Troodos Opens in Just Days: Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 Is Coming

From 23 to 26 September 2026, the Troodos mountain range becomes a vibrant European hub of sport, gastronomy, culture and wellbeing, as Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 takes place, a non-profit event co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Sport programme, under the central message “Healthy Lifestyles for All.” In less than a week, villages, squares, trails, schools and cultural venues across Troodos will open their doors to a four-day, multi-themed programme combining science, sport, culture, youth and gastronomy. The event brings together organisations and delegations from 11 countries,Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey and the Czech Republic – coordinated by the MountMed Institute. A four-day journey into the mountains The event opens on Wednesday 23 September in Platres with the Mountain Games International Symposium, an international scientific conference held under the auspices of the Minister of Health, bringing together scientists, doctors and institutional bodies to discuss physical activity, public health and active ageing. On Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September, hundreds of students from across Cyprus take part in the Elevate Your Life programme in Agros and Omodos, with sports activities, traditional games and gastronomy workshops, including a specially adapted activity for people with visual impairment or low vision. Mountain Games in Action invites the public to experience the mountains actively: hikes along the Madari and Myllomeri Waterfall trails, orienteering in Omodos, and, on Saturday 26 September, the Mountain Games Cycling Festival with mountain-biking races for all ages, alongside the Mentoring Football Tournament U12 in Kakopetria. At the same time, the Mountain Culture in Motion strand brings traditional dance, music and intercultural workshops to elderly care homes, to Platres and to Omodos Square, with delegations from ten European countries coming together for the Dance Gathering on Friday evening, while on Saturday afternoon the women’s a cappella choir Amalgamation Choir closes the cultural programme in the courtyard of Timiou Stavrou Monastery. The Mountain Games Futures Lab opens the conversation on the future of mountain communities, with a thematic conference on mountain tourism in Agros, a youth workshop in Evrychou and a two-day educational programme on trail certification in Spilia, while the event concludes on Saturday in Platres with the Mountain Games Legacy Forum, dedicated to exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing. Taste, Move & Thrive: Omodos’ gastronomy weekend One of the most enjoyable moments of the event for the wider public is the Taste, Move & Thrive weekend, on 25 and 26 September in Omodos. The Mountain Products Market hosts 30 producers across six thematic zones — honey, aromatic herbs, dairy, legumes and olive oil, cured meats, and wine and dough products. Visitors can attend a hands-on halloumi-making workshop, a Cypriot ravioles and Italian ravioli workshop with chef Marcello Zaccaria, an olive oil tasting, a traditional family breakfast on Saturday, and a public wine tasting with local wineries, while Friday evening closes with a dance gathering of European countries and a concert by the music ensemble “Epea Pteroenta” in Omodos Square. “After months of preparation, Troodos is ready to welcome thousands of visitors, students, athletes, scientists and European delegations. In just a few days, every village, every trail and every square will become part of a shared celebration of health, movement and culture. We invite everyone to come and experience the mountains actively,” says Stavros Kazamias, Executive Director of the MountMed Institute. Practical information Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 activities take place from 23 to 26 September 2026 in communities across Troodos, centred on Platres, Agros, Spilia, Kakopetria, Evrychou and Omodos. Most activities are open to the public and free of charge, with the exception of selected evening events by invitation or reservation only. The detailed day-by-day and location-by-location programme is available at www.mountaingames.eu. About Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 “Mountain Games: A Celebration of Sport, Culture and Inclusion” is a European, non-profit event taking place in Troodos from 23 to 26 September 2026, during the European Week of Sport #BeActive. It is implemented with funding from the European Union, under Erasmus+ Sport 2025, coordinated by the MountMed Institute, with institutional support from, among others, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Cyprus Sport Organisation.