The team of Salonica View organizes a trip to the legendary castle of Saint Hilarion in Pentadachtilos, occupied Kyrenia, and the occupied village of Belapais.
A few words about our visit:
We will start from Nicosia and head towards the roadblock of Saint Dometios. We will pass through the occupied village of Bogazi until we reach our first destination which is the Castle of Saint Hilarion. Then we will continue to our next destination which is Belapais. Afterward, we will get back on the bus and head to Kyrenia for our next stop. There we will have time to rest and then we will take the road that leads to Nicosia and the free areas.
A few words about the Castle of Saint Hilarion:
The castle of Saint Hilarion was built by the Byzantines in the 11th century AD in a critical defensive position, as it is surrounded by inaccessible vertical rocks with only access on its southern side. The legend says that there the ruthless Rigaina threw the workers over the cliff so that they would not reveal the secrets of the fort. In recent years, the castle of Saint Hilarion was occupied by the Turks immediately after the start of the intercommunal riots of 1963, where there were military conflicts between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Since 1974 and the Turkish invasion, the castle of Saint Hilarion has been under Turkish occupation.
A few words about Bellapais:
Belapais is one of the most beautiful villages on our island. It is located southeast of Kyrenia on a magnificent slope of the Pentadakhtylos mountain range, with an excellent view of the plain and the sea. Its narrow uphill streets lead to picturesque houses with musky gardens. The village takes its name from the famous Frankish monastery that dominates the village. This monastery, known as Belapais Abbey, was built at the beginning of the Frankish period by Frankish monks. The inhabitants of Belapais, along with other Kyrenia residents, who were trapped in the village after the Turkish invasion, were all expelled by the Turks in September 1976.
A few words about Kyrenia:
Kyrenia is one of the six cities of Cyprus and the capital of the province of the same name, one of the six provinces of the island. It is one of the ancient cities of Cyprus, as its name shows, which preserves the name of Kyrenia, the most ancient city of Achaia. It is actually two cities, "Kato Kyrenia" which extends around its small port, of very limited capabilities, and "Upper Kyrenia" which extends further south. Kyrenia is built on the northern coast of Cyprus, opposite the southern coast of Asia Minor, and has behind it the impressive mountain range of Pentadaktylos.
Cost of participation (per person):
25 euros/person
** Payment will be made on the bus (Pay no attention to the automatic payment message you will receive).
The price includes:
- Escort and organization
- Transportation by bus
You must have with you:
- ID card
- Personal items
- Snack
- Water
Note 1. When you click to book, declare in the message where you will take the bus from.
Note 2. For the best functioning of the event and for safety reasons, participants must comply with the instructions of the attendants.
Note 3. In case of cancellation of the event due to bad weather conditions, the excursion is moved to another date. Participants unable to participate on that date will be refunded. However, if again the weather conditions do not allow the event to take place, the event is permanently canceled and everyone is refunded. In case of cancellation by the participants, 7 days or less before the date of the event, the money is not returned.
Note 4. Photographic material is shared on our page and social media after each event. By participating in a Salonica View event, you also accept the sharing of photos.Otherwise, as you inform us.
