I have always had a bit of a thing for abandoned places. It's something about the heady concoction of the silence, the decay and the history that draws me in. Handily enough, because of it's complicated history, Cyprus has a large number of derelict buildings, hotels and even old cars to explore.
Amongst the most impressive is the Berengaria Hotel, located 4600ft up in the Troodos Mountains, it was once one of Cyprus's grandest residences. I only found out about it by chance, but once I'd navigated through a few photos on Flickr, I was itching to visit.
It was built in the 1920s and run successfully for 60 years, but after being bought in the 1980s it fell into disrepair. It's lost its roof several times to arson attacks and the interior has been stripped out in anticipation of a renovation that's never happened, but it's still hauntingly beautiful.
The two 1960s swimming pools are relatively intact (if full of green water) and although the hotel has been stripped of absolutely everything, there were a few interesting bits of history in a derelict house in the grounds, including some of the hotels china...
Its particularly fascinating to be able to compare the interior photos with what it looked like at its launch. Sadly after 25 years of neglect it seems unlikely it will ever open its doors again.
