Malta & Gozo Directions

DIRECTIONS Malta & Gozo Up-to-date DIRECTIONS Inspired IDEAS User-friendly MAPS A ROUGH GUIDES SERIES Malta & Gozo DIRECTIONS WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Victor Paul Borg NEW YORK • LONDON • DELHI www.roughguides.com 2 Tips for reading this e-book Your e-book Reader has many options for viewing and navigating through an e-book. Explore the dropdown menus and toolbar at the top and the status bar at the bottom of the display window to familiarize yourself with these. The following guidelines are provided to assist users who are not familiar with PDF files. For a complete user guide, see the Help menu of your Reader. • You can read the pages in this e-book one at a time, or as two pages facing each other, as in a regular book. 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Contents CONTENTS Introduction 4 Mnajdra, Ħaġar Qim and around ...........126 Marsaxlokk ......................................................................130 Gozo: Rabat and the south coast ..........133 Northeast Gozo ...........................................................141 Ideas 11 Western Gozo ................................................................148 Comino ..................................................................................153 The big six ........................................................................... 12 Churches ............................................................................... 14 Fortress Malta ................................................................. 16 Essentials 157 Festivals .................................................................................. 18 Beaches .................................................................................. 20 Arrival .....................................................................................159 Knights’ Malta ................................................................. 22 Information and websites ..............................159 Restaurants ........................................................................ 24 Transport ............................................................................160 Neolithic Malta ............................................................... 26 Costs, money and banks ................................161 Architecture ....................................................................... 28 Post, phones and email ....................................162 World War II Malta ...................................................... 30 Festivals and events .............................................163 Dead Malta ......................................................................... 32 Sports and outdoor activities .....................165 Walks ......................................................................................... 34 Cinemas, theatres and casinos ...............167 Maltese food ..................................................................... 36 Directory .............................................................................169 Views .......................................................................................... 38 Bars and cafés ............................................................... 40 Seaside Malta .................................................................. 42 Language 171 Wildlife ..................................................................................... 44 Maltese pronunciation .......................................173 Catholic Malta ................................................................. 46 Glossary ...............................................................................173 Places 49 small print & Index 175 Valletta and Floriana ................................................ 51 The Three Cities ............................................................ 66 Sliema and St Julian’s ........................................ 74 Colour maps Mdina ......................................................................................... 86 Rabat and the central south coast ........ 92 Chapter Locator Map Central Malta .................................................................... 99 Malta Buġibba and St Paul’s Bay ...........................104 Gozo Mellieha and the northwest coast .......111 Mġarr and the southwest coast .............118 Useful stuff Tarxien and around ................................................121 4 Introduction to Malta With its sunny climate, sparkling waters and clutch of sandy beaches, as well as lively bars and plentiful restaurants INTRODUCTION offering top-notch modern Mediterranean food, the Maltese islands are generally thought of as a classic resort destination. But there’s a lot more than just sun and sea on offer here – the chequered history of Malta, Gozo and Comino ̆ Xwejni Bay has left a huge number of historical sights, several of which have been justly awarded the status of World Heritage Sites. The majority of these sights are concentrated in Valletta and the “Three Cities”, laid out around the Grand Harbour and girdled by immense fortifications. Many of the impressive churches and palaces within are characterized by their ornate Baroque architecture, which came courtesy of a grand makeover spearheaded by the Knights of Malta in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There’s also plenty of opportunity to get to grips with Malta’s When to visit Most people visit during the high season (May–Oct); in July and August, when the Maltese take their holidays too, things get pretty hectic. It’s searingly hot, and the beaches are extremely crowded, but it’s a lively time to visit, coinciding with the annual village festas. Rain is rare between May and September, and the countryside is parched and dry. Things get quieter in the low season (Oct–May): many hotels and guesthouses slash their prices and the tourist crowds disappear. The weather is mild (you’ll usually be able to pick up a tan), rainfall occasional, and the countryside beautifully green, but the islands can feel somewhat melancholy, and the sea is far too cold for swimming. Outside of the high season, the best times to visit are the autumn or spring shoulder seasons. Sea swimming is pleasant up to December, while in the spring, the countryside is ablaze with wild flowers. Contents Introduction 5 INTRODUCTION ̆ Catholic icons Contents Introduction 6 ̄ Azure window, Dwerja window, Azure INTRODUCTION military past, with a host of impenetrable forts and several museums dedicated to the islands’ crucial role during World War II. Though the extravagant designs of the Knights are ever-present, the Neolithic era made an equally significant mark on the islands. The magnificent temples scattered over Malta and Gozo – the oldest man-made freestanding structures in the world – are second to none, and there are more major complexes here than in the whole of the rest of Europe. Contents Introduction 7 Bilingual Malta Malta is a truly bilingual country, with Maltese and English used inter- changeably. Traffic signs, shop names and menus are usually in English; town and street names can be either English or Maltese. We’ve followed suit throughout this guide, using whatever you’ll see on the ground. INTRODUCTION A short boat-ride from Malta, Gozo basks in a more rural character, going to sleep early and waking up with the roosters. And although it lacks the cultural sophistication and historical sights of the mainland, it’s cleaner, quieter and less developed. The hilly topography and ravishing coastal cliffs offer some marvellous walks, while the dive sites offshore are widely acknowledged as some of the best in the Mediterranean. ̆ Lija ̆ Catholic feast Contents Introduction 8 Malta AT A GLANCE INTRODUCTION of atmosphere, and hold several absorbing sights, from imposing Knightly palaces and forts to museums dedicated to modern militaria. Mdina Mdina emerged as Malta’s first urban settlement under Phoeni- cian rule, but it was the Arabs who rebuilt the fortifications extant today. The twisting alleys inside the citadel have kept vehicles and modernity at bay, and a ramble through this quiet area gives plenty of insight into the architectural

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