Kolossi Castle – Stone, Sugar, and Strategy

Set among citrus groves just west of Limassol, Kolossi Castle Cyprus may be modest in size, but it holds a powerful place in Cyprus’s medieval story.

Built in the 13th century by the Knights of St. John and later used by the Knights Templar, this square fortress once stood at the center of both military and economic power — especially in the island’s lucrative sugar trade.

Kolossi Castle Cyprus – Fortress of the Knights in Photos

more »

---

St. Hilarion Castle Cyprus – private tour to the mighty castle in Cyprus

St. Hilarion Castle Cyprus stands at 732m and is very well preserved. Walls and towers seem to grow randomly out of the rock, giving the castle a fairytale appearance. It is even said that Walt Disney used it as a model for the castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The castle is named after a hermit who fled Palestine in the 7th century to live up here and rid the mountain of pagan demons. The story goes that the hermit was deaf and so easily resisted the seductive calls of the demons that haunted the mountain. Eventually the demons gave in and left Hilarion and the mountain alone. A Byzantine monastery and later a fortress were built around his tomb.

more »

---