Nicosia Hotels

Explore theOld Town and get lost in the labyrinth of winding streets lined with great restaurants, barsandtaverns. The stretch of Leoforos Arhiepiskopou Makariou III (Makarios Ave)is a glitterati’s Eden, with ritzy treats on offer for those who remembered to up their credit card limit. And finally, laze around on Nicosia’s picturesque coastline while chatting up some charming locals. Ah well, we tried…

Nicosia’s Top 10

Nicosia History

• Old City and its Walls – The fascinating old city was surrounded with walls built by Venetians between 1567-70 against Turkish invasions.
• Farmagusta Gate – This is the strongest and the most elaborate gate also known as “Porta Guliana” in honour of the architect of the wall project.
• House of Hadjigeorghakis Kornesios – It represents the traditional domestic architecture of the 18th century.
• Leventis Municipal Museum – This is an historical museum in Nicosia with thousands of exhibits and a gift shop.
• Cyprus Museum – This rich archaeological museum in Cyprus, with artefacts from the Neolithic period to the Byzantine period.

Nicosia Art & Culture

• Handicraft Centre – You can watch the traditional skills of artisans and also buy Cypriot handicrafts.
• Municipal Theatre – This theatre in neoclassical style can accommodate 1,200 people, with events running throughout the year.
• Nicosia Municipal Art Centre – The most avant-garde centre for contemporary art with regular national and international exhibitions.
• European Art Gallery – This gallery has 120 oil paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries, with mainly religious themes.
• Byzantine Art Museum – This museum has the largest collection of icons on Cyprus from the 5th to 19th centuries.

Nicosia Shopping

• Stasikratous Street – This is the place to shop for high-quality clothes, shoes, silverware and porcelain in Nicosia.
• Laiki Yitonia – You will find local artisans and craftsmen with their wares for sale at this renovated 18th-century enclave.
• Eleftherios Venizelos Square – Every Wednesday, a colourful open market takes place here.
• Makarios Avenue – You may never get tired shopping for handicrafts, embroidery, pottery and other local products.
• Kiosks at Eleftheria Square – They sell newspapers and magazines from around the world as well as sweets, drinks and postcards.

Gay & Lesbian Nicosia

• Cream Bar and Club – It has perfect ambience, with international visitors and residents.
• Different Bar – Located in the centre of Paphos’ nightlife district, this trendy bar attracts a mixed crowd including gay men.
• Labirinthos Bar - This is the place you can enjoy with your friends as Greek, Arabic, English and Romanian music plays.
• Jacare Bar – Cyprus’ well-known gay/lesbian bar with a loyal following since 1988.
• Zoo Lounge – This stylish lounge bar attracts Nicosia’s most beautiful gays, lesbians and straights alike.

Nicosia Events

The Aglandjia Festival is a cultural celebration lasting over two weeks in June and July. Dancing, theatre and music performances are all on offer and all free of charge.

October brings the alliteration-friendly Cyprus Independence Day, with its public holiday, parades, parties and processions.

November celebrates multiculturalism with the Rainbow Festival. It’s a great excuse to gorge on cuisine from around the globe.

When To Go

The Mediterranean is hottest – and most crowded – between July and October.

Autumn and spring bring far less tourists, and walking around won’t leave you dripping with sweat.

December to January are the wettest months, but you’ll only see a few showers and the temperature rarely drops below 5ºC (41ºF).

Walking is the best way to explore the Old City.

Buses generally don’t obey timetables and are fairly expensive.

Some taxis will have TAXI written on the side, others won’t. All, though, will have licence plates starting with T.