A slow morning inside the walls of old Nicosia

Illustration of an arched gate in the old city walls — The sixteenth-century walls still define the shape of the old town.

Walkingabout 4 km, 3–4 hours with stops
From Larnaca45 minutes by car or airport bus
Best timeweekday mornings, October–May
Bringpassport or ID if you plan to cross north

Old Nicosia is enclosed by a ring of walls built by the Venetians in the 1560s, with eleven heart-shaped bastions. The circle is small enough to walk across in twenty minutes, which makes it ideal for an unhurried morning. This loop stays mostly in the southern half of the old town and ends at a gate that now hosts exhibitions and concerts.

Eleftheria Square and Ledra Street

Start at Eleftheria Square, where a modern concrete-and-greenery redesign sits on top of the walls and the old moat. Walk north into Ledra Street, the main pedestrian shopping street. It is busy, but it is the spine of the old town and leads straight to the Ledra Street crossing point, where you can walk into the northern part of the city if you bring a passport or ID card.

Laiki Geitonia

Just east of the square, Laiki Geitonia is a small restored neighbourhood of stone houses with wooden balconies and narrow lanes. Parts of it are geared to visitors, but early in the day it is quiet, and the Leventis Municipal Museum nearby is an excellent, free introduction to the city's history, from prehistoric finds to colonial-era posters.

Heat. Nicosia is inland and noticeably hotter than the coast. From June to September, begin the walk by eight, plan to be indoors by noon, and carry more water than seems necessary.

The Archbishop's quarter

Wander east through the lanes to the large Archbishop's Palace and, next to it, the small Cathedral of Agios Ioannis. From the outside it looks modest; inside, every wall is covered with eighteenth-century paintings. The streets around here are where you will find the old trades — a bookbinder, a picture framer, a coffee roaster — tucked between houses with peeling shutters.

Famagusta Gate

Continue along the inner side of the walls to the Famagusta Gate, the main eastern entrance to the old city. The long vaulted passage through the walls is now a cultural centre, and the neighbourhood around it, with its cafés and small galleries, is a good place to finish. In the evening this part of town fills up with students and the bars stay open late.

Practical notes

If you arrive by car, use one of the municipal car parks around the walls, for example near the Tripoli bastion or along the moat by Eleftheria Square, and walk in. Driving inside the walls is not worth the stress.
Airport buses run from Larnaca to Nicosia throughout the day; the old town is a short walk or taxi ride from the terminus.
Many small shops close on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and all day on Sunday, but cafés stay open.
Pavements are uneven and some lanes are cobbled; comfortable shoes matter more than you think.

If you do cross to the north, the covered courtyard of the Büyük Han and the great Gothic cathedral turned Selimiye Mosque are both within ten minutes of the crossing.

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