Pitsillia
The Pitsillia area lies on the eastern slopes of the Troodos mountain range. Picturesque villages cling to the mountain side amid vineyards, orchards of almond and hazelnut trees, and an astonishing array of wild flowers. Pitsillia area is reached either from Limassol, on the Limassol-Ayios Theodoros-Agros Road, or Limassol-Kato Amiandos- Karvounas-Kyperounda road, or from Nicosia through Palaichori-Agros, or through Kakopetria-Karvounas- Kyperounda.

Louvaras
28 km north of Limassol on the south of the Troodos range, off the Limassol-Agros road. In the middle of the village is the small church of Ayios Mamas built in 1455 with wall paintings some signed by Philip Goul.

Agros
45 km north of Limassol through Ayios Theodoros, Agros is the centre of the district. It has a good dry climate, gardens of roses, cool springs and hotels for visitors.

A 19th century church in Byzantine style now stands on the site of a 9th century monastery of Panayia Eleousa Agrou, founded by monks from Constantinople.

Stavros Tou Ayiasmati At Platanistassa
Platanistassa village, 15 km from Agros, 30 km off the Nicosia-Astromeritis road, turning left before Peristerona village. A 15th century church, lying about 3 km outside this very pleasant old village, retains the most complete cycles of mural paintings of the second half of the 15th century in Cyprus. Visitors can ask for the key from the village priest. Panayia Tou Araka At Lagoudhera.

Lagoudhera village, is 15 km from Agros or off the Kakopetria-Troodos-Limassol road (Karvounas crossroad). The 12th century church stands just outside the village with some of the finest frescoes of the late Comnenian style (I 192), prevailing throughout Greece, the Balkans and Russia.

Together with Assinou church and that of Ayios Nikolaos tis Steghis, it is considered to be one of the most important Byzantine churches on the island. Visitors can ask for the key and be escorted by the priest who can be found in the premises next to the church.

Kourdhali
7 km off the Kakopetria-Troodos road, after Spilia village. The village's early 16th century church, containing frescoes of the same period, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Panayia).

Pelendri
3 km below Kato Amiandos, off the Karvouna-Limassol road, 32 km from Limassol. Once the property of Jean de Lusignan, son of the Lusignan King of Cyprus, Hugh IV. There are two interesting churches, the 14th century church of Timiou Stavrou with beautiful wall paintings and the church of Panayia Katholiki in the middle of the old village which dates to the early 16th century with paintings of the ltato-Byzantine style.

The Cedar Valley area, including Tripylos, the peak behind Cedar Valley, has been declared as a Forest Reserve in which the fauna and flora are strictly protected. Central Troodos, encompassing an area of about 9.300 hectares, around Khionistra, has also been declared into a National Forest Park. Within this area four Nature Reserves, totalling about 220 hectares, have been set up.

There are several interesting walks in the Troodos area and several nature trails have been constructed by the Forestry Department in some of the most attractive areas. Some are:

The Artemis Trail is a circular trail seven km long around Khionistra (1.951 m) in the Black Pine region at about 1.850 m altitude. The flora of the area is very distinctive and includes many endemic species of plants characteristic of this summit. Bird watchers will occasionally sight birds such as the Cross-Bill, the Short-toed Tree creeper, the Haw Finch, the Blue Rock Thrush and the Imperial Eagle, as well as many other species.

The nine km Atalante Trail, named after the mythological forest nymph, starts in Troodos and finishes on the road to Prodromos. Like the Artemis nature trail, it has a rich plant life and spectacular scenery. The two km Caledonian Trail, called the "Trail of Nightingales," follows the Kryos River flowing from Troodos to Platres, winding down through the pine forest with Oriental Planes and Alders and many orchids and butterflies in late spring. Trout and freshwater crabs can be found in the river. They are both protected. The path continues past the Caledonian Falls for another one km or so to Platres.

