Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus - or rather of both Cypriots - is the largest and most important city on the island. It lies in the central part of Cyprus and, like the whole island, Nicosia is divided in the middle by the demilitarised zone into Greek and Turkish parts.

In Cyprus, the Greek name for the city is Lefkosia.

Sights and attractions

The Greek part of Nicosia is a place bustling with life, and in the winding streets of its historic centre it's easy to get lost wandering among the jumble of buildings from the ancient Venetian Republic, the colonial period of the British Empire and the vibrant building developments of the 20th century. Among the best-preserved monuments in Nicosia are:

The Venetian Walls - the entire historic centre was surrounded by massive walls forming a regular twelve-sided triangle. It was built during the 16th century and parts of the walls are still preserved in many places. The line of the walls can be clearly seen, for example, on en.mapy.cz (grey dotted line).
Famagusta Gate - In the past, the main entrance through the walls into the city centre is also one of the best preserved monuments to the Venetian era (dating from 1567). Famagusta Gate lies on the eastern edge of the centre and currently houses an information centre.
Ledra Street - Don't forget to take a stroll down Ledra Street, which has a unique atmosphere. Once you have walked the entire street, you will reach the border, which will take you to the Turkish part.
St. John'sCathedral - is the main Greek Catholic church of Nicosia. It dates back to the 14th century, but was completely rebuilt in 1662. The church has a subtle impression and if you walk by, it doesn't impress at first sight, even with its size. Most interesting is the richly decorated interior of the cathedral.
Microbrewery - Beer lovers should definitely pay a visit to this extraordinary beer hall, which is located just a short distance from the Turkish border. The beer is brewed right here, so you don't have to worry about quality and freshness. The brewery owners have studied the entire brewing process in the Czech Republic. The beer is by far the best in all of Nicosia. More information can be found on the official website.

Famagusta Gate

Ledras border crossing

In Nicosia you will find two border crossings to the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish part of the city. Travelers from all countries must have a passport to cross the border.

There is a main pedestrian border crossing right in the centre in a district called Ledras. It lies on the main pedestrian zone of Ledras Street at this exact location (location on en.mapy.cz) and crossing the border here is seamless in both directions. Waiting times at peak times are no more than 30 minutes.

The second border crossing is for cars only and is located on the outskirts of Nicosia (location at en.mapy.cz). You can cross it, for example, by taxi.

Ledra - border crossing

Accommodation

You can take a day trip to Nicosia from the sea, but if you want to really soak up the special atmosphere of the divided city, we recommend staying here for at least 1 night. Accommodation prices here are slightly lower than on the coast, and even in summer you can find plenty of deals to 65 eur.

Tip! If you're not heading to Nicosia by rental car, we recommend staying in the Turkish part of town, where accommodation is up to 20% cheaper in much better rated hotels.

Hotels and accommodation Nicosia - Greek part

Hotels and accommodation Nicosia - Turkish part

Transport

If you're heading to Nicosia by rental car, it's not worth looking for free parking on the streets, which are usually quite busy and parking spaces are scarce. We recommend using one of the paid parking lots located around the perimeter of the historic centre, the official city website provides a list. The basic unit for parking is 2 hours, for which you pay around 2,50 eur.

The central bus station is located by the walls of the old town at Dionysiou Solomou Square (location at en.mapy.cz). This is where all intercity services from Nicosia start and end.

The exception is the Kapnos Airport Shuttle line running from Larnaca Airport. These buses terminate at the station in South Nicosia (location at en.mapy.cz), from where you can reach the centre by public transport buses of lines 3, 4 and 5, which collectively run approximately every 15 minutes.

The intercity bus service is easy to navigate. The only public bus service here is operated by a single company. Inter City Buses with its green buses. From Nicosia, the following routes operate:

Larnaca (timetable: intercity-buses.com/larnaca) - 4 eur one-way, 7 eur day ticket for the route.
Ayia Napa and Protaras (timetable: intercity-buses.com/ayia-napa) - €5 one way, €9 day ticket for the route
Paphos (timetable: intercity-buses.com/paphos) - 7 eur one-way, 13 eur day ticket for the route
Limassol (timetable: intercity-buses.com/limassol) - 5 eur one way, 9 eur full day ticket for the route

Public transport in Nicosia is provided by Cyprus Public Transport. The bus network covers the whole city, however the historic centre is so small that you probably won't need a bus at all. A single journey ticket purchased from the driver will be priced at 2,40 eur, between 21:00-4:00 at 4 eur. You only need to pay cash at the driver.

You can also use a day ticket for 15 eur valid on all intercity services in Cyprus and all public transport in Larnaca, Nicosia, Paphos, Limassol and Famagusta.