Handicraft & Enogastronomy
“Learn a craft even if you don’t need to and if you get hungry, practice it”. This is an old Cypriot folk saying, that can be interpreted as to have a contingency plan, if everything doesn’t go according to your plans, learning a craft will never fail you. Not so long-ago people living at the Heartland of Legends villages were either farmers or shepherds and at the same time handcrafters. People had to be creative and multi-talented, to be able to supplement their income, if they faced hardship, and a craft always comes in handy.
They engaged in basket weaving, icon painting for rich churches and landlords, silversmithing, wood carving, ceramic and pottery making, mosaic making, embroidery, wine and Commandaria making, and many more. All these crafts are nowadays part of our Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has developed a scheme to offer people the opportunity to participate in workshops promoting both traditional crafts and contemporary fashionable handicrafts where tradition pairs harmonically with modern.
Visitors can participate in various handcrafts and oenogastronomy workshops, which take place at many Heartland villages. Wrap your hands around clay to make pots, learn how to use the gouge (carving tool with a curved cutting edge) to carve your own wooden artifact, master needle and thread to create Lefkaritika needlework, sit at a voufa (loom) moving rhythmically to weave Fythkiotika fabrics and many more. Exciting workshops and authentic experiences just for you, beckon to be discovered in the Heartland of Legends.
All these experiential activities require booking, therefore contact the organizer in advance. Also, at the village/location where the workshops take place, free guided tours are offered.
All Workshops are free of charge
Workshops take place from February to November 2023 and are open for visitors from 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. No reservation is required if you are just visiting.
We are waiting for you to come and experience this once in a lifetime journey, through traditional tastes, activities and customs, gaining the authentic Cyprus feel.
* It is noted that the organizers of the workshops will implement all sanitary measures for the protection of public health, as defined by the Decree and instructions issued by the Ministry of Health.
* The Deputy Ministry of Tourism invites all interested parties to contact the organizers for any further information regarding the workshops.
