Cultural Excursion

 

Culture and archaeology programme

 

Day 1

 

Arrival

 

Transfer from Malta International Airport to Hotel.

 

Day 2

 

Valletta

 

 

 

In the morning, we take a private transfer for the short drive to Valletta and the "Malta Experience", housed in what used to be part of the Sacra Infermeria. Sit back and enjoy the award winning, 45minute audiovisual movie presentation on Malta’s history, starting with the ancient past, right up to the present day.

 

Afterwards, walk up Republic Street to visit the Grand Master’s Palace. From the time it was completed until the end of the Order’s stay in Malta in 1798, all successive Grand Masters used the Palace. It now houses both the Maltese Parliament and the President’s Office.

 

Proceed to St John’s Co Cathedral. Elaborate marble tombstones and monumental artwork adorn their burial places and remind visitors of their grand past.

 

Lunch in a typical restaurant in Valletta.

 

After Lunch we visit St Paul’s Shipwreck Church, which was originally designed by Gerolomo Cassar. This is one of the oldest churches in Valletta. The shipwreck church is known as “Valletta’s hidden gem” because the very plain, easily overlooked entrance does not prepare the visitor for the impressive, ornately baroque interior. It was built to commemorate St Paul’s Shipwreck on the island. It also has two important religious relics – a wrist bone of St Paul and a piece of the column on which he was beheaded.

 

Continue with the National Museum of Archaeology.

 

After we visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens, walking past some Auberges built by the Knights, the Old Royal Opera House and Our Lady of Victory Church.

 

The Barrakka Gardens are located on the highest point on the 16thcentury bastion walls that the Knights of St. John built to protect and encircle their city of Valletta. From here you have an incomparable, panoramic view of the Grand Harbour stretching from Fort Ricasoli to Bighi, Fort St. Angelo and The Three Cities.

 

Day 3

 

Malta and Comino

 

 

Today a boat trip will take us around Malta, including Comino (the smallest of the islands), the ideal place for most kinds of water sports, especially snorkeling and diving.

 

Be sure to see the famous Blue Lagoon with its crystal blue sea, where you can swim or wander to your heart’s content! The natural caves surrounding the island are also awe inspiring and are not to be missed. During this trip the boat sails past Valletta, Malta's Capital City, the Grand Harbour Entrance, Marsascala Bay, St. Thomas Bay, Island Bay and Peter's Pool, past Delimara Point and Marsaxlokk Bay, Malta's largest Fishing Village; and past the Blue Grotto, giving you a view of these fascinating colourful caves.

 

The Vessel also cruises past the imposing Dingli Cliffs with the little island of Filfla and past some of Malta's most popular sandy beaches. A particular attraction is Anchor Bay. This rocky cove incorporates 'Popeye Village', the actual set of the film 'Popeye' which was shot on location. We also cruise past Mellieha Bay, St.Paul's Island, where St. Paul was shipwrecked in 60 A.D. Then onto Salina Bay, St. Andrews, The Casino, the picturesque St.Julians Bay.

 

We stop at the Island of Comino in the Crystal Clear Waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. A buffet meal will be served along the way!

 

Day 4

 

Mosta - Mdina - Rabat

 

 

Today we take the scenic route to Mosta. Dedicated to St. Mary, Mosta´s dome is visible from almost any vantage point in Malta. It has the fourth largest, unsupported dome in the world and even has a miracle to offer. During WWII a bomb pierced the dome, landed unexploded in the church and did not hurt anyone. Spend some time visiting the church and later we see the replica of the bomb, which is housed in the sacristy of the church.

 

Afterwards, we will take a short drive to the nearby Crafts Village to visit some local artisans at work. Next, we head to Malta’s old capital, Mdina, formerly known as “Melita”, “Cittá Notabile” or “Cittá Vecchia”. It is one of the world’s finest examples of an inhabited medieval city. Stroll through the city’s streets and let your guide give you an introduction to the history and orientation. Enjoy the fantastic view, from the bastions, over the valley and the surrounding areas. Visit the Cathedral, which was totally destroyed after a devastating earthquake in 1693. Less than 10 years after its collapse, a new baroque church had risen in its place.

 

Lunch in a typical restaurant in Mdina called BACCHUS. We will visit the Domus Romana, formerly known as the Roman Villa. This Roman town house in Rabat has just undergone a fully fledged rehabilitation. This house gives us the best insight into the gracious living and cultured sophistication that characterized aspects of the city of Mdina, whose boundaries included most of present day Rabat. The discovery of the Domus in February 1881 was immediately recognized as one of exceptional interest.

