Pedoulas

Pedoulas is one of the most beautiful villages in Cyprus, which is surrounded by pine woods, cherry trees and lies in the Marathasa valley.It is a popular summer resort with an exciting past.

Pedoulas belongs to the Nicosia district and is located at an altitude of 1100 meters on the Troodos mountain. You can travel to Pedoulas either from Nicosia, from Limassol on the south cost of the island or from Paphos.

The history of Pedoulas dates back to the Byzantine years, the Frankish years and the Venetian years when it was owned by the Royals.Education in the village officially began in 1853 A.D, while private schools also operated from 1700 A.D. The villagers were educated at the local schools of both primary and secondary education.

Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of the village, and Pedoulas was the ideal location for the cultivation of cherries, apples and other fruit trees. Agriculture however did not always provide the villagers with enough money, so during the difficult times tourism, trade and home art were additional sources of income.

Weaving was the exclusive pastime of women during the winter days. Most households had an argyle machine with which they made cotton and wool fabrics, carpets and blankets. The experience of many tanners allowed the residents to deal with the process of skins which were then made into shoes and boots.

Before the end of World War II and the years that followed, the economy of the village bloomed. There are still indications from the prosperity of those years. The schools, the churches, the government buildings, the hotels and the tanneries still exist today. Pedoulas was an innovative centre of tourism and cherry production and was also the cultural and commercial centre for 14 villages in the area of Marthasa.

According to tradition, the word "Pedoulas" is comes from two words, the "pediada" and "las". The first word means valley and the second word means people. Pedoulas village is considered as an attractive place to visit, therefore it attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year, especially during the summer period. Most of the visitors who visit Pedoulas are looking forward to enjoy the refreshing cool and dry climate and to take a break from the noisy and tiring city life. They are also enjoying the magnificent natural beauty of the village and enjoy the local traditional hospitality of the Cypriot people.

Pedoulas village is ideal for nature lovers as it offers a great variety of nature trails for those who love walking but for those who love cycling as well. The village also has many interesting places, like the local Byzantine museum, the Folkloric museum, the Archangelos Michael Church , the Timios Stavros Church which is the main church of the village, the Agiou Onoufriou Chapel , the Agia Marina Chapel , the Agia Paraskevi Chapel , the Agiou Panagioti Chapel , the Agiou Rapahel Ton Vrahon Chapel , the Timios Stavros Chapel , the Agiou Georgiou Chapel and various others.