A church with Byzantine wall paintings, a museum in a restored building, and nearby trails give Palaichori a range of travel highlights. The village is in the Troodos Mountains. If you are looking for accommodation in Palaichori, you can plan your trip around whether church art and local history or hiking are the bigger draw.
Byzantine Art and Churches
The Museum of Byzantine Heritage is in the community center near Panagia Church. It is housed in an old, restored building; its collection includes art from several churches and chapels in Palaichori. The exhibits span from the Frankish period to the present day and are mainly from the post-Byzantine period. The forms represented include religious icon painting, woodcarving, silversmithing, weaving, and printing.
Two rooms display significant works of religious art and other relics preserved over the centuries. The exhibits there span the 14th to the 20th century. A multimedia information kiosk in the museum provides information about the surrounding area in four languages.
Since 2000, the Church of Metamorfoseos tou Sotiros has been one of the Byzantine churches in the Troodos Mountains included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and adorned with wall paintings. This brings different aspects of church art together in the village: the collection in the museum and a church that is part of this UNESCO listing.
Local History and Memorials
The old primary school next to the medieval olive mill is a rectangular, single-room building. It remained in operation until 1930. The mill is on a lower level. Both buildings were restored by the Archaeology Department, with support from a donation by the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation.
Memorials also shape the village landscape. The E.O.K.A. Heroes Monument stands in the village center next to Panagia Church. It commemorates Michalis Karaolis, Kyriakos Matsi, and Nikos Georgiou, who lost their lives in the E.O.K.A. struggle. The room of the hero in Kyriakos Matsi's house remains unchanged. The Monument to the Cypriot Mother stands on a hill east of the village.
Nearby Hiking Trails
The nature trails and hiking routes in Palaichori are considered well marked. Allow about 2.5 hours of walking time for the Nature Trail of “Appis”; its starting point is about one kilometer from the village. There are signposts every 800 meters. Rest kiosks are located at 1,464 meters and at the end of the trail. Benches and waste bins are available about every 500 meters. Signs with pictures and names introduce 30 plant species.
Another nearby trail is 5 km long and starts near the Palaichori Retirement Home. It leads to the Papoutsa hideout area. This gives you different information to plan with: an approximate walking time is provided for the Nature Trail of “Appis,” while the length is given for this trail.
A Local Taste
Zivania, a high-proof pomace spirit that is still made traditionally in Palaichori, is part of local production. Together with the churches, historic buildings, and trails, it gives a picture of a village that brings cultural and nature-related themes together.
Discover more destinations: Pedhoulas, Vyzakia, Arapköy, Egkomi, Spilia, Klirou, Peristerona, Lefke.
For the main travel overview: Nicosia.
