WHAT TO SEE & DO IN MDINA, MALTA

This was my second trip to Malta and my second visit to the Mdina. On my first visit, my goal was to just explore every street and alley. I took a ton of pictures and had lunch at this cute little sandwich shop.

This second visit was different.  This time my niece was in my travel group and she had specific places she wanted to photograph including the famous blue door and filming locations from Game of Thrones.  

Another friend in the group had eaten at the Fontanella Tea Garden on our last visit to the Mdina and had bragged on the wonderful food and decadent cakes so it was a given that we would be having lunch there.

   

If you missed my post about my first visit to the Mdina, you can see it HERE. I went over the history of the Mdina and what makes it such a unique place to visit so I won't go over it again in this post.

In this post I want to focus on what you should see and do.

********  TO SEE ********

#1 MDINA CITY GATE
First on the list is the Mdina City Gate where you will enter the walled city. You will walk across an bridge that was over an actual moat but the moat is now dry.

Game of Thrones fans may recognize it from the first season.

MDINA ~ MALTA

The history of Mdina traces back more than 4000 years. According to tradition it was here that in 60 A.D. that the Apostle St. Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. Furthermore it is said that St. Paul resided inside the grotto know as Fuori le Mura (outside the city walls) now known as St. Paul's Grotto in Rabat. Lamp lit by night and referred to as "the silent city", Mdina is fascinating to visit for its timeless atmosphere as well as its cultural and religious treasures.

Visiting the Mdina is like stepping back in time.  It's fun exploring the narrow cobblestone streets, the churches, monasteries, and palaces.  Step into gift shops and try some of the amazing pastries and cakes as you tour this amazing ancient walled city.

Mdina is one of Malta's major tourist attractions, hosting about 750,000 tourists a year.  No cars are allowed except for a limited number of residents and service vehicles which is partly why it has earned the nickname "the Silent City."  

The day we were there, tour groups from the cruise ship were arriving.  There were hundreds of people milling about the streets and courtyards and although it was very crowded, there was still plenty of opportunities to see everything and the shops are restaurants were not that crowded.