The Lefkosia (Nicosia) region combines a great, diverse cultural wealth with the contemporary everyday life.
At the centre lies the capital, a place that smoothly merges the modern business centre with the historic culture. The only divided capital of the world, steeped in history and culture with a beautiful old city surrounded by massive Venetian walls, and a museum with wonderful collection of artefacts spanning the ages.
In the countryside you’ll find olive groves and orchards leading up into the pine forest of the Machairas mountains, on the peak of which, set in a scenic valley with a superb view over the plains, sits a centuries old monastery.
Along the way lies Tamassos, a rich city-kingdom in antiquity, built near important copper mines for which Cyprus was famous, while to the east lies ancient Idalion, another city kingdom, currently under excavation near the modern village of Dali.
Picturesque villages abound, with their cobbled streets and preserved stone and adobe houses, offering a glimpse of rural 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.
