Mdina: History, Museums and Special Experiences

Mdina combines an unusually long history with an urban structure that continues to shape the city today. The city was founded thousands of years ago on a hill east and north of the Bingemma Cliffs. Those planning a trip to Mdina can combine historic buildings, museums and curated insights into different eras. A holiday apartment in Mdina is therefore particularly appealing to travellers who want to shape their stay around culture, history and independent exploration.

Historic Urban Structure and Distinctive Gates

Mdina’s street layout and road plan are practically the same as they were a thousand years ago. This continuity is one of the city’s most striking features and makes a walk through it an encounter with a layout preserved over a long period. Mdina is bordered on one side by the two deep valleys Wied l-Imdina tal-Hemsija and Saqqajja and on the other by a Roman wall and Wied Ghar Exrem.

The history of the fortifications can also be traced through specific locations. For defensive purposes, the Arabs separated L-Imdina from Ir-Rabat with a deep ditch and surrounded the city with new walls. Mdina Gate, also known as Vilhena Gate, was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1724. Greeks' Gate is presumably the only surviving medieval entrance in Malta. Those interested in the development of city walls and entrances will therefore find several different historical points of reference.

Cathedral, Palaces and Historical Collections

St Paul’s Cathedral stands on the main square in the centre of Mdina. It was rebuilt between 1697 and 1702 under the direction of the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà. Inside are a painting by Mattia Preti and works by various Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. The cathedral therefore offers both an architectural and an art-historical focus for a stay.

Palazzo Falson was built in the early 13th century on the site of “La Rocca”. The building is the second-oldest surviving structure in Mdina; parts date from the 13th century. The historic house museum opened to the public in May 2007. Palazzo Falson also offers the augmented-reality game “Secrets of Palazzo Falson”. This allows a visit to be combined with a playful approach to communicating history.

The National Museum of Natural History is located in Palazzo Vilhena, a distinctive building in Mdina’s “Silent City”. The collection presents local biodiversity and ecology, geology and palaeontology, mineralogy, human evolution, marine fauna, skeletal structures, insects, shells and birds. The focus is on the endemic and indigenous flora and fauna of the Maltese archipelago. The museum complements the architectural and urban history with natural-history topics.

Experiences for Different Types of Travel Days

For a compact introduction to the city’s past, The Mdina Experience presents a 30-minute show about Mdina’s fascinating journey through time. The attraction The Knights of Malta is located within Mdina’s fortifications at Casa Magazzini and presents the history of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem in tableaux.

The Mdina Dungeons Museum focuses on a haunting side of history. The historical attraction includes authentic torture instruments and recreated prison cells. Underground passages depict events from Roman times through the era of the Knights and into the age of Napoleon. The museum is located beneath the Magisterial Vilhena Palace near Mdina’s main gate. The Dürer collection in Dürer Hall, featuring original prints by Albrecht Dürer, provides another art-historical highlight.

Mdina as a Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

Mdina can be reached by bicycle, taxi, bus, hop-on hop-off service and as part of sightseeing tours. You can take these different options into account when choosing your accommodation and planning your days. If you mainly want to visit museums, historic buildings and exhibitions, the focus of your trip will be on culture and history. Those who also want to include natural-history topics will find a suitable addition at the National Museum of Natural History.

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Mdina, it is worth deciding in advance what mix you want for your travel days: historic urban structure, religious architecture, a house museum, natural history or staged historical experiences. This allows you to choose accommodation in a place whose character matches your interests, without limiting the trip to just one attraction.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to compare Mdina with other places, you can also discover Żurrieq, Xewkija, Swieqi, Iklin, Ħal Għaxaq, Pembroke, Luqa and Sannat.

For the higher-level travel overview: Malta.