The Castle of Limassol is located in the heart of the old town, just above the old port. According to tradition, this is where Richard the Lionheart got married to Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191. The fortification walls are of great archaeological interest and there are speculations that they were part of a much larger castle.
The exact date of the construction of the castle is not known. According to Etienne de Lusignan, it was built in 1193 by Guy de Lusignan, the founder of the Lusignan dynasty. However, the first official reference to the fort dates back to 1228, during the interference of Frederic II of Germany in the affairs of Cyprus. Over the years, the fort suffered the assaults of many invaders. It was destroyed further in the earthquakes of 1567 and 1568. Finally, in 1590, the Ottomans rebuilt the fort. The original fort was larger than the later one, which also includes some parts of the former building, such as the two oblong halls of the ground floor. Below the eastern hall there is a basement with cells, which was used as a prison until 1950. Today the castle houses the Medieval Museum of Cyprus.
Open hours
- Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 17:00
- Saturday: 09:00 - 17:00
- Sunday: 10:00 - 13:00
Admission: € 4,50
* There is a 20% reduction to the abovementioned prices for groups over 10 people participating in an organized excursion. Also, there are entry coupons for a full day for € 8,50, for three days for € 17,00 and for seven days for € 25,00.
