🇲🇹 Malta on Travel Blog by Rafał Włodarczyk

The old city of Mdina

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:32:57 +0200

The silent city

The name derives from the fact, that in the XVI century, Mdina lost its importance as the capital of Malta has been moved to Valetta, never to raise again.

Mdina is also a popular arabic name, becuase “Medina” (مدينة) is in fact an arabic word meaning city. The name was given to the city during the arabic rule over Malta (870-1091).

The architecture

The city is famous for narrow alleys and sandstone buildings. The architecture is mostly Baroque, with some medieval elements - the city is in fact a grand fortress, surrounded by thick walls. It was in the very heart of the island in its natural defensive position.

The cathedral

The main building in Mdina is the St. Paul’s Cathedral, yet another church dedicated to Christianity.

The streets

Imagine how a small turn to the left can open up eyes to a restaurant that can house over a hundred people. Mdina is full of such surprises, full of captivating interiors and charming courtyards.

The residents

Even though not many people live in Mdina nowadays it is still possible to find some residents, which rather shut themselves from the tourists and the outside world.

The foss

Guarded from almost every side, the foss around Mdina today consists of a walking path and two gardens, one at the top and one at the bottom. The bottom one also houses a small entrance to the city.

The nature and flora of Malta

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:32:57 +0200

Blue Grotto, cliffs and raw stone

The strength of Malta lies in the rock formations, cliffs, caves, rock and sand beaches. Only to be seen after leaving the urban areas, which is not that easy, as almost the entire island is built up.

I have taken my time to take this photo, hope you will not be disappointed, by having to see my face in the very center of it :)

Tree

Outside of Mdina there is a greater foss and the tree which has stolen my heart. I am not sure what species it is, but its green leaves look magnificent and full of life, comparing against the limestone rock and dry landscape around.

Cacti everywhere

The arid climate is perfect for cacti growth. They are everywhere, both in the wild and in the gardens, some act as fences, or grow on fences. Some are flowering, with big red flowers - they look interesting. The Maltese have found a way to harness these fruits, making jams and liquors out of them. I have managed to try the liquor, it is sweet with a distinct flavor.

The calm of Gozo

Gozo island is still densely populated, but the rural areas are bigger - the entire island consists of a few villages connected by narrow roads. Everything in between is fields, farms and rocky areas. THe pace of life seems slower, and the people are relaxed. Every house has a reference to the local patron saint, with a small shrine visible etched into the wall, or a statue on the terrace.

The island of Gozo

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:32:57 +0200

The Maltese name for the island is Għawdex (ghawdesh)

Gozo Arrival

In order to visit Gozo, starting from Valetta one has two choices:

Take a bus to the very edge of Malta (Iċ-Ċirkewwa terminal) and then a car ferry to Mġarr. Combined price of 6.60€ one way.
Take a direct passenger speedboat from Valetta to Mġarr. Flat rate of 7.50€ one way.

Book the second option via Gozo Highspeed. 40 minutes from Valetta to Mġarr.

Definitely choose the second option, as the bus ride is long and tedious - over an hour. The speedboat is very fast, though my head hurt a little due to the waves. The weather in december is definitely windy, there was little foam on top of the 2 meter high waves and the wind was no greater than 10 m/s. My friends who took some meteorology classes said that it was a 4 in the Beaufort scale.

Ferry ride

The car ferry is enormous and does not sway. The trip takes 25 minutes and there is both a cafeteria on board and a deck to enjoy the sea from every angle. Travelling from Malta to Gozo on the right one can see the Comino island.

Forward and on the left, after Gozo there is just sea, which eventually ends up at Africa - not very far away as the distance from Malta to Tunisia is only 300 km. The closeness is the reason for arid climate, desert-like landscapes and language influences.

Maltese Language. To welcome somebody in Maltese one can say “Merħba”, which is almost identical to the Tunisian Arabic “Marhba” (مرحبا) ~ “Marhaban”, as spelled in the most common Arabic dialect. The language influence is staggering to say the least. On the other hand, words such as “Independenza” are clearly of Latin/Italian origin. It is one of the most fascinating language mixtures I’ve ever seen. To a Polish speaker however, the pronunciation is way too guttural and throaty to feel European. Good they use latin alphabet, and perfectly know english. Otherwise it would have been a nightmare to communicate.

Take a look at the map to see the calculated shore-to-shore distances. What is not shown here - the Sicily island is only 90 km away from Malta, which pinpoints the reason for the Italian influence on Maltese culture.

Similar language influences can be seen in the southern parts of Spain, especially near Grenada - the last Muslim stronghold in the Iberian peninsula. Spanish language has many Arabic loanwords, and the architecture is also heavy influenced, with some mosques turned into cathedrals.

