Spend 5 nights in the ancient walled city of Mdina, Malta's silent city. 

The citizens of Malta say the lack of city noise in the silent city has something to do with narrow curved streets designed to stop arrows (and coincidentally not admit automobiles) or towering stone walls with the power to muffle thousands of footsteps. But the primary reason is the ghosts. With their presence sensed all about, respectful silence just seems to be the order of the day. 

Here in this walled citadel, perched in the middle of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the ghosts come from 4,000 years of history. For over 1,000 years, Mdina has kept the name given by Arab Saracens who set out her present street plans. Before the Arab occupation, the island was called “Melita,” the Roman word for honey. Plenty of honey-drinking Romans left their ghosts in the city, you can be sure. There were already pagan ghosts in the area before the Romans came. This same steep hilltop has been the site of human settlement for more than 4,000 years. Phoenicians had their own name for the city that they built here in about 900 B.C. They called it “Malet” which loosely translates as “shelter” or “protected place” in their ancient Semetic language. 

The Phoenicians were undoubtedly haunted by the ghosts of Bronze Age warriors who, in their day, had a fortified settlement in the same location. And did those Bronze Age builders incorporate the remains of earlier Stone Age constructions left by the most mysterious ghosts of all? It’s likely: The remains of megalithic monuments that are a thousand years older than the pyramids can be found all over the Maltese islands. The culture that created these prehistoric temples disappeared without explanation at about 2,500 B.C., leaving behind some very haunting artifacts. 

Actually, Mdina is not totally silent.  During the daytime one can hear chanting through the doors of a cloistered convent, or a bell tolling from the tower of the cathedral . . . or a groaning tourist coming up from dungeons decorated with gruesome wax figures. Yet there is a quality that is undeniably muted even when the place is teeming with tour groups.   At night Mdina is magical. Iron lamps cast spooky light on the crumbly stone buildings; the wind howls down empty streets; bougainvillea vines nod over shuttered windows. 

The ghosts are everywhere and they welcome you. 

Package includes:

Round Trip Air from New York, Boston, or Washington  DC
add just $80 to fly from Miami or Orlando and $100 from LAX or San Francisco
RT Transfers from airport to hotel
5 Nights at The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux, Mdina 
Breakfast daily

According to tradition it was here that in 60 AD 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. Pauls 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.

Mdina has had different names and titles depending on its rulers and its role but its medieval name describe it best – ‘Citta’ Notabile’: the noble city.

It was home then, as now, to Malta’s noble families; some are descendants of the Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards. Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets.

Mdina is one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city and extraordinary in its mix of medieval and Baroque architecture.

The elegant Atrium cocktail bar is open in the evenings for your favorite pre and post prandial tipple.

Meeting Facilities:
The boardroom has a capacity for up to 12 persons in boardroom style and may also be used for private dining. Two other venues are available and can accommodate between 18 and 30 persons, depending on set-up required. Audio/ Visual equipment is available on request and at a charge.