The village called Tochni is found a few kilometres after the ancient settlement of Choirokitia, if you are travelling towards Limassol following the old road. It is a small village built on the two shores created by the river called “Arkatzin”, or as the settlers call it “potamos tis kamaras” (the bridge with the arch) since it passes under the church and through an arch.
Due to its size and shape, that look like a palm (Dochmi for Greek) it probably got its name from there and this is why it is now called “Tochni”. The villagers claim that it was named like this because of the fact that it is inhabited by many good craftsmen, and with the deformation of the word “Techni” (art) it became “Tochni”.
From the entrance of the village, that is found at the exit from the old road of Limassol, the visitor firstly observes that stone is used as a royal material in all the constructions. It is a village built out of stone and in older periods it could be called the “village of the Flintstones”.
There are two chapels, another crumbling church, and of course the main church in the centre of the village, which is dedicated to the Saints Constantinos and Eleni. It is built above the river and is the joining point for the “divided” village.
The visitors may walk along the narrow streets and observe the architecture of the houses. They may also study the nature if they follow the path that takes you in a circle and southeast of the village. It is a very easy path and on their way they will beet and see many species of the plant life and wildlife of the area.
There are taverns and restaurants since in Tochni Agrotourism is very well developed. On our way in the village we found dozens of houses participating in the agrotourism plan. Next to the church of the Saints Constantinos and Eleni, on the northeast shore of the river, there is a tavern called “Nostos” where you can find a well studied menu at great prices.
Next to the church there is a religious museum, where rare religious items are stored.
In front of the main entrance of the Church, there is a covered well, which branches into tunnels. Nowhere can you find the reason of its existence. We searched and found an answer. During the Othoman period, when the Turks arrived to the village, women descended into it in order to protect themselves from the occupiers. In addition to that, all the stone built houses had arches and were connected between them, and when the Turks entered into one of them, the women fled to the next house, therefore they were once again protected.
Before 1974 Tochni was inhabited by Turkish Cypriots as well. It is said that during the invasion, extremists committed a terrible crime. They slaughtered 20 Turkish Cypriots. After that, for humanistic reasons, women and children of the dead people were transferred to the occupied areas and this was the beginning of population exchange between the free and occupied areas.
Everything in the village is beautiful. Even the west part, parallel to the river where the old quarry was found, there is a very beautiful and wild beauty. The deduction of so much stone from the mountain in order to built Tochni and some neighbouring villages, has left vertical gorges that are used by birds for nesting.
If the community council paid a little bit more attention to the cleanliness of the village, the visitor would only have positive feedback to give. It is unjustified to have dirt and garbage in the first village in the rankings of agrotourism.