First Glimpse of Gozo

Taking my feet off the ferry, I realized that taking the bus to Victoria immediately would have been a mistake, as Għajnsielem is a very charming town with a wonderful view of the marina, and the beautiful church right next to it.

Take a look at the weird christmas tree made entirely of wine bottles in Ghajnsielem.

They must drink a lot, as not only the tree, but also surrounding mini-decorations and lantern posts are made of empty wine bottles.

Victoria and the Citadel

Locals can refer to the city of Victoria as Ir-Rabat (Għawdex), which is a little confusing, as the main island also has a town called Ir-Rabat. The Citadel is a fortress located in the very centre of the city, in its topmost part. On top of the Citadel one can see almost the entire island. There are no more buildings in the northern direction, providing a great view of the fields and mountain ridges.

Inside the citadel there is another church, with two important figures guarding the entrance. The one on the right is John Paul II, who was a very important figure in the history of my country of origin - Poland.

I was lucky to capture both the citadel and the mountain during the landing at MLA airport. Take a look - the city on the left has a fortress in its topmost part, and the mountain you see in the middle is the same one I photographed from the ground.

Saint George’s Basilica

After entering I was greeted by a ticket table with a kind lady and a TV screen showing the insides of the basilica. I immediately recognized that the altar from the Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City was copied 1-1. Asked the lady and she confirmed it and added that there are more connections to the Vatican inside.

There were christmas packages for the people in need, below one of the side altars. They seem to treat churches as not only a place of worship, but also a community center. Makes sense in the land of narrow streets and small villages.

The Comino island

The island as seen from the car ferry is a small piece of land between Malta and Gozo. It has a few tourist attractions, however I did not visit the island, in favor of staying longer at Victoria.

Valletta

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:32:57 +0200

The city of Valletta

Malta is an island on the Mediterranean Sea. It has a population of about half a million people, most of which are living in the capital area. The city centre is a big fort, with rich military history and of cultural significance. In its entirety it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Transportation

Malta has a great internet connection on the entire island, no matter how remote it may seem. This definitely encourages social media activity, and on the fly route searching. Google maps shows every bus route. Additional QR codes can be scanned at the bus stop for live schedule.

Bus tickets can be bought in two ways - either inside a bus for a 2€ flat rate per ticket, or using a dedicated Tallinja Card. The second way is cheaper, more flexible and everybody uses it.

St John Co-Cathedral

The name co-cathedral, a very strange one implies another cathedral in the vicinity of the one you will soon see images of below. The official seat (cathedra) of the Archdiocese of Malta is shared with the older St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, which I loosely describe in one of the next posts.

This is a masterpiece of baroque art, it looks almost too rich to be authentic. A more rational interior is to be found on Gozo, where they simply decided to copy the altar from the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City.

Tourism Sector

Malta is a renowned tourist destination for those seeking the views, culture and lifestyle of the southerners.
Tourism sector works like a well-oiled machine, with each branch working tirelessly towards the greater good. This is the first time I’ve seen a government do such a good job at ensuring seamless integration of various branches - airport, taxis, public transportation, hotels, museums and other activities, they all were deeply thought through.

Economy of Malta - Wikipedia states that tourism generates 15% of Malta’s GDP

Military Traditions

The capital of Malta is one of the few remaining ports with functioning defense walls and the system of forts. The peninsula is enclosed by two other enormous forts, which made the city almost impenetrable in previous eras.

Valetta supports the remembrance of the fellow military traditions. For example, twice a day (12.00 and 16.00) they perform a rehearsed cannon shooting for the people to enjoy. I’ve recorded the most important fifteen seconds myself and uploaded it for you to enjoy.

There is a shared similarity between Prague, the capital of Czechia, and Valetta. The first city ordered an american company to create a scenario for a ward change near its palace at Mala Strana.

Street-level Architecture

If I had to provide the city, which shares the most similarities with Valetta it would have definitely resided somewhere in the basin of the Mediterranean Sea. To ensure also the experiences match, not only architecture, I would have been left with Rome, the eternal city.

The most famous piece of elevation has to be these wooden balconies, often spanning across half the width of the building.

Exquisite Interiors

The interiors are also very detailed and present a whole different style in itself. It is an amalgamate of many greek and roman influences. The entrances to many buildings already show how rich and inviting they are.

Nighttime Cityscape

The most well-lit building of the night cityscape is the dome of the cathedral.

The city walls from the beginning of the peninsula are the most attractive for a romantic walk.

Tourism Survey

The government of Malta takes a lot of effort to ensure that everybody leaves with a great impression. At the airport, I received a survey from the ministry, which openly asked about my demographics and the quality of my stay. It was seven pages long, and some of the questions were really surprising. They consider various experiences and most interesting ones were agricultural and LGBT-friendliness. Poland could learn a lot from their mentality.