Nicosia Old Town Walking Tour

The old town of Nicosia sits inside a ring of Venetian walls built in the 16th century, laid out in a distinctive star shape with projecting bastions. A walking tour of the southern, Republic of Cyprus side threads through the lanes, squares and monuments enclosed by those walls, an easy way to read the layered history of the capital on foot.

Ledra Street is the main pedestrian artery, lined with shops and cafes and restored facades. Routes typically take in the cathedral and church quarter, small museums, craft workshops and the restored Faneromeni and Laiki Geitonia areas. Guides explain the city's role through the Lusignan, Venetian, Ottoman and modern periods, and you walk between sites rather than ride.

On foot in the capital

Nicosia is inland and lacks a beach, which keeps it quieter with tourists than the coast, so a walking tour is the natural way to see it. The walls and old core are flat and compact, and easy to cover on foot in a morning. Several museums and the archbishop's palace area add depth for those who want a longer day, and the cafes along the way make good rest stops.

• See the Nicosia old town entry for the wider walled-city setting.
• Pair the capital with a Troodos day; the Kykkos Monastery lies in the mountains to the west.
• Day-trippers often combine Nicosia with the wine villages around Omodos.

Wear comfortable shoes for the cobbles, carry water and sun cover as the lanes get hot in summer, and start in the morning before the midday heat builds in the inland city.