Family Hikes with Inna: Minerals, Gnomes, and the Lavender House

Two family adventures in the Troodos Mountains for children and adults aged 0+, where walks through the forest turn into a real exploration of nature.

On June 7, participants will go on a hike through the Troodos Mountains. For the older group of young hikers (ages 6+), a route has been prepared in collaboration with geologists—graduates of Moscow State University. The kids will hike about 3.5 km through a pine forest to a panoramic observation deck at eagle-flight height, learn how, about 70 million years ago, parts of an ancient tectonic plate broke off, flipped over, and became the Troodos Mountains, and collect their own mineral specimens.

After the hike, the young explorers will examine their findings under a microscope and conduct a real-life study of their magnetic properties. On the previous hike, the children learned about the Mohs scale and how to determine the hardness of minerals, while this one will focus on natural magnetism.

For children ages 2–6, the organizers have prepared a journey to a secret gnome village. The path to it is strewn with magical stones hidden among the trees and rocks. Along the way, participants will learn about plants, examine their finds under a microscope, and at the end of the journey, each child will be able to choose a gift from the gnomes.

After the hike, everyone will enjoy tea with healthy treats and a large homemade pie made from garden fruits and berries.

For those who wish, there will be an opportunity to have lunch outdoors—the organizers will prepare homemade chicken skewers marinated in yogurt with sweet paprika.

On June 14, families will set out on a walk through the Platres Forest. Inna will introduce participants to the inhabitants of the Cypriot forest—which is home to over 5,000 species—show them endemic trees found nowhere else in the world, help them find aromatic herbs for tea, and tell them about the poisonous snakes and spiders of Cyprus.

During the walk, participants will be able to peek into the forest’s secluded corners and see how its tiny, fairy-tale inhabitants have made their homes.

After the walk, guests will be welcomed at the cozy Lavender House. Hostess Julia will treat participants to lavender tea made from local mountain lavender and homemade treats, and will also tell them about the village of Platres, which over the years has attracted royalty, poets, and famous travelers. Prince George, Princess Mary, King Farouk of Egypt, the French poet Arthur Rimbaud, and the Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Yorgos Seferis have all vacationed here.

After tea, a short interactive performance and gifts from the gnomes await the young guests.