Have you heard of the Berengaria Hotel? It will always remain a mysterious place to the public, keeping a lot of secrets that may never come to be unveiled. Opened in 1931, the Berengaria Hotel closed its doors in 1984. It stands abandoned, desolate and its vulnerable structure crumbles. It used to be a hidden jewel of the mountains hosting famous visitors, including the King of Egypt, the president of Israel and other titled guests. The luxurious hotel had a tennis court, a swimming pool, a casino, a night club, with interior furnished with the scrumptious pieces of decor. They say after Mr. Kokkalos, the owner of the hotel, died, his three sons picked up the family business but their jealousy of each other caused huge losses and hotel failure to operate. According to the legend three brothers died under the mysterious circumstances thus igniting the appeal of the hotel. It is thought to be a haunted place as the villagers have reported seeing ghosts to lurk in the darkness and hearing screams, howls and cries. Those legends have turned the hotel into the place of attraction for myth busters, adventurers and adrenaline junkies. You are one of them, aren’t you? It’s a lovely sunny day, the birds are twitting, and you are brave enough to start your journey. In a while you will see the hotel at a distance, sitting on the slope of the Olympus mountain, surrounded by the pine trees of the Troodos range. The miles of the twisty mountain roads still separate you from the final destination. As soon as you reach the central roundabout of Prodromos, the highest village of Cyprus, you’ll see the hotel on your left. Here you are, the area is entirely unfamiliar, mystery is one foot away. You come closer and see the fencing mesh with the sign on it: “No entry! Dangerous!”. But it doesn’t stop you, adding even more fire to your curiosity. You proceed through the hole in the fence inspired by the thrill of the location. You hear sounds of the past, as if the experience of the noisy breakfast amidst the celebrities echoing in your ears. Your eyes gaze sadly at the empty walls visualizing the splendor of those days. Suddenly, a bat gets out of the hole, with your eyes widening in shock. It doesn’t attack you but scares you to death and you scream. You continue to explore numerous balconies, windows, halls, corridors, trying the steps of the early eminent visitors. In the back yard you stand on the rusty bridge looking into the empty swimming pool full of debris following decades of disuse. You raise your eyes and soak up the breath-taking views of the valleys and the mountains. You think to yourself ‘Yeah, this was the place...’. As the sun sets down it adds the spooky atmosphere into the picture. The rickety shutters bang in the wind giving it that haunted feeling. You wander around the ruins for hours in a desperate attempt to salvage any tiny piece of the past and see the leaning shadow from the window. It’s gets dark soon and you leave. Not disappointed though but satisfied with the experience!

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