The island of Cyprus lies in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, close to Turkey. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and geographically belongs to Asia. Politically, however, Cyprus is European.

We visited the island of Cyprus in early January and can warmly recommend Cyprus as a winter escape. We explored the island by rental car and have compiled our experiences and travel photos in a travel guide written in the style of a travel report. Enjoy reading!

One cultural highlight follows the next.

Hardly a spot on Cyprus that has not played a significant role in history.

Whether it is the excavation sites from the Neolithic era, the temple complexes of the gods, or the sad reality of the divided island.

• The former British Crown Colony was granted independence by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1960 and joined the United Nations on 20 September 1960.
• Following a coup attempt by the Greek military junta and the Cypriot National Guard, who sought to annex the island to Greece, Turkish armed forces have occupied a large part of northern Cyprus since 20 July 1974.
• They invoked their role as a guarantor power for the Turkish Cypriots under the London Treaty of Guarantee of 1959. On 15 November 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed, which has not been recognized by the international community to this day.
• The United Nations Security Council declared the declaration of independence invalid in its Resolution 541 on 18 November 1983 and demanded the withdrawal of Turkish forces. Nevertheless, the authority of the Republic of Cyprus has since been limited to the southern part of the island.
• Since 1 May 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the European Union, although in practice only the southern part of the island is part of the EU.