The Sliema promenade offers on one side stunning views across to Valletta and on the other, open sea views. The promenade, which runs for several kilometres from Gżira just south of Sliema to St Julians, is ideal for a relaxed early morning or afternoon stroll or jog. There are plenty of seats along the promenade and on summer evenings the seafront becomes a sociable meeting place for locals. The coastline has two tower fortifications: a De Redin watch tower built in the 17th century; the other was built by the British in neo-gothic style in the 1880s. And what's even more interesting is that Sliema is only a few minutes' drive from the Capital City, Valletta, which has an even more remarkable history!
Sliema is located fairly centrally on the Eastern side of Malta. It is a great place to shop, enjoy the cafe culture and eat out. It is also the place to catch the ferry to Valletta, buses to many places and also boat trips round the harbours and round the island. It is within walking distance of St Julians and Paceville where you find the best nightlife of the island, more restaurants and other places of entertainment. You will find examples of some of the traditional Maltese townhouses and terraced houses if you take a stroll through the town. Many of these are unfortunately being redeveloped as apartments, but there are areas which are still unspoilt and worthy of a visit. Sliema is a perfect place from which to explore St Julians, the Marina in Msida and to take a bus trip to Valletta.
ABOUT SLIEMA - Some Historical Facts
In 1855 a new church dedicated to Our Lady Star of the Sea ("Stella Maris") was built. Around the new church, the small village grew into a town. By 1878, the population grew to such an extent that the religious authorities had the Stella Maris Church declared a parish in its own right.
The town began to develop rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and later it became popular as a summer resort for wealthier Valletta residents. Their elegant villas and town houses lined the quiet, inland streets. Various Victorian buildings graced its three kilometre sea promenade which overlooked rugged rocks, farms and even a small sandy beach. The farm was eventually abandoned and in 1990, was transformed into a coastline garden known as Ġnien Indipendenza (Independence Garden).
A few Victorian, as well as art nouveau houses, still remain in the inner streets, although only a handful remain along the shoreline, as there has been significant modern development of apartment blocks and hotels. A distinctive group of six traditional houses with Maltese balconies has survived remarkably intact at Belvedere Terrace, set back from Ix-Xatt (the Strand). These houses overlook Manoel Island to the South across Sliema Creek; the houses have heritage protection and the lower buildings between them and Ix-Xatt cannot be built upwards.
The town has a considerable number of streets named after British governors or places, such as Norfolk Street, Prince of Wales Road (opened by Prince Albert when he visited the island), Windsor Terrace, Graham Street, Milner Street and Fort Cambridge.
Attractions Sliema:
Harbour Cruises, Underwater Safari, Artitude Gallery, Churches, Independence Gardens, Branded shops, walks, beaches, festas, fortizza and so on.
ABOUT VALLETTA
Valletta, The Fortress City, Citta' Umilissima, “a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen” is Malta's capital city: a living, working city, the administrative and commercial heart of the Islands. Valletta is named after its founder, the respected Grand Master of the Order of St John, Jean Parisot de la Valette. The magnificent fortress city grew on the arid rock of Mount Sceberras peninsula, which rises steeply from two deep harbours, Marsamxett and Grand Harbour. Started in 1566, Valletta was completed, with its impressive bastions, forts and cathedral, in the astonishingly short time of 15 years.
Valletta has many titles, all recalling its rich historical past. It is the “modern” city built by the Knights of St John; a masterpiece of the Baroque; a European Art City and a World Heritage City. Ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John, it is one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. The city is busy by day, yet retains a timeless atmosphere. The grid of narrow streets boasts some of Europe's finest art works, churches and palaces.
Hosting a vast cultural programme, walking around Valletta you’ll come across an intriguing historical site around every corner: votive statues, niches, fountains and coats of arms high up on parapets. Narrow side streets are full of tiny quaint shops and cafés, while Valletta’s main streets are lined with larger international branded shops for fashion, music, jewellery and much more.
The city is today one of Malta’s main tourist attractions, hosting among others, the majestic St John’s Co- Cathedral, the imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. It also provides a stunning snapshot of Malta’s Grand Harbour, often described as the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.
The city’s unique setting nowadays plays host to a series of cultural events, from theatre in English, to concerts by leading opera singers.
A hive of business activity during the day, the city switches to a slower gear for the night. Use it to your advantage to get away from the noise and take a stroll to admire the magic of the fortified capital amplified by the gentle lighting. Admire the bastion walls, the dense clusters of worn limestone buildings, the timber balconies, and imposing Churches.
Getting There: 10 minutes by bus, taxi or boat ride.
Attractions Valletta:
Historical buildings, museums, coffee shops, restaurants, gardens, central bus terminus (all over the island) Castle, chateau, palace, Architecture – Medieval, Auberges, Government or institution building, Manor or country house, Architecture – Renaissance, Auberge d'Aragon, Archbishop's Palace, Government or institution building, Manor or country house, Auberge de Bavaria, Auberge de Bavière, Government or institution building, Auberge de Castile et Leo, Auberge de Provence, Carnival parade, Standalone sculpture, statue or fountain, Religious treasury, Church of St Paul the Shipwrecked, Freedom Square, Malta - City Gate, St John's Cavalier, Great Siege Square, St John's Co-Cathedral, Merchants Street, Castellania, Church of St Dominic, Open Market, Hospital of the Order, Palazzo Parisio, Old Theater, Palace Square, Grand Harbor, Valletta War Museum, Valletta Waterfront and much more
ABOUT ST. JULIANS
San Giljan (English:
St. Julian's) is a town in Malta situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, centred mostly in an area known as Paceville.
San Giljan is a popular town, usually flowing with tourists, especially during the summer months. It is also a well-sought after destination by the Maltese.
St Julian's is now an extension of Sliema although it started life as a small fishing port based on Spinola and Balluta Bays. Like Sliema, it is now a major residential and tourist centre. St Julian's merges with Paceville, Malta's main nightlife centre where there are clubs, casinos and