Vretsia
Vretsia is a deserted village in the province of Paphos and it is located 38 kilometers northeast of the homonymous city, 62 kilometers northwest of Limassol and 115 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.
Very close to Kilinia and Galataria (5 km) and embracing the fringes of the iconic Troodos, Vretsia stands out for the natural landscape that surrounds the settlement, with the Paphos forest on the outskirts of its geographical boundaries. Here the visitor will be enchanted by the verdant landscape and the nearby nature attractions that offer moments of relaxation, at a place that captivates even the most demanding nature lovers. Due to the impressive landscape, many are the newlyweds who visit the area with professional photographers for the photos of their family album or other lovers of photography that are fascinated by the nature and the sad yet impressive sight of abandonment. The local seasonal tavern is the only live part of the place, where passers-by can enjoy local appetizers and listen to stories about the recent past.
A now dilapidated settlement that was “alive” until 1974, this small village was deserted due to the turbulent era of the Turkish invasion. At that time, the Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of the community were forced to leave, leaving their homes and moving to the Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus. Indeed, due to the central location of the village, it was also a passing point at that time for those Turkish Cypriots who wanted to reach the occupied areas, and as a result there were several incidents between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Today, in the village there are ruins of houses and abandoned buildings.
Vretsia has a name of ancient Greek origin and according to some sources, in the past and specifically during the Ottoman domination, it was a small and relatively isolated village, where due to the great oppression and tyranny of the Turks, its Greek Cypriot inhabitants were forced to become Crypto-Christians. That is to officially declare they are Muslims, while secretly practising the Christian religion (the so-called “linovambakoi").
However, the history of the village dates back to antiquity, since after the last excavations in 2013 by the Department of History and Archeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, remnants were found of an Epipaleolithic campsite, with many burned stone objects and tools, such as vases, raw materials, beads and mill stones. The findings were located at the Vretsia-Routhkiya site and give a lot of information on the early cultural processes of the wider Middle East region. 5 km west of Vretsia and near the village of Panagia Paphou, is located the monastery of Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa, a magnificent building complex that was founded as a monastery in the 12th century and houses the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, which was presumably hagiographed by the Evangelist Loukas. Many foreigners and locals visit the monastery every year to worship its icon.
The Holy Monastery of Paphos, located 7.5 km away, is one of the most ancient religious sites, since it was built in 300 AD. on the ruins of an ancient Greek temple of the king of Paphos Nicocles (374 / 373-361 BC), which was dedicated to goddess Hera.
Another one of the most important sights to visit in Vretsia is the beautiful Venetian bridge of Routhkia, about 3 km away from the abandoned settlement and in an idyllic location with plane trees, black alders and pine trees. The bridge, with an opening of 9.5 meters and a height of 5.6 meters, was restored in the late 1970s and along with the nearby Elia bridge and Tzelefou bridge belongs to a cluster of bridges built to serve as access points and for the commercial needs of local residents. Following the Nature Trail of Venetian Bridges, the visitor can enjoy a wonderful journey, passing through these three famous nature attractions. Because the route to Routhkia’s bridge is not marked, the visitor will have to ask the locals on how to approach it.
In Vretsia and among narrow small dirt roads in the dense forest, there is also a mine that operated in 1988.