Nicosia was on Sunday night awarded second place in 2024’s Erasmus destination of the year.

The awards were handed out at the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)’s annual meeting in the Spanish city of Seville.

Nicosia was praised at the ceremony for its “warm and welcoming people”, its “vibe”, the fact it is an “open air museum”, its “inclusive community”.

Sohaib Nassar, a volunteer at Nicosia’s ESN branch, spoke of his love for Nicosia’s “food, weather, and culture”, while fellow volunteer Andria Sofroniou praised the city’s ESN branch.

Portugal’s second city Porto were the eventual winners, while Istanbul in Turkey, Bulgarian capital Sofia, and Seville rounded out the top five.

Previous Erasmus destinations of the year include Belgian city Ghent in 2023 and Greek second city Thessaloniki in 2022.

The Erasmus programme facilitates student exchanges across Europe, with upwards of a million students per year taking part in Erasmus exchanges.

The ESN is a student-led network which aims to embellish Erasmus students’ experience in their host cities, with local branches holding various social events and programmes to enhance the social lives of Erasmus students and bridge gaps between students from across the continent and beyond.

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The Cypriot delegation in Seville