Malta in One Day from a cruise ship.

Meet Mosta, Mdina and Valletta in Malta in one day from a cruise ship.

I arrived in MaIta for one day from a cruise ship and the port is within walking distance to the capital, Valletta. But I decided to jump on the hop on hop off tour bus, which was just outside the port entrance, and see Mosta and Mdina first. The tickets were cheaper if you were coming off a cruise ship, be prepared for the bus not sticking to the time schedules, limited commentary and Wi-Fi, but it was transport. More info at-www.maltasightseeing.com

Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, 27 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide. It has a long history of different rulers, the Romans, Greeks, French and British in 1964 became independent from Britain and joined the Commonwealth. Today Malta is a member of the European Union.

Places to see in one day from a cruise ship.

Mosta

My first stop was the town of Mosta and well worth a visit.

Mosta is the third largest town in Malta and located in Central Malta. It is most famous for the Rotunda Church (stunningly beautiful), which is the third largest unsupported dome in the world.

History of the Rotunda Church.

In 1575 in the area around Mosta there were 116 residences and 12 chapels, that’s 1 chapel for every 10 homes, but all the chapels except 1 were needing repairs. A new church was built and completed in 1610.

By 1830 the population had grown to 3000 and the church was very crowded, so they decided to build a rotunda around the existing church. The Rotunda was modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. When it was completed, in 1860, the existing church was dismantled in 1 week. (It took 30 years to build because they kept running out of money- I can related to that!).

World War 11 Bomb

On 9^th April 1942, four German bombs hit the church, however three of them didn’t explode but one did go through the roof of the dome and landed in the middle of the church where people were praying. This bomb didn’t explode either, and no one was injured (how lucky were they). The people believe it was divine intervention (it makes you wonder!) and celebrate this day every year.

In the souvenir shop, there is a replica bomb and short film, telling this story.

Bomb Shelter

Outside the church is an old World War ll bomb shelter. The stairs down are a bit steep, but the tunnels are incredible.

I purchased a combination ticket to enter the church, climb the stone spiral staircase to view the city and the inside gallery of the church and see the World War ll bomb shelter, for 5 Euros (bargain).

I went to the café, opposite the church, The Cake Box, which had delicious cakes, unique seating (swings hanging from the ceiling!!) and clean toilets.

Mdina- the Silent City.

My next stop was Mdina, a medieval city.

Mdina (pronounces Imdeena) is a fortified (walled) city in the Northern area of Malta. It is a major tourist attraction and a must see. I was surprised because it wasn’t overly touristy, a few souvenir shops, horse and cart rides, that’s all. There are no cars in the city giving it its Silent City name, but great for walking around (you can get a free map from the information centre near the main entrance gate, or VisitMalta.com).

The city has 6 churches (yes, they love their churches), Natural History Museum, Cathedral Museum, Dungeons, Cafes and Restaurants, all down narrow, cobble stone alleyways.

The Mdina Experience

I went to the Mdina Experience, a 30-minute documentary about the history of Mdina in detail. If you are short on time, I would skip this.

But if history is your thing you can get more info at www.themaltaexperience.com

(Beware very comfy chairs. I fell asleep halfway through the documentary. L.O.L)

Knights of Malta

The Knights of Malta is a museum, where I saw a short 3D video (10 to 15 minutes) about the Knights Hospitaller or the Order of Saint John, a Catholic military order, which provided care for the sick or injured and protection from invaders. Then I did a walking tour with an audio headset. The displays are life size showing the history of the Knights. These are great, very well done (some people were so impressed they went back to see them again!)

Palazzo Falson

I then followed the pedestrian walk, (on the Visit Malta tourist map) to Palazzo Falson, it’s a Plaza, close to the top of the wall around the city and you can see beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and Valletta City in the distance. There are souvenir shops, a café, ice cream shop and toilets here. It’s a great place to rest and soak in the atmosphere before continuing the pedestrian walk back on main entrance and hopping back on the bus.

Valletta

Valletta is Malta’s capital city and an UNESCO World Heritage centre. The bus stopped near the Triton Fountain just outside the City Gate.

Valletta is a small, fortified city and one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. It is easy to explore on foot with a Valletta Walking Guide map, which I picked up at the Port. The map has 2 routes, the Cultural Route (2.7km, following the red line) and the Scenic route (6.2kms, following the blue line) or you can just use it to find the attractions you want to see (that’s what I did). The attractions are numbered and in categories- historical sites, churches, museums, gardens and commercial sites (restaurants, pubs, shops).

Many of the beautiful streets and squares are pedestrian only and in September it wasn’t too crowded.

St Johns Co-Cathedral

St John’s Co-Cathedral is one of the best sites to see in Valletta. The Roman Catholic Cathedral was built by the Knights of Malta, in the 1570’s.

The outside is quite plain, though the inside is said to be surprisingly, very impressive, unfortunately I arrived too late in the day and didn’t see the interior as the cathedral closes at 4.30pm with the last entry at 4pm, Monday to Friday, 12 noon on Saturday and is closed on Sunday and public holidays.

The entrance fee is 10 Euros for adults, 7.50 Euros for students and seniors and children under 12 are free with an adult.

For more info go to- stjohnscocatherdral.com

After exploring Valletta, I walked back to the Triton Fountain to get a taxi to Vittoriosa. It was getting late in the afternoon and I thought a taxi would be quicker than the hop on off bus. I had seen taxi booths near the fountain, which advertised set prices for all taxis, so I purchased a ticket from Valletta to Vittoriosa for 10 Euros then walked over to the taxi rank.

Vittoriosa (Birgu)

Vittoriosa is on the south side of the Grand Harbour and the first home to the Knights of St John with its churches and fort are older than Valletta

The Freedom Monument is in the middle of a roundabout on a mound, near the waterfront. It commemorates, the British military base ceasing operation on 31 March 1979, Malta’s Independence from the British (1964) and becoming a republic in the Commonwealth (1974)

The Waterfront at Vittoriosa has restaurants, shops and beautiful views across the harbour. In the early evening it was very quiet and a lovely way to see the harbour and get back to Valletta, is to take a water taxi (and cheap too! Only 5 Euros one way). The Maltese gondola goes at a relaxing speed and arrives at the port near the cruise ships in about 15 to 20 minutes and the lift to take you up to Valletta City centre is a short walk away.

I arrived back on my cruise ship (just in time Phew!) after spending an amazing day exploring Malta. I would love to go back one day to see the other side of the island, the Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk.

Travel Tips:

Have Euros to purchase small items, I’m thinking ice creams!
You will need sun protection and water, it was very hot in late September (Autumn).
If you go to Vittoriosa there are very few taxis and the main transport back to Valletta is by water taxi.
Some shops close from 1pm to 4pm, then stay open until 7pm (siesta time).
Check the opening and closing times to help plan your day.