{"id":862,"date":"2025-04-21T12:04:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=862"},"modified":"2025-04-22T12:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T12:00:01","slug":"the-sunniest-city-in-europe-is-an-underappreciated-jewel-and-you-can-fly-there-from-66","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/the-sunniest-city-in-europe-is-an-underappreciated-jewel-and-you-can-fly-there-from-66\/","title":{"rendered":"The sunniest city in Europe is an \u2018underappreciated jewel\u2019 \u2014 and you can fly there from \u00a366"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Looking for some guaranteed sunshine on your holiday? (Picture: Getty Images\/Photononstop RF)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunglasses, suncream, and a crucial bit of dopamine. Looking for a getaway where you\u2019re pretty much guaranteed a bit of sun<\/a>? The sunniest capital cities in Europe<\/a> have been named.<\/p>\n

Taking the top spot is Nicosia<\/strong> in Cyprus<\/a>, where there\u2019s an impressive 3,388 hours of sunshine per year, equal to around 140 days. That certainly beats London<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Famous for its sparkling waters, architectural marvels and incredibly friendly locals, Valletta in Malta<\/a> was crowned second place with 3,030 hours of glorious sunshine each year.<\/p>\n

With its iconic trams, stunning tiled streets and frankly delicious Past\u00e9is de Nata, Lisbon<\/a> in Portugal <\/a>came third. There\u2019s no scrimping on the rays here either, with approximately 2,828 hours annually, according to a new study.<\/p>\n

Thinking about booking a holiday to Nicosia? Here\u2019s everything you need to know, from things to do, to how to get there and even when to go to soak up as much heat as possible.<\/p>\n

Things to do in Nicosia<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Nicosia, which is also known as Lefkosia and Lefko\u015fa, is the last divided capital city in the world.<\/p>\n

Referencing the colour of the pen used by the United Nations to draw between the different territories, the Green Line has remained in place since 1963, and was extended significantly in 1974. To this day, it separates Greek Cypriot communities from Turkish Cypriots.<\/p>\n

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@the_lamarind<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here are my 5 recommendations on places to visit in Nicosia (both south and north), including their liberty monument, the remains of the roman, venetian walls and baths, the ledra street crossing and the mosque and buyuk han in north nicosia #fyp<\/a> #travel<\/a> #traveltiktok<\/a> #cyprus<\/a> #cyprustiktok<\/a> #cyprustravel<\/a> #visitcyprus<\/a> #europe<\/a> #europetravel<\/a> #nicosia<\/a> #northnicosia<\/a> #b\u00fcy\u00fckhan<\/a> #ledrastreet<\/a> #europeansummer<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 the Lamarind | Experiences<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

When it comes to visiting Nicosia as a tourist, it\u2019s possible to travel between both sides of the city. There are multiple checkpoints dotted around Nicosia \u2013 with one on Ledra Street and another on Markou Drakou \u2013 and passports are checked by both Greek and Turkish forces.<\/p>\n

If history\u2019s your thing, the Cyprus Museum is a must-see. It\u2019s the oldest and largest in the country and displays one of the world\u2019s most extensive collections of Cypriot antiquities, from pottery to jewellery and coins.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tTravelling between north and south Cyprus\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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If you enter the Republic of Cyprus through the north (flying into Ercan Airport, for example), guidance from Gov UK<\/a> warns that \u2018authorities will consider you to have entered illegally.\u2019<\/p>\n

For this, you could be fined for illegal entry, refused entry to or exit from the Republic of Cyprus, and prevented from crossing back into the north of Cyprus.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, it\u2019s best to fly into Larnaca Airport and then travel to the north afterwards.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

There\u2019s also the Leventis Municipal Museum, which tells Cyprus\u2019s history through ceramics, maps, and posters.<\/p>\n

Fancy a bit of modern art? You\u2019ll find all that and more at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre \u2013 which is found inside an old power station. It was even given the Europa Nostra award in 1994 for its impressive restoration.<\/p>\n

