Prodromos
Prodromos is the highest village in Cyprus and part of the district of Limassol, situated at 115 km from Larnaca, 50 km northwest of Limassol, 78 km southwest of Nicosia and 74 km northeast of Paphos.
Built at an altitude of 1,390 meters on the mountainside and covered in the dense mountainous vegetation of Troodos, Prodromos of the about 80 residents is a village that wins its visitors’ hearts throughout the year, because of the snow that covers everything in the winter and due to the coolness which prevails there during summer.
The snow often exceeds one meter and covers the village for several weeks, and sometimes the temperature falls below zero, making the village a favorite destination for winter tourism, since at a short distance there is the Troodos ski center. With the coming of spring, many are those who enjoy hiking in the mountains, on the Nature Trails and stop at Prodromos for a relaxing lunch or coffee in its taverns and cafes. In summer those who have houses there, rent them to those who want to spend the summer in the mountains, enjoying nature, while for those who prefer camping, there is a camping site called “Kambi tou Kalogerou”.
In this area that falls under the geographic region of Marathasa, most of the land is uncultivated due to the altitude. In some places cherry, plum, pear and peach trees are cultivated, but the most famous product is apples.
Prodromos consists of two villages, Pano Prodromos (Upper), developed along the main Platres-Prodromos road and Kato Prodromos (Lower), which is the original core of the village. There, standing among the houses of the village, is the main church of the community Ioannis o Prodromos (John the Baptist), which gave its name to the village. The stone church with a tall steeple is a basilica with a dome of the 13th century, but was rebuilt in 1935, when it acquired its present form, while inside the church you will find rare ancient icons and frescoes, and two large bells. The icon of John the Baptist of the 13th century is located in a special shrine, but what makes the church really special is the separate space that has been shaped into a small museum, with remnants of the old church that decorate the west side of the new church. The icons, the fairly well preserved iconostasis of the 13th century, the sacred vessels and the vestments of priests, old ecclesiastical books, which are dated between the 8th and 13th centuries, are just some of the exhibits.
Next to the church of St. John the Baptist, there are monuments dedicated to the four Archbishops of Cyprus who came from the area, Makarios A’ , Sophronios, Kyrillos II and Makarios II.
To the west of the community, there is the stone church of the Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) dating back to the 1931 and the chapel of Agios Onoufrios in front of the school yard, which hold a service once a year.
Two kilometers southeast of Prodromos, among pine trees and with a wonderful view, is the female Monastery Trikoukkiotissa, offering peace and devotion to the faithful who arrive here, with the nuns making homemade jam with the village’s trademark apple.
Going to Pano Prodromos, a great attraction for the traveler is the hotel “Berengaria,” one of the greatest mountain accommodation that in the 20th century attracted important personalities such as King Farouk of Egypt in 1931 and the President of Israel Ezer Weizmann. The “Hotel of Kings”, as it has been called, hides in its name its royal glory, which it probably acquired from the eponymous Queen of Nevarras and wife of Richard the Lionheart who married in Limassol in 1191, being until today the only royal wedding that took place outside England. Though abandoned since 1984, the “Berengaria” attracts thousands of visitors who want to see up close the impressive structure, around which various legends have developed.
In Prodromos, visitors can tour after consultation also on the premises of the Forestry College of Cyprus located in the village, an educational facility and place of residence for future forestry workers.
For those who like to hike, from the village begins the Nature Trail Prodromos -Zumi and the Nature Trail Prodromos – Lemythou, while outside the core of the village can cross the Nature Trail Fraktis Prodromou – Stavroulia and athletic path Valley of Pinewood.