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Lemesos
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Heart of the vine country
Combining its roles as the second
largest city, the island’s main port, the center of the
wine industry and a bustling holiday resort, Lemesos emerges
as a spirited and cosmopolitan seaside town.
Lemesos, is a lovely town largely
due to the character of Lemesolians, a fun-loving lot. No
wonder it holds the island’s two top festivals, the pre-lenten
Carnival with fancy dress balls, parades and festivities
and the Wine Festival in September, a wine extravaganza
where wine flows freely for everyone to enjoy, courtesy
of the local wineries.
Lemesos emerged out of two of the
most important ancient city-kingdoms, Amathous, to the east
of the town, and Kourion to the west, both of which are
being extensively excavated The magnificent setting of the
ancient Kourion Theatre is used for summer concerts and
traditional productions.
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| In the Middle Ages, Lemesos hosted
the marriage of Richard the Lionheart with Berengaria of Navarre
whom he crowned Queen of England. Thereafter the Crusaders
made their headquarters at the Square Keep west of the city,
known as Kolossi Mediaeval Castle, where they fostered the
making of wines, particularly the sweet dessert wine ‘Commandaria’
– the oldest named wine in the world. |
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Today Lemesos is a resort with a
ten mile coastline, a busy shopping center, countless tavernas
and restaurants and a night life to suit tastes ranging
from modest to sophisticated.
A visit to the places of interest
would include Lemesos Castle, which houses The Cyprus Mediaeval
Museum, the District Archaeological Museum, the Folk Art
Museum, the Lemesos Municipal Art Gallery, the Municipal
Gardens.
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| Also, in the vicinity
are the placid Germasogeia dam, frequented by keen anglers
and the Salt Lake at Akrotiri, home of thousands of migrating
birds in winter, and a stopover point of millions more as
they wend their way to different climes in spring and autumn.
In nearby foothills, delightful villages continue the gentle
pace of rural life. |
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