Hotels near Venetian Walls

The Venetian Walls of Nicosia are a near-perfect circle of bastioned fortifications built between 1567 and 1570 by the Republic of Venice. Designed by military engineer Giulio Savorgnano, the walls replaced earlier medieval fortifications and feature 11 heart-shaped bastions connected by curtain walls. The entire circuit runs approximately 4.5 km. The Venetians demolished churches, houses, and even the royal palace to clear fields of fire, but the walls fell to the Ottoman siege in 1570 after just 46 days.

Today the walls still define the old city's perimeter and are visible from almost anywhere along their circuit. The best-preserved sections are around Famagusta Gate (Bastion of Caraffa), Paphos Gate, and Kyrenia Gate in the north. The moat has been repurposed as parks, sports fields, and car parks. Walking the full circuit along the moat takes about 90 minutes and gives you a sense of the old city's scale. Three original gates survive: Paphos Gate (west), Kyrenia Gate (north), and Famagusta Gate (east).

Pro Tip: Start at Paphos Gate and walk the moat anti-clockwise to Famagusta Gate. The morning light hits the sandstone beautifully and you pass several bastions that have been converted into exhibition spaces.