The Green Line is the UN buffer zone that divides Cyprus from east to west, cutting through Nicosia's old city in a strip 20–300 metres wide. On the Nicosia crossing, the division is at its most intimate and strange: buildings on either side are close enough to read the signs. The buffer zone itself — occupied only by UN peacekeepers and the occasional feral cat — is one of the last places in Europe where time stopped in the 1970s. Bullet holes remain in walls, sandbags are still in place, and some buildings have been frozen in whatever state they were in the day the war ended.
The main crossing point in Nicosia is on Ledra Street, where you pass through Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot passport control to move between the two sides. The crossing is open to holders of EU and most other passports; bring your passport and be patient at busy times. The experience of walking between the two halves of the city — from a modern European capital to a quieter, older-feeling northern city — is unlike anything else in Europe. It is worth doing both directions to feel the contrast properly.