The Lace of Lefkara

During my visit to Cyprus, I discovered the lace of Lefkara. The peaceful inland village has made quite a name for itself for its lace embroidery which is called lefkaritika, in Greek.

A visit to Lefkara takes you to its quaint cobbled streets, traditional Cypriot architecture and its charming townspeople. While strolling those village lanes you can pop into several shops selling the lace of Lefkara. The embroidery is quite unique. The ladies of Lefkara make beautiful designs by hand and it takes them weeks, even months, to create some beautiful pieces and tablecloths.

The village is also known for talented silversmiths who create silver artworks and jewelry, including some fine filigree work. The locals are quite proud of the beautiful work they do. After all, their techniques have been handed down from generations back.

The place to find the best silver and lace embroidery is at Anthoula Kouma’s shop right by then entrance to the village near the mayor’s office.

Her shop doesn’t have a sign out front but you will find her inside where she will be busy scooting about her family-owned shop. She’s a remarkable lady who has been selling local lace for decades.

I watched her serve tourists in four languages! She’s fluent in German, Polish, Russian and English besides her native Greek. She told me that according to legend, Leonardo da Vinci visited Lefkara in 1481 and he purchased a lace cloth for the main altar of the Duomo di Milano, Italy.

Mention that I sent you and she’ll be thrilled!

More About Lefkara

Lefkara is located on the southern slopes of the Troödos Mountains in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, off the main Nicosia-Limassol highway. The village is split into upper and lower Lefkara and together has a little over 1,000 residents.

Spend the day, enjoy the view, stroll its charming little streets, talk a bit with the warm people, stop and great Cypriot food and shop!