Built in 1572, the B\u00fcy\u00fck Han is considered to be one of the best-preserved examples of Ottoman architecture. <\/p>\n

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There are 140 days of sunshine a year in Nicosia (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since it was renovated in the 1990s, it\u2019s now bustling with an old city vibe, home to a number of cafes, including Sedirhan.<\/p>\n

Craft workshops are also hosted inside the small rooms that once served as sleeping quarters when the Han, which means inn, operated as one.<\/p>\n

And at the centre of it all lies the courtyard with an Islamic prayer centre (known as a mescit), featuring six pillars and a fountain. This particular design is incredibly rare, and there are only two others in Turkey.<\/p>\n

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@anzhelika_travel_<\/a> <\/p>\n

Nicosia\/Lefkosia: 5 things to do #cyprus<\/a> #cyprustiktok<\/a> #nicosia<\/a> #nicosiacyprus<\/a> #lefcosia<\/a> #cyprus\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddfe<\/a> #turkish<\/a> #greekisland<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c Lost Frequencies X David Kushner \u2013 david kushner<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The Selimiye Mosque is one of North Nicosia\u2019s most prominent landmarks, and can be seen from the south of the city.<\/p>\n

Its history dates back to the 13th century, and before it was converted from a Roman Catholic Cathedral into a mosque in 1570 following the Ottoman invasion, it was known as the Cathedral of Saint Sophia.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat do locals say about Nicosia?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Posting on Reddit, Nicosia local @Rhomaios<\/a> previously described Nicosia as \u2018heads and shoulders\u2019 above the rest of Cyprus in terms of \u2018historical and cultural monuments.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The walls of Nicosia are an underappreciated jewel of historical significance,\u2019 they penned on the r\/Cyprus Subreddit, adding that the food is both \u2018affordable\u2019 and has a \u2018good variety of cuisines.\u2019<\/p>\n

@Keroline14 added that they appreciate Nicosia for its \u2018choice,\u2019 and in their opinion, there are \u2018almost no tourists which is great because places are almost never overcrowded.\u2019<\/p>\n

And in @JuryBasic2356\u2019s view, Nicosia is the \u2018most authentic Cypriot city\u2019 as \u2018the amount of history that you can witness here is uncontested.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

How to get to Nicosia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Travelling from London? The easiest way to get to Nicosia is to fly directly from Gatwick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The journey time to Larnaka International Airport is around 4 hours and 35 minutes, and there are currently flights available departing on May 30 for \u00a366 return.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Nicosia\t<\/div>
Flights from London can cost as little as \u00a366 return (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are also routes from Gatwick operated by both easyJet<\/a> and TUI, while British Airways<\/a> flies out of Heathrow<\/a>. We\u2019re spoilt for choice, really.<\/p>\n

When to visit Nicosia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Thinking about maximising that vitamin D? You\u2019re best off visiting Nicosia in either July or August, which tend to be the hottest months of the year in Cyprus, typically reaching temperatures of 26C. Best get that suncream packed.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for some off-season sun, the mercury tends to hit a balmy 16C in April and 19C in May, while September and October remain warm with highs of 24C and 20C.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tThe sunniest capital cities in Europe, according to Omio\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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  1. Nicosia, Cyprus<\/li>\n
  2. Valletta, Malta<\/li>\n
  3. Lisbon, Portugal<\/li>\n
  4. Athens, Greece<\/li>\n
  5. Madrid, Spain.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Looking for some guaranteed sunshine on your holiday? (Picture: Getty Images\/Photononstop RF) Sunglasses, suncream, and a crucial bit of dopamine. Looking for a getaway where you\u2019re pretty much guaranteed a bit of sun? The sunniest capital cities in Europe have been named. Taking the top spot is Nicosia in Cyprus, where there\u2019s an impressive 3,388 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":868,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions\/868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}