Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Limassol (Cyprus). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Kolossi Castle, Kourion, and Limassol Castle. Also, be sure to include Fasouri Watermania in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Limassol (Limassol).
Table of Contents
Kolossi Castle
Also known as: Κάστρο Κολοσσίου
Medieval fortified castle with a view. Kolossi Castle is a former Crusader stronghold on the south-west edge of Kolossi village 14 kilometres west of the city of Limassol on the island of Cyprus. It held great strategic importance in the Middle Ages, and contained large facilities for the production of sugar from the local sugarcane, one of Cyprus's main exports in the period. The original castle was possibly built in 1210 by the Frankish military, when the land of Kolossi was given by King Hugh I to the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.
The present castle was built in 1454 by the Hospitallers under the Commander of Kolossi, Louis de Magnac, whose coat-of-arms can be seen carved into the castle's walls.
Owing to rivalry among the factions in the Crusader Kingdom of Cyprus, the castle was taken by the Knights Templar in 1306, but returned to the Hospitallers in 1313 following the abolition of the Templars.
The castle today consists of a single three-storey keep with an attached rectangular enclosure or bailey about 30 by 40 metres (98 by 131 ft).
As well as for its sugar, the area is also known for its sweet wine, Commandaria. At the wedding banquet after King Richard the Lionheart's marriage to Berengaria of Navarre at nearby Limassol, he allegedly declared it to be the "wine of kings and the king of wines." It has been produced in the region for millennia, and is thought to be the oldest continually-produced and named wine in the world, known for centuries as "Commandaria" after the Templars' Grand Commandery there.[1]
Address: Λεωφ. Αρχιεπισκόπου Μακαρίου Γ', Limassol
Kourion
Also known as: Κούριο
City. Kourion was an important ancient Greek city-state on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. In the twelfth century BCE, after the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces, Greek settlers from Argos arrived on this site.
In the seventeenth century, Kourion suffered from five heavy earthquakes, but the city was partly rebuilt. The acropolis of Kourion, located 1.3 km southwest of Episkopi and 13 km west of Limassol, is located atop a limestone promontory nearly 100 metres high along the coast of Episkopi Bay.
The Kourion archaeological area lies within the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia and is managed by the Cyprus Department of Antiquity.[2]
Limassol Castle
Also known as: Κάστρο της Λεμεσού
Castle in Limassol, Cyprus. The medieval Limassol Castle is situated near the old harbour in the heart of the historical centre of the city of Limassol. The castle as it appears today is a structure rebuilt circa 1590 under the period of Ottoman rule.
Archaeological investigation within the castle revealed that it was built over an Early Christian basilica (4–7th century CE) and a Middle Byzantine monument (10th–11th century CE). Other finds beneath the Castle witness the existence of an important church, possibly the city's first cathedral.
According to Etienne Lusignan, the original castle was erected by Guy de Lusignan in 1193. The first official reference to the fort dates to 1228, during the involvement of Frederic II of Germany in the affairs of Cyprus. From its erection until the beginning of the 16th century, damages were caused by the continuous attacks of the town by the Genoese and the Mameluks as well as by earthquakes alternating with restorations and reconstructions.
In 1538 the Ottomans captured Limassol and the castle. The Venetian governor of Cyprus, after recapturing the castle, decided to demolish it in order to avoid its possible seizure. This destruction was completed in 1567–68. After the Ottoman acquisition of Cyprus in 1576, the remains or parts of the remains of the castle were incorporated in the new Ottoman fort, completed in 1590, which was considerably strengthened. The underground chamber and the first floor were transformed into prison cells and remained in use until 1950.
According to tradition, this is where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.[3]
Address: Queen Berengaria St, Limassol
Fasouri Watermania
Water park in Tserkezoi, Cyprus. Fasouri Watermania is a water park located in Fasouri, a village in the municipality of Limassol, Cyprus. It is currently the biggest waterpark on the island.[4]
Sourp Kevork Church
Armenian church in Limassol, Cyprus. Sourp Kevork is the Armenian Apostolic church in Limassol, Cyprus.
The church is located near the town centre of Limassol and was built in 1939 on land purchased and donated by Mrs Satenig Soultanian, in memory of her father, Hampartsoum Kevorkian. The first official liturgy took place in 1940 and the consecration took place in 1948 by Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyian.
Its bell was made electronic in 1989, according to an inscription on the church, and it was renovated in 2007 and again in 2015. It is located in the same grounds with the Limassol Nareg school, which is next to church and was re-built in 2006–2007. Liturgies are held there every other Sunday. In front of the church is a brown tuff stone khachkar, donated in 2008 by the Arakelyan family,.
The current pastor of the Sourp Kevork church is der Mashdots Ashkarian.[5]
Port of Limassol
Seaport in Cyprus. The Port of Limassol is the largest port in Cyprus, located in the city of Limassol.[6]
ESCAPE Limassol
Room escape games
Address: 5, 16th June 1943 Street, 3022 Limassol