 

Its mosaic pavements are considered among the finest in the Hellenistic world, and they probably constitute the most important artistic legacy of the Roman period in Malta. From here we walk to the neighbouring village, Rabat, to visit St Paul’s Church and Grotto.

 

The original church of St. Paul was built in 1572 and redesigned and enlarged in the 17th century. The altar painting is by Mattia Preti. Adjacent to St. Paul’s church one can see St. Paul’s Grotto. According to a strong tradition, the Apostle Paul found shelter in this grotto after he was shipwrecked on these islands in AD60. The grotto contains pieces of sacred art and frescoes of considerable value. In 1990 Pope John Paul II visited Rabat and came to pray in the grotto.

 

His parting prayer "God Bless Malta and God bless you all" is inscribed on a plaque on the exterior wall of the church. We will stop for a short refreshment break after which we proceed to St Paul’s Catacombs, an underground limestone hewn Christian burial place.

 

Day 5

 

Hagar Qim - Mnajdra

 

 

The name Hagar Qim means Standing Stones. The temple of Hagar Qim was excavated for the first time in 1839 and dates from the Tarxien phase (c.32002500 B.C.). Dwellers were here for some 3,000 years apparently but then strangely disappeared between 2,500 and 1800 B.C. Mnajdra is made up to two sizeable Temples and is thought to date from around 3400 B.C.

 

It’s amazing to think that these structures were here before the Egyptian pyramids!

 

The Limestone Heritage of Malta is more than just the usual tourist attraction. Spread over an area of .33 hectares and with the gleaming mass of the towering, honey coloured limestone walls serving as a most impressive backdrop, visitors will learn how the inhabitants of these islands have consistently exploited their meager natural resources to carve out a remarkable social and cultural heritage throughout the ages. Your visit will be aided by a multilingual audio guide and specially designed dioramas. We will make a journey of discovery through millions of years, comfortably sitting in the air conditioned environment of the auditorium.

 

Main attractions at The Limestone Heritage include a walkway along what was the seabed twenty two million years ago, with fossils still embedded in the rock; the internal structure of a typical Maltese farmhouse; a citrus grove; vintage vehicles, machinery and much more.

 

The Blue Grotto, situated in Wied IzZurrieq, is definitely one of the greatest places in Malta. Take a boat trip through an underground cave over the bluest waters you have ever seen... The Blue Grotto is a natural rock formation which has been carved out of the rock by the relentless pounding of the sea. The main one is the Blue Grotto. This cave is quite deep.

 

Day 6

 

Gozo

 

 

 

 

Gozo is Malta’s sister island and lies 20 minutes away by ferry. Enjoy the panorama of the crystal blue waters of the Blue Lagoon and an array of caves and sea inlets, dotted with the many boats making their way between the Maltese Islands. The first stop is Xaghra, where we will visit the Ggantija Prehistoric Temples.

 

We will head to the island’s capital, Victoria. The people of Gozo call it Rabat, which means "the town"; its ancient Arabic name. In 1897 the British Colonial Government decided to rename it Victoria to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, which was celebrated that year.

 

Victoria is spread beneath the Citadel, the walled castle area which dominates the Island. The town centre is ItTokk a sizeable square at the end of Republic Street, the main thoroughfare of Rabat. The most prominent edifice in the Square is the old Town Hall or Banca Giuratale, which was built in 1733 and served as the Commune where the Gozo Jurats convened to discuss local administrative affairs.

 

Every morning, until noon, ItTokk transforms itself into an open market, which competes with the shops around the square, selling Gozitan lace, knitwear, silver trinkets and other attractions. Across the Square opposite the Town Hall used to stand the small baroque church of St. James, which collapsed during a heavy storm in the 1970's. Works to rebuild it in its previous form are now complete. The bronze statue of Christ the King in the main square is the War Memorial in remembrance of Gozitans who fell in World War II.

 

After a typical farmer’s lunch [included] you will visit one of the most natural spectacles of Gozo, the Dwejra seascapes. The most popular attraction being the Azure Window, a monumental limestone archway created by thousands of years of sea erosion, a Mecca for photographers and scuba divers. Before taking the ferry back to Malta, you will round off your trip to Gozo by visiting the Xlendi Bay, a haunt for artists and photographers, and lovers of the sea.