The Persephone Trail (Makrya Kontarka), named after the Goddess of Spring, is only about three km long. Yet it offers fine views and notable botanical growth, especially lichens and ferns. Like all the other trails in this area, it is also interesting from a geological point of view.

A relatively new trail in the Pitsilia area around Madhari peak is very interesting from a botanical point of view. The Madhari Juniper can be found here reaching 20 or so metres in height. Peonies and many other plants can be seen in flower in late spring. The path offers exceptional views and spectacular gabbro rock formations. Several other trails have also recently been constructed in the Pitsilia area. There are such trails at Agros, Lagoudhera (ending up at Agiasmati), Alona and in other places.

A number of forest paths also traverse the more inaccessible forests. One such path starts at Kykko Monastery and winds through the forest to Cedar Valley while another one starts at Kykko and heads towards Alonoudi location.

Mountain resorts

Mountain Resorts - While most tourism is concentrated around the coastal resorts, the interior of the island offers a charm of its own. The undulating hillsides of the Troodos and Makheras mountains are spotted with hundreds of tiny villages which, especially in summer, offer a cool retreat from the hustle and bustle of the beaches. In winter the same mountains offer the option of alpine style holiday.

The highest point of the Troodos range is Mount Olympus, (1,952 metres) easily discernible from almost any place of the island. A little below it stands Troodos village. The summer seat of government during British rule, it now has a few hotels and restaurants, and an expanding ski area resort with four pistes - two beginners' slopes and intermediate and advanced runs on the north face. The skiing season lasts a couple of months a year, peaking in February.

Other favoured summer retreats in the mountains are the villages of Prodhomos, Pedhoulas and Platres. The latter is the most cosmopolitan of the mountain villages and was once a favourite summer home for the affluent from Limassol and Nicosia not to mention the wealthy regular visitors from neighbouring countries who spent their summer there. Their sumptuous stone-built holiday villas now line the narrow roads in the area.

Today, however, many of these houses have been converted into guest houses, for city dwellers in the summer months, particularly during the annual holiday in August. Apart from this period, peace and tranquility reign.

Nestling lower down in a deep valley amidst poplars, fruit trees and vines is the village of Kakopetria. The old part of the village which climbs the hillside from a disused mill, has been declared an 'ancient monument' and restored to its former glory of cobbled streets and old stone houses.

The Makheras mountain range derives its name from the Monastery of Makheras situated about 25 miles from Nicosia. During Cyprus' struggle for independence from British rule in the late 1950s, the monastery harboured many fighters of the Cypriot independence movement, EOKA, including Gregoris Afxentiou, the second in command to the movement's leader, General Grivas.

It was near the Makheras Monastery that Afxentiou fought a last ditch battle against British forces, preferring to be burned alive rather than surrender. His mountain hideout is now a place of pilgrimage for Greek Cypriots.

Cyprus' mountain villages are host to some of the most important examples of early Christian art. Part of the Byzantine Empire for almost 800 years, the island bore witness to one of the most creative periods of Christian church painting and architecture.

Because of the island's remoteness this heritage escaped the religious conflicts of the time and, more especially, the destruction of the Iconoclasts. As a result the chapels, where people can wonder around with their beautiful religious frescoes, are living museums of Byzantine art spanning some five centuries of the Middle Ages.

In all there are some five thousand churches and chapels in Cyprus, five hundred of them with remains of their original frescoes and hundreds more housing ancient icons. Many of the churches retain apse mosaics of the early Byzantine period - exceptionally rare survivors of the Iconoclasts assault.

Nine Cypriot churches containing especially fine examples of this church art were recently given the distinction of inclusion in UNESCO'S world heritage list. These churches are: Asinou, Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis, St John's Monastery (Lambadistis), Panayia tou Moutoulla, Archangelos at Pedhoulas, Stavros at Pelendri, Panayia tou Araka at Lagoudera, Panayia tis Podithou at Galata and Stavros tou Ayiasmati near Platanistassa.

