The capital of Cyprus, although landlocked, is the greenest city on our beautiful island. In this article, you will find descriptions of the most picturesque parks in the city.
Nicosia Municipal Park
This is a small garden in the center of the city. It is a great place for walks in winter and summer. Beautiful Bougainvilleas bloom here all year round. The territory of the park was acquired by decision of the Municipal Council in 1901 to create the first Municipal Garden of the city, named Victoria's Garden in honor of Queen Victoria. It is located between Nerou Avenue and Kinyra Street, next to the Cyprus Archaeological Museum, near the pedestrianized Ledra Street. The park was reconstructed in 1968-69 by Ioannou and Paraskevaidis LTD, designed by the late Neoptolemos A. Michaelidis and with the participation of Princess Zina Kanter De Taira.
A special feature of the Municipal Park is that it continues on the northern part of Nicosia and now the border passes through it. There are two busts installed in the park. One of Mahatma Gandhi and the other of Yuri Gagarin. The park offers seating on benches, shady in summer and sunny in winter. A playground is equipped for children. There are several cages with different kinds of birds. In the park artificially created small lakes, where lilies and ducks swim. And there is also a large fountain, which is beautifully illuminated in the evening. In summer on Friday evenings in the park there is a food market where you can try different dishes and products from all over the world.
Alsos park
A beautiful place to walk, it's hard to believe it's so close to busy Larnacos Avenue. There are natural dirt paths for leisurely strolls, paved paths for joggers, and green lawns for picnics. There is also a children's playground and a basketball court. A special dog park is organized for lovers of four-legged people. Surprisingly, for the most part, there is no litter in the park and the park is kept in good condition.
On the territory of the park, there is a cafe Nero, where you can sit quietly and enjoy nature. I love this park for the abundance of green lawns, which in spring are covered with yellow dandelions. Many citizens have chosen this park for daily sports. The University of Cyprus with its interesting modern architecture is not far away.
Garden at the Residence of the Kykkos Monastery
This small and picturesque park is located near the Russian and US embassies, in Engomi. The building of the residence of the Kykkos Monastery is a beautiful palace in Neo-Byzantine style. The palace and the park are surrounded by a fence, but everyone is allowed in. The park is located near a rather busy avenue, but there is no noise of cars on its territory, thanks to which you can quietly enjoy the singing of birds. Inside there are picturesque paths, artificial water cascades, birds in aviaries and unusual plants.
A very well-maintained and picturesque park filled with unusual trees and English-style aligned shrubs. Beautiful plants, paths, gazebos, fountains, and the monastery - all help you feel close to nature and God.
Athalassa
Historians say that Cyprus in ancient times was covered with dense forests. They were cut down to build ships. You can imagine what Cyprus used to look like by visiting the Athalassa National Forest Park in Nicosia.
Athalassa National Park is located in the southeast of the capital, its area is about 900 hectares. In the middle of the park there is a beautiful shady lake on the shore of which you can have a picnic on specially equipped sites. Throughout the park and especially around and in the lake there are many species of living creatures such as birds, bats, ducks, fish, turtles, lizards, cats, hares, foxes and other natural creatures! The park has over 100 different types of vegetation such as pine trees, eucalyptus, acacia trees, cypress trees, palm trees, unusually shaped giant cacti and more.
The park has bike paths for sports enthusiasts, walking paths, playgrounds and picnic areas. Living in a country suffering from drought and the state's failure to protect its nature, the Athalassa Forest becomes even more important to all of us - the people of Cyprus. This place is a reference point for all of us who want to relax and unwind, play and play sports or simply become one with nature for a while.
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