The windmills made their first appearance in Paralimni in the beginning of the twentieth century and were used by farmers to pump water up for the irrigation of their fields. Soon they multiplied in number, and as a result, Protaras, its most productive area, is often referred to as the land of windmills. The windmills were later replaced by mechanical pumps. Today, the large number of windmills shows the productivity of the past while affording a quaint, nostalgic beauty to the landscape of the area.

You’ll feel like you’ve crossed the border, but you’re not quite there yet. Of course, you’re aware that Maastricht’s central location in the Euregio means you can be in Belgium very quickly. But you don’t really feel it until you see how the city, and the countryside around it, is layered with a unique mix of foreign influences. With the Sint Pietersberg hill, the historic caves, the vineyards, Fort Sint Pieter, and Château Neercanne as backdrop, this part of the city has everything you need to capture that holiday feeling. Sint Pieter was its own municipality until 1920. This part of the city was always outside the city walls (and so had it the toughest in times of war). Then, it was mainly farmers who lived here; now, it’s mostly families, epicureans, and a few descendants of the inhabitants of that old Sint Pieter. Today, Sint Pieter is Maastricht’s most popular residential district, not just for its beautiful houses but because of its ideal location between city and green. And it still feels like its own town, with its own social life, and charm, even though it’s just a stone’s throw away from the city park. In fact, it has the best of both worlds: village and city. Nature and culture.

Paralimni is situated next to a seasonal lake which forms west of the community, between Paralimni and Sotira. This is actually a natural hollow which collects rainwater from all parts of Paralimni and the neighbouring hills during the winter season. The lake has been part of the NATURA 2000 network since 2009, as it forms the natural habitat of an abundant and important population of the protected grass snake, Natrix Natrix Cypriaca, and as a large number of migrating and nesting birds find shelter here.