Making of Glystarkas

"Learn a craft and leave it, and if you go hungry, grab it" says this proverb, which carries the wisdom of folk tradition. It encourages us to learn a craft, develop skills, and have a resource in life even if we do not need it immediately. If things do not turn out as we planned at some point, a craft may give us the solution and get us out of a difficult situation.

The residents of the villages along the "Heartland of Legends" route were mainly farmers or shepherds, but they also knew a craft. They had to be creative and versatile to supplement their income in hard times. A craft was always useful!

Men and women learned to make objects that were both useful and beautiful. Crafts such as:

• Basket weaving
• Icon painting
• Silver and goldsmithing
• Wood carving
• Pottery and ceramics
• Mosaic
• Embroidery
• Winemaking
• Making the renowned koumandaria

All these crafts are today part of Cyprus' Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has developed a scheme that gives visitors and locals the opportunity to take part in experiential workshops. There, they will have the chance to get to know the traditional crafts of the Cypriot countryside up close, or even learn modern forms of handicraft where the contemporary is harmoniously combined with the traditional.

Craft and food-and-wine workshops take place in many villages along the "Heartland of Legends" route. Feel the clay slip between your fingers to make clay objects, learn how to use a chisel to carve your own wooden piece, take a needle and thread to create Lefkaritika embroidery, sit at a loom to make Fythkiotika fabrics, and finally feel the joy of creating with your own hands. Discover new experiences along the "Heartland of Legends" route.

All workshops are free of charge.

Discover all available experiential workshops, held from May to November 2026 and open to visitors on Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays. Booking is required for participation, so please contact the organiser directly in advance. Workshops are also held in the Christmas villages during the festive season.

Make the most of your visit to all these villages. Visit the local attractions, Byzantine churches and rural museums, walk the nature trails, sit in the village coffee house and have a coffee with the locals, and feel the pulse of tradition.

The craftspeople of the "Heartland of Legends" are waiting to share with you authentic traditional flavours, forgotten customs and activities that keep alive the soul of our land. Discover new experiences and enrich your holiday with authentic Cypriot tradition and culture.