Hotels Valletta
What to see by car: Valletta
 
With little effort and just a little desire to explore, you'll find inland
towns and villages on Malta with character and treasures of their own. Several
churches reveal masterpieces by the artists to the knights, while each village
square is a slice of history, its café-bar the hub of rural life.
Mdina, Malta's medieval capital located in the centre of the island, is one
of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city and unusual in its mix
of medieval and baroque architecture. The Cathedral is the architectural heart
of the city and its construction (1697-1702) caused a major redesign of the
centre of Mdina, where several streets and houses were cleared to create a more
open view across the square in front of the Cathedral.
Today Mdina has a quiet, restrained atmosphere in keeping with its noble past.
Lamp-lit by night, Mdina transforms itself into the 'Silent City'; and, for
a relaxed evening seek out the restaurants tucked away in its bastions and palace
courtyards.
The cliffs are the most spectacular natural monuments on the Maltese Islands
and rank among the more impressive landmarks in the Mediterranean. They rise
up a staggering 250 metres above the sea in places; and the best views will
be had at Dingli Cliffs to the west of the island, and at Ta' Cenc in Gozo.
But to gain a really impressive view, take a boat trip around the islands.
When driving around the island, you will notice strange buildings of round
construction with corbelled walls appearing to hark back to architecture of
prehistory. These buildings, known as Gira, are best preserved mostly in the
rocky countryside of northern Malta and in Gozo, and are used to store hay and
farm tools and to shelter farmers from the wind and sun.
If the Giren do have their roots in prehistory, their structure belies an architectural
sophistication. Like the megalithic temples, they are part of the islands' rich
and unusual heritage and many have been renovated and are lived in, by tourists
and locals alike, and are obviously lovingly cared for as they are decked with
jasmine and climbing bougainvillea.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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