Love and romance have always been in the air in this beautiful city and its surrounding area. St. Hilarion Castle, the Abbey of Bellapais and the old Harbour with its many little coffees and restaurants to stop and relax at, are locations of absolute magic.
We start the day with a question "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" and to following visit to the castle of St. Hilarion which has been said to have inspired Walt Disney in the creation of his famous Snow White Castle. 732 m high and with steps leading to three different levels, the castle features magnificent views of all of Kyrenia.
Next stop is the "Abbey De La Bellepaix" (Monastery of Peace). A beautiful name, perfectly describing the romantic Abbey setting. One of the best examples of Gothic style architecture, the Abbey was built by the Masons for Augustinian Monks from Jerusalem at the end of 12th century AD. Well renowned British writer Lawrence Durrell, who lived in the village between 1953 to 1956, got his inspiration for his famous book “Bitter Lemons” from this village.
After visiting Bellapais village, we will have our lunch break at one of the local restaurants, before finishing the day with enough free time to stroll the old streets of Girne or enjoy a drink at the old at Kyrenia harbour.