Marathassa Valley

This fertile valley, well known for its cherries on the north side of the Troodos range, offers an alternative route to Troodos, through the lovely mountain villages, such as Kalopanayiotis, Moutoullas, Pedhoulas and then up to Prodhromos and Kykko. The road is signposted to Kykko, and turns off the main Nicosia-Troodos road just below Evrykhou. Marathassa is also reached from Limassol-Platres-Prodhromos road (around 65 km from Limassol) .

Kalopanayiotis
The village is famous for its sulphur springs and the famous church of Aylos loannis Lampadistis. Originally a monastery, it is a complex of several buildings of various dates and contains excellent frescoes of the 13th and 15th centuries. One of the biggest religious fairs in the valley is held here on St. John's day, 4 October.

Moutollas
Less than a kilometre further up, is Moutoullas village with its tiny 13th century chapel of Panayia tou Moutoula, one of the earliest dated examples of the steep-pitched wooden roof type with frescoes dating back to 1280. Visitors can obtain the key from the adjacent house. Also at Moutoullas, the tradition continues for carved wooden basins.

Pedhoulas
The third village up the mountain is Pedhoulas, a summer resort famous for its cherries. The painted church of Archangel Michael stands in the lower part of the village and dates from 1474.
Visitors can obtain the key from the adjacent house, or leave a message for the village priest at the coffee shop.

Three old monasteries in Troodos

Kykko Monastery
20 km west of Pedhoulas village. The most famous and richest monastery in Cyprus. Founded in 1100 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it possesses one of the three surviving icons ascribed to St. Luke. The icon, covered in silver gilt and enclosed in a shrine of tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, stands at the front of the iconostasis.

The first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III served as a novice here. At his own wish, he was buried at Throni, 3 km west of the Monastery, not far from his native village of Panayia,
Religious fairs are held at Kykko on 15 August and 8 September.

Troodhitissa Monastery
5 km north west of Platres, (40 km from Limassol), on the Platres- Prodhromos road. A beautiful monastery standing amid pine trees, it was originally founded in the 13th century, but the present church dates from 1731. The church contains a priceless icon of the Virgin Mary brought from Asia Minor, plated with silver-gilt and many other valuable icons. A large religious fair is held in the grounds on 15 August.

Mesa Potamos Monastery
Deserted monastery near Platres in an idyllic setting, which includes a nearby waterfall. Close enough to touch, herds of grazing moufflon, or agrino - the shaggy mountain sheep indigenous to Cyprus, pass by and the clear mountain air is fragrant with lemon and orange from the groves below.

Happily, a natural reserve in the heart of the region ensures that this wild beauty will remain forever. Along the way, each village will be glad to offer you its local specialty, whether that be a mountain goat cheese, a characterful Cypriot wine, fresh cherries or rosewater.

And of course, because you're still on Cyprus, history and culture are never far away. Nine of Troodos's remarkable painted Byzantine churches have been listed on UNESCO's prestigious World Cultural Heritage List. The famous Kykkos and Trooditissa Monasteries are well worth a visit for their icons, frescoes, and inspiring architecture.

Nature Trails : Artemis / Atalante / Kaledonia / Persephone

The thick cedar and pine forests and sun soaked slopes of the Troodos region offer an unexpected contrast to the Mediterranean coast. All four nature trails are found in a state forest which, because of its particular importance, is classified as a National Forest Park, while some smaller areas with sensitive biotopes were chosen as Nature Reserves. Signs mark the presence of flora and fauna unique to Cyprus.

Cedar Valley/Stavros Tis Psokas
The Cedar Valley is a forest unlike any other in the Mediterranean. Its 200,000 indigenous cedar trees are of a type found exclusively in Cyprus and they provide the natural habitat for the moufflon, a breed of large mountain goat also believed to be unique to Cyprus.

Rarely seen by man outside captivity the moufflon are protected species and the Cyprus Government has set up a national preserve for the breed at Stavros tis Psokas. Overnight accommodation is available at the Forest Station's guest house next to the preserve.