 

Day 7

 

The Three Cities

 

 

Today we drive to the Grand Harbour Area, where our first stop will be at the Gardjola Gardens. At Senglea you can enjoy the panoramic view that includes, from right to left, the docks, Marsa, Valletta, the entrance to the Grand Harbour and Fort St. Angelo.

 

The sentry box placed on the tip of the bastion, il gardjola, epitomizes the role of the fortifications around the harbour. On the sentry box there are sculptured in high relief various symbols of watchfulness, namely the eye, the ear, and the crane bird. The inscription in Latin assures the inhabitants of the Harbour area, to rest at ease, as the tower stands guard against any hostile force that may attempt to approach Maltese shores. Next, drive through Cospicua to the historical city of Vittoriosa where we will stop for a guided visit of the Parish church of St Lawrence, which is one of the earliest medieval parishes, and St Joseph's Chapel which served as a graveyard during the Great Siege of 1565.

 

We continue to the heart of Vittoriosa, known as Il Collachio. This was the area of the city reserved specifically for members of the Order of St John. Within the Collachio still stand the various early Auberges, set up by the Knights on their arrival in Malta, following their expulsion from Rhodes.

 

Our last stop will be a guided tour of the Maritime Museum, with artifacts and history dating back from the Phoenician and Roman period. Marsaxlokk Bay is Malta’s second largest natural harbour. It is the best place to see the colourful traditional Maltese fishing boats, the Luzzus, with the mythical eye of Osiris painted on their prows. Fishing nets are often spread on the quay to dry in the sun and quite often fishermen can be seen mending these nets. These activities, together with the modest houses by the quay side and a traditional market, give a fascinating insight into the local life and lend the place charm and serenity. Lunch will be at Marsaxlokk where we will have a typical Fish Lunch.

 

Ghar Dalam Cave is a highly important site, as it was here that was found the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta, some 7,400 years ago.

 

What makes the site even more fascinating is that it was in use during World War II, when it served first as an air raid shelter and later as a fuel storage depot. The display area consists of two parts: the cave and the museum, which exhibits a remarkable wealth of finds from animal bones to human artifacts. The cave was formed by an overlaying river running at right angles to the present day cave.

 

It is some 144 meters deep but only the first fifty meters are open to visitors. The lowermost layers, more than 500,000 years old, contained the fossil bones of dwarf elephants, hippopotami, micro mammals and birds. Above the pebble layer that follows is the so called ‘deer’ layer, dated to around 18,000 years ago. The top layer, or ‘cultural layer’, dates to less than 10,000 years and holds evidence of the first humans on the Island. Tarxien temples were discovered in 1914 by local farmers who struck large stone blocks while ploughing a field.

 

Their discovery was reported to Sir Temistocles Zammit, Malta’s first director of museums, who excavated the site in 1915/17. His pioneering work put our understanding of Maltese prehistory on a solid foundation. This site, dating from 3600 to 2500 BC, is the most complex of all temple sites in Malta and consists of four megalithic structures.

 

The temples are renowned for the detail of their carvings, which include domestic animals carved in relief, altars, and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns. Of particular note is a chamber set into the thickness of the wall between the South and Central temples, which is famous for its relief of two bulls and a sow. the site seems to have been used extensively for rituals, which probably involved animal sacrifice.

 

Tarxien is also of great interest because it offers an insight into how the temples were constructed: stone rollers left outside the south temple were probably used for transporting the megaliths. Remains of cremation We will later visit the unique UNESCO World Heritage site , Hypogeum (bookings have to be made at least a month before as only ten the Hypogeum can only take ten visitors at a Time).

 

The Hypogeum has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

The Hypogeum is a labyrinthine complex of manmade chambers hewn out of the limestone extending some 11 meters below ground. It appears to have been used both as a burial site and as a temple. Neolithic man carved out the Hypogeum using only antlers and stone picks as tools, and in semi darkness.

 

The Hypogeum is made up of three superimposed levels. The upper level resembles the earlier rock cut tombs found elsewhere on the Islands. The middle level, hewn out during the temple period (3800 2500 B.C.) is made up of numerous chambers. Many statuettes, amulets, figurines and vases were recovered here.

 

The most famous figurine is that of the so called Sleeping Lady, a reclining figurine, perhaps meant as a representation of eternal sleep. It is on display at the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta.

 

Day 8

 

Departure

 

Pick up from hotel will be two hours before your scheduled flight of departure.