A legend about Limassol Wine Festival
It was 1224, and as the medieval wars had ended, the French King Philip Augustus wanted to provide some entertainment, so he decided to hold the first ever wine festival.
After tasting the most popular wines from all over Europe, the strict judges of the “Battle of wines”* unanimously awarded the victory to the sweet Commandaria – the traditional Cypriot wine! Since then, the Queen of wine, Commandaria, became known as one of Europe’s most noble wines.
*«Battle of the Wines» (fr. «La Bataille des Vins») is mentioned in a poem
by the poet Henry D`Andeli (Henri d’Andeli, «La Bataille des Vins»), 1224.
This is, of course, just legend, but the undisputed fact remains that Cypriots are experts in wine, and the annual Wine Festival in Limassol has been attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world for more than half a century.
Every September since 1961, for 1½ weeks, the Limassol Municipal Park turns into a kind of home of Dionysus, the God of Wine and Revelry.
Wine Festival of Cyprus
At the main entrance guests are met with the emblem of the wine festival – a 7 meter statue, in traditional costume, of Vrakas, the chief winemaker,
Pavilions are arranged on either side of the statue representing the different wineries. Paying only for entry, visitors are then free to sample the wide variety of refined and aromatic wines from both wineries and private producers.
The Wine Festival is a true celebration of taste! In addition to the ‘gifts from the vine’, guests can also enjoy traditional Cypriot cuisine – souvlaki, various cheeses, Cypriot pancakes, salads and sweet snacks, served in open-air cafes.
The honouring of Cypriot wines is accompanied by Cypriot folk songs and dances, theatre performances and musical shows. The most active guests may join in with the traditional pressing of the grapes!
Exact dates of the festival can be found in CYPRUS EVENTS section.
Ежегодно The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) will provide the FREE TRANSFER from Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos and Ayia Napa on comfortable buses for the visitors.
Bus Routes & Timetable HERE.