an important copper mine and prospered greatly during Roman times – when Cyprus was famous for its copper. At the site of Idalion, there is a museum with chronological exhibits from excavations of the area.

Stretching up into the pine forest of the Machairas mountains, the scenery becomes more and more picturesque, with significant sights, such as the ancient Machairas monastery and Agios Irakleidios Convent, where the relics of the saint are kept inside the church.

There are also an abundance of quaint, mountainous villages that form part of the rural areas of the region, with their cobbled streets and preserved stone and adobe houses, offering a glimpse of village life in Cyprus. Worth visiting is the village of Fikardou, which has been declared a national monument, and was awarded the Europa Nostra award in 1987 for its carefully restored 18th century houses with their remarkable woodwork and folk architecture. Other interesting villages include Alona, Prodromos, Pedoulas, Kakopetria and Palaichori.

Offering the best of two worlds; that of vibrant capital, and also of rural retreat, the two ‘faces’ of the region of Lefkosia are both equally beguiling.