Kolossi Castle, 14 kilometres west of Limassol, is the best-preserved medieval castle in Cyprus — a compact, well-maintained Lusignan tower house dating from the 15th century, built on the site of an earlier fortification. The castle served as the headquarters of the Knights Hospitalier in Cyprus and later as the administrative centre of the sugar cane and wine estates they controlled in this fertile corner of the island.
The three-storey keep is solid and handsome, with fine carved coats of arms above the doorways and a well-preserved kitchen with an enormous fireplace. The views from the roof across the surrounding farmland toward the coast are worth the climb. The nearby wine estates continue to produce Commandaria from the same hillside vineyards that supplied the medieval knights. The castle is easily combined with a visit to the nearby archaeological site of Kourion.