First published: 23/03/16.

Clyde 3.5

Painted Churches In The Troödos Region

Painted Churches in the Troödos Region (Inscribed)

Painted Churches in the Troödos Region by Clyde

I visited this WHS in February 2016. It is made up of a series of 10 or 12 painted churches high in the Troodos region of Cyprus. The official map indicator offered by UNESCO gives 12 GPS coordinates while the description only mentions 10. Since I had enough time I visited all the churches even though the 'latest' additions were closed for restoration. I'd recommend renting a car and most importantly a GPS navigator. I brought my GPS along with all the saved coordinates and still visiting some of the churches surely wasn't easy. If possible, I'd suggest to approach the Troodos region coming from the capital Nicosia instead of what I did, i.e. crossing inland from Limassol. The route is much more scenic on the latter option, however you'd be better off on a 4x4 vehicle to be on the safe side as you'd be able to venture down the several tractor trails or minor roads to get to all the churches in a sort of loop. I managed with a non-4x4 compact vehicle but there were several moments when I thanked my lucky stars that I managed to do this without damaging the car or worse getting hurt. I have to say that I really enjoy these kind of WHS (a series of less-known sites). Ihe Troodos region reminded me of the Val de Boi Churches in Catalunya. In my opinion the interior of the painted churches of Troodos is their definite highlight and why they have OUV, even though their exterior is quite unique too albeit simple at the same time. My favourite interiors were in Agios Ioannis Lambadistes, Panagia Phorviotissa Asinou, Panagia tou Arakos and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis. These had incredible colours and detail and were in very good condition overall. When churches were closed, I simply asked around in a cafeteria or shop and immediately the friendly locals would call the keyholder! It was really quite an experience and goes to show how laid back life still is in the Troodos region. You won't be able to visit them all if you're in a hurry and you won't enjoy your visit if you're in a rush. I spent 2 full days exploring and it was really worthwhile. Visiting solo in the low season meant that I could easily take several photos and enjoy the quiet environs practically alone. Visiting the churches was completely free even though I bought quite a lot of interesting books and postcards in most of them. My favourite church exterior was that of Panagia Phorviotissa Asinou, which is the most accessible, and in front of which there is a marble Unesco plaque. Almost all the other sites have an individual plastic/metal Unesco sign attached and I'll surely make a photo collage of them all in my free time. The 2 painted churches (+ another non-inscribed one) in Galata offer a great place to stop to eat and to enjoy exploring a Troodos village. Even though the weather was sunny and quite hot at daytime (in February!), the roads close to Mount Olympus (1,952m) and the mountain peaks were covered with melting snow so you should keep this in mind if you visit in December/January. Overall, I really think this is the best WHS in Cyprus and one of the best 'minor/unkwnown' WHS the list has on offer.

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