Malta: the perfect break

By Juliet Rix Published: 9:19AM GMT 03 March 2010

Previous of Images Next The little republic has one of the top densities of chronological sites anywhere It used to be thought that the temple-builders copied the Mycenaeans, but CO dating has shown Hagar Qim to be a full millennium comparison Spend the afternoon in Rabat and the bulwark of Mdina, on top of

Why go?

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Malta has an extraordinary, 7,000-year story that has left a conspicuous legacy. Its little-known Neolithic temples are the oldest worldly mill buildings in the universe (older even than Stonehenge). These, total with the stays of Roman occupation, prosperous churches and large fortifications of the Knights of St John and the most reminders of Malta"s consequential purpose in the Second World War, meant that the little republic has one of the top densities of chronological sites anywhere. And it"s all bathed in gentle Mediterranean object (it"s now about 18C in the afternoons) and surrounded by intelligible blue sea. It"s a great finish for an early-season break.

Get there by

Plane. It"s a three-hour moody from the UK. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies out of Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle; Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Luton, Bristol and Edinburgh; and from the finish of May, BMI Baby (www.bmibaby.com) will fly twice a week from East Midlands Airport. Air Malta (www.airmalta.com) operates often at some-more courteous times from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and, in summer, Glasgow. The usually airfield is no some-more than 45 minutes" expostulate from anywhere on the island.

Stay at

Xara Palace (Misrah Il-Kunsill, Mdina, www.xarapalace.com.mt), the usually place to live inside the walls of Mdina, Malta"s very old capital. Expect seventeen antique-furnished rooms, often suites, in a 17th-century palazzo. Previous guest embody Brad Pitt and John McCain. Its restaurant, De Mondion, is rated series one in Malta"s grill guide. Doubles from 200 euros, room only.

The Corinthia Palace Hotel (De Paule Avenue, Attard, www.corinthiahotels.com) is a gentle five-star road house in a quiet, upmarket residential area, with pleasing gardens, swimming pool and spa. Doubles from 126 euros B & B.

Or try Castille Hotel (Castille Square, Valletta, www.hotelcastillemalta.com), a three-star in a glorious place subsequent to the Knights Auberges de Castille and yards from the Upper Barracca Gardens. A bit faded, but with a great rooftop grill and glorious staff. Doubles from 80 euros B & B.

Spend the initial morning

Wandering around the desirable collateral Valletta. Built by the Knights of Malta in the 1570s, it is surrounded on 3 sides by sea and on all sides by large fortifications written to repel serve attempts at allege by the Turks who scarcely took the islands in the Great Siege of 1565. The total city is a World Heritage Site.

Then see down from the Upper Barracca Gardens and the bulwark walls at the Grand Harbour, that was consequential to the Allied feat in North Africa, and remained the Mediterranean home of the Royal Navy until 1979. Be dazzled by the Baroque luxury of the Knights" main church, St John"s Co-Cathedral (Republic Street, stjohnscocathedral.com; entrance 5.80 euros) and dump in to the Museum of Archaeology (Republic Street, www.heritagemalta.org/museums/museums.html; entrance 5 euros) to see 5,000-year-old mill carvings and statuary.

Have lunch at

Malata (St George"s Sq, 00356 2123 3967), show up of Malta"s MPs whose council is in the former Grand Master"s Palace conflicting (www.heritagemalta.org) Sit outward on the newly refurbished executive block of Valletta or in a cosy cellar, and eat excellent, unfussy Mediterranean/French food (mains around fourteen euros). Alternatively, lay in the arcaded block and people watch over a sandwich and ice thickk cream at Caffe Cordina (244-5 Republic Street, www.caffecordina.com), a Valletta institution.

Spend the afternoon

Cruising the Grand Harbour in a normal boat, a dghajsa (www.maltesewatertaxis.com), prior to alighting in Birgu (Vittoriosa) to try the Gothic streets of the Knights" initial collateral in Malta (1530-70). Visit the Malta at War Museum (Couvre Porte, www.visitmalta.com/the-malta-at-war-museum; entrance 8 euros) for a erotically appealing guided debate around a vast, subterraneous Second World War shelter, cut by palm from the rock. Hundreds transient complicated bombing, and their restraint was recognized in 1943 with the endowment of the George Cross to the complete nation.

Have cooking at

Rubino (53 Old Bakery Street, 00356 2122 4656). Behind a Dickensian shopfront, this glorious and insinuate Maltese grill has no menu, no prices, but great food (meals about twenty-five euros, engagement advisable). Closed Sun, Mon, Wed eve.

Spend the subsequent morning

Exploring Malta"s Prehistoric World Heritage Sites. Start at the temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim (www.heritagemalta.org; entrance 9 euros), built in 3,600-2,500BC. Walk by the staggering doorways and in to the dull bedrooms assembled of large limestone blocks weighing up to twenty tons by people who had conjunction essay nor metal. It used to be thought that the temple-builders copied the Mycenaeans, but CO dating has shown these temples to be a full millennium older.

Under an typical street, you"ll find the Hypogeum (Burial St, Paola, www.heritagemalta.org), an subterraneous funeral formidable cut from plain stone to relate the design of the above-ground temples. The 5,000-year-old room, the "Holy of Holies", looks as if it was forged yesterday. Visitor numbers are singular for charge reasons, so book well in advance.

And the afternoon

In Rabat and the bulwark of Mdina. St Paul"s Grotto (Parish Square) is where the saint is pronounced to have preached after being shipwrecked in AD60. St Paul"s catacombs (St Agatha"s Street, www.heritagemalta.org) are a obstruction of Roman tombs with subterraneous stone dining areas for funerary dishes (found usually in Malta). Then head by the commanding walls of Mdina to ramble the circuitous Gothic alleys.

Have dinner

In Mdina, quite windy by night and with lots of great places to eat. Medina (7 Holy Cross Street, www.mol.net.mt/medina) serves glorious Mediterranean/Maltese food in a stone-vaulted Gothic construction with desirable yard (mains 15-25 euros), or have a break high on the bulwark walls at Fontanella (1 Bastion Street, 00356 2145 4264), important for the chocolate baked sweat bread (2.50 euros) and views.

And then

On roughly any Saturday night from May to September, stick on the locals at festa celebrations (www.visitmalta.com/village-festas) with music, food, splash and firework displays.

Further report

Malta & Gozo: The Bradt Guide, by Juliet Rix, is published subsequent month; www.visitmalta.com