Lemythou

To the northwest of Lemesos (Limassol), 45 kilometres away, lies Lemithou village at an altitude of 1200 m, near the mountain resorts of Troodos, Prodromos and Platres. The wonderful mountain scenery with its evergreen forests and deep valleys set the village apart as one of the most beautiful in the Marathassa district. The village was most probably established in Byzantine times and acquired its name either from its first inhabitant, Lemithis, or from an indigenous plant, lemithin. The main cultivations in the area are vines (of wine making variety), apple, cherry and peach trees. In 1912 the Mitsi Business School was founded in the village, which includes a number of distinguished Cypriot personalities among its graduates.

The village's main attractions are the 16th century church of Agios Theodoros (with its wooden roof and single nave), the church of Panagia lamatiki (Virgin Therapeutic), a contemporary building, which houses the 17* century icon of the Virgin.

Other churches in the area are those of Agios Nikolaos and Agios Georgios. The village is an ideal base for walks along the numerous nature trails, for cycling and for sight seeing (see the Byzantine monasteries of Kykkos, Trooditissa and others). For ski afficionados, the Troodos ski centre is only 8 km away. Don't miss the rare and beautiful moufflon (a rare breed of goat native to the island) at nearby Stavros tis Psokas.