Lefkaritiko
The famous lace.
Serhio Magpie — CC BY 4.0 · Attalides — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Qasinka — CC0 · Cyprus Tourism CH — CC BY 2.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Pano Lefkara is a hill village in Larnaca District, known worldwide for two handicrafts, embroidered lace and silver filigree. Narrow lanes, stone houses with coloured doors and shops displaying their work at the door give it a distinctive character. Lefkara lace, known as Lefkaritiko, is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. A famous legend says Leonardo da Vinci visited in 1481 and bought an altar cloth for Milan Cathedral, a story that remains just that. One of its oldest landmarks is the Church of the Holy Cross, dating to the 14th century, with a carved timber screen from the 18th century. Walk the lanes to see lace and silver work and the people who sell it, then visit the handicraft centre, a museum of traditional embroidery and silversmithing. On one side of the village stands a small mosque with a slender minaret beside simple houses, and from the edges the view spreads over white hills and farmland. It is 30 km in a straight line from Larnaca and 32 km from Limassol, an easy half day by car. Before buying, ask where a piece comes from, as genuine handmade lace costs more, and compare prices between shops. The lanes hold shade in the morning, the best time for pictures and strolling.
The famous lace.
From the 14th century.
Coloured doors and small shops.
Southern Troodos foothills, Larnaca District, Cyprus
It is a popular legend of a visit in 1481, and sources treat it as a story rather than fact.
Ask where it comes from and compare shops. Genuine handwork costs more.