Limassol is the second largest city of the island situated on the southern coast of Cyprus. The city emerged out of two of the most important ancient city-kingdoms, Amathus, to the east of the town, and Kourion to the west. Acting as a magnificent backdrop to the city that spreads for miles along the coast are the Troodos Mountains. Most of the country's grapes are grown in the fertile foothills of the Troodos.

Since the Middle Ages when the Crusaders occupied Cyprus under Richard the Lionheart, Limassol has been known to traders for its wine and sugar cane. Now, with a population of 155,000 Limassol is the center of the winemaking industry, and an important commercial and tourist center.

Limassol is an excellent sea resort, with ten miles of coastline. It has a busy shopping center, countless taverns and restaurants with a nightlife to suit tastes ranging from modest to sophisticated. It is also an important seaport, industrial and tourist area, and port of registry center. The modern economic development of the city started at the beginning of the 20th Century with the creation of the traditional industry of the area - wine and spirits.

Limassol is the home of all the wineries in Cyprus now famous for exceptionally good wines. Wine making in Cyprus runs deep into the island's history, as deep as the roots of the vine grow into the earth. The history of the wine runs parallel to the history of the island with all its fortunes and misfortunes.

Tourism started developing as an important industry in the 1930's with Platres on Mount Olympus being a major destination for many visitors from Greece and Egypt including King Farouk. Combining its roles as the second largest city, the island's main port, the center of the wine industry and a bustling holiday resort, Limassol emerges as a spirited and cosmopolitan seaside town. Limassol is the "city of fun" as it is called in Cyprus. It is the home of the world famous wine festival, a ten-day event at the end of September, when you can mingle with the crowds in the beautifully decorated Municipal Gardens and sample the Cyprus wines which flow freely during the event. Limassol is home to the Spring Carnival parade. Hundreds of parties around the city create an exhilarating atmosphere during the weeklong celebrations.

If you decide to visit during the hot nights of July and August, Limassol still offers you amongst other pleasures, the international Dance Festival, at the Garden Theatre, or the possibility to watch a Greek drama or a concert at the ancient theatre of Curium. Places of interest include Limassol Castle, which houses The Cyprus Mediaeval Museum, the District Archaeological Museum, the Folk Art Museum, the Limassol Municipal Art Gallery, and the Municipal Gardens. Also in the vicinity is the placid Yermasogia dam, frequented by keen anglers, and the Salt Lake at Akrotiri, home of thousands of migrating birds in winter, and a stopover point for millions more as they fly to different climates in spring and autumn. In the nearby foothills, delightful villages continue the gentle pace of rural life.