Malta

Gathering at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport and direct flight with Aegean Airlines to the beautiful island of Malta. Arrival and boarding of our coach. We depart for St. Julian's. Arrival and check-in at the hotel and a walk with the guide follows for a first acquaintance with the city.

Breakfast at our hotel and then a guided tour. The guided tour is on foot, since vehicle traffic is prohibited in the Old Town area. Valletta is the capital of the island of Malta and has been officially recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Monument by Unesco. It is a unique fortified city with particular historical significance and unlimited beauty. We will walk through the narrow picturesque streets and enjoy the elements of another era. From the Barakka Gardens, we will see the panoramic view of the 2nd largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean and the three historic cities connected to the two great sieges of 1565 and 1942. During our guided tour of Valletta, we will have the opportunity to admire the city walls, dense clusters of limestone buildings, wooden balconies and imposing churches. We continue with the internal guided tour of the Saint John's Co-Cathedral. It dates back to 1577 and is lavishly decorated with works of art from the Baroque period, frescoes, intricate marble floors, carved stone walls and vaulted ceilings that take your breath away and were created by Mattia Preti, an Italian Baroque artist. A valuable acquisition is the "Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" (1608) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. This is Caravaggio's largest painting and the only one bearing his signature. After the end of our guided tour, free time at your disposal. At a short distance is the Grand Master's Palace (at individual expense), which is famous for its luxurious halls and impressive armoury. It is located on Saint George's Square, which is ideal for stopping and observing. Then return to Saint Julian's and rest of the day free.

After our breakfast we continue to Mosta, which is famous for its Rotunda Church and has the third largest dome in all of Christianity. It was built in the 19th century and its dome is over 37 meters long. During World War II, a bomb fell into the church through the dome, just before vespers, but did not explode. We will have the opportunity to see a replica of the bomb which is exhibited inside. We continue to transfer to the village of Rabat. Here you will enjoy a sightseeing tour of the oldest part of the village along its narrow streets and you will end up at the Catacombs of Saint Paul (at personal expense). This is a huge system of up to 30 underground tombs dating from the 3rd to the 8th century AD. It is said to be the place where Saint Paul lived when he arrived on the island and started preaching Christianity to the island's inhabitants. Next, you will arrive in Mdina, also known as the "Silent City", with its fortifications, medieval and baroque architecture. Mdina is truly a fascinating city! You will walk through the narrow alleys and picturesque lanes which give the city a charming and captivating aura. You will take a journey back in time admiring the wonderful palaces and churches, as well as the impressive panoramas from the high walls of the bastions, from where you can see almost half of the island shining below you. Free time to walk leisurely through its quiet, beautiful streets, visit the palaces and museums, and rest at one of the many cafes. The famous Fontanella Tea Garden, located on the city walls, serves delicious sweets and the view from there is enchanting. Return in the afternoon to Saint Julian's and the rest of the day is free. We suggest you try the local cuisine at one of the village's many restaurants.

After our breakfast, we will start to explore the amazing areas of the 3 cities. The Schengen, Victorian, Cosby, (The Three Cities) a unique complex of architectural structures of castles, houses and important buildings, built in a stunning location in the Large port (Grand Harbour). You will feel like you are traveling centuries back in the past. Then we will move to the south side of the island where we will see the fishing village Marsaxlokk with the characteristic colored boats. Then transfer to the airport and return flight to Athens.