Between the Italian island of Sicily and Northern Africa lies the Maltese archipelago, famed for its iconic architecture, hot Mediterranean weather and beautiful beaches. Mdina was Malta’s capital until 1530 and is still confined within its stone walls.
Mdina’s gate, also known as Vilhena Gate, built in the 18th century, features two imposing lions and the Vilhena coat of arms.
Today, Mdina is one of Malta’s major tourist attractions, welcoming around 1.5 million tourists a year. This, however, is nothing when compared with the eye-watering 14 million that descended on the Balearic Islands, among which is Majorca, in 2023.
“Although it is much smaller than the Majorcan city, Mdina has many similarities to Palma in terms of its warm, year-round climate and the gorgeous, quaint, cobbled streets you can wander in its old town,” said travel experts at eurochange.
Known as the “silent city”, it is appreciated by many for its peaceful ambience, with very limited road traffic.
Mdina counts only around 300 residents – the only people who are allowed to drive cars in the city. Visitors have instead to settle for horse-drawn carriages if they want to be driven around. This ban on cars has helped Mdina become one of Europe’s most walkable city breaks.
“There is plenty of history to absorb too. It is one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city, with a history dating back over 4,000 years. From its iconic city walls, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the island,” eurochange continued. Today, Mdina is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The city displays an unusual mix of Norman and Baroque architecture, including several palaces, most of which serve as private homes today. St Paul’s Cathedral also known as the Mdina Cathedral, was founded in the 12th century and, according to tradition, stands on the site where the Roman governor Pubilus met St Paul following his shipwreck on the island.
Game of Thrones fans will be delighted to visit Mdina, as the city was used as a filming location for several scenes in the drama. For example, Vilhena Gate doubled as the entrance to King’s Landing.
Additionally, just like Majorca, Malta enjoys balmy summer temperatures of around 30C in August.
Just half an hour from Valletta, Malta’s capital today, Mdina can be the perfect day trip, while there are also several accommodations to allow for longer stays to explore every small street, bar and restaurant.
Speaking on Majorca’s safety this summer, Laura Evans-Fisk, head of digital and engagement at eurochange said: “Majorca is understandably one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.”
She added, however, that this may not be the “safest time” to visit the island due to the protests continuing through the summer holidays, so, “to avoid fuelling the overtourism problem over there, we wanted to share some similar holiday spots that are equally as beautiful and offer just as much historic charm.”
