Mdina (Malta): A fortified city frozen in time
If you ask me what I prefer in Malta, I’d say Valletta and Mdina. Mdina is just a dreamy place, where time seems to stand still. It’s the Dubrovnik Maltese version, a place where you feel like you’re in a movie, namely Game of Thrones 😉
Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Journal
Mdina doesn’t have many hotels, so we opt for a hotel right next door (Ir-Rabat), a 5-minute walk away. Driving here is not recommended; there are very few parking spots. So we come here by Uber and will explore on foot over the next few days. Mdina can be visited in one (long) day, but I love this fortified city so much that I want to walk every single street. That’s why we’re staying here for 3 nights, in a lovely hotel called The Heritage Boutique Accommodation (Booking link).
There’s a Relais & Châteaux hotel inside Mdina itself, but the value for money didn’t seem that great, so we’ll just grab a drink there.
Mdina is very small; after 3 days, I already know the city by heart.
We start at its gate. I don’t recognize it at first, but it appeared in Game of Thrones, used as the entrance to King’s Landing Gate in episode 3 of season 1.
Feel free to go down and visit the gardens; it’s really pretty too.
National Museum of Natural History of Malta
Right at the entrance, you’ll see the National Museum of Natural History of Malta on your right. The building is very nice, but I didn’t visit the interior (which, according to reviews, seems disappointing).
On the north side of the fortress, it’s steep and you get a really really beautiful view of the surroundings. There are quite a few restaurants and bars, whose exteriors aren’t that impressive, but when you get to the terrace, it’s breathtaking.
This house is an Airbnb, and it attracts photographers and Instagrammers from around the world. I’ll give you the Google Maps coordinates: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CgHov9d39awNSJoZ7
St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral of Mdina
Access to the cathedral costs a fee (€10/person), but the ticket also includes access to the cathedral museum across the street. As everywhere in Malta, the churches are overly ornate inside. You don’t know where to look; there’s too much stuff, too many details.
Apart from the silver items, I wasn’t impressed by the cathedral museum.
Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady
Just next door is this small church (free entry) that everyone ignores, but its ceiling is really pretty.
Palazzo Falson
I really liked Palazzo Falson even though entry is overpriced (€12/person). Only part of the palace is accessible to tourists, but you get an idea of how the very rich Maltese lived.
The cherry on top: the terrace houses a small café, and you can see and hear the cathedral. It’s really nice!
Some extra photos of Mdina:
In the end, we didn’t go to the Relais & Châteaux hotel, because we realized their bar wasn’t that nice after all.
Rabat
Ir-Rabat, where we’re staying, is also very pretty. There are more cheap restaurant choices than in Mdina. I highly recommend spending at least one night there.
Right next to our hotel is the restaurant l’Enoteca. Their charcuterie/cheese platter is excellent. Plus, if you drink, they’ll know how to advise you.
It’s time for us to move on and spend a week in Valletta.
Part 2: Practical Tips
- Accommodation: The Heritage Boutique Accommodation (Booking link), between €90 and €110/night, double room, breakfast included
- Palazzo Falson: €12/person
- Access to the cathedral and its museum: €10/person
- L’Enoteca: about twenty euros for the charcuterie/cheese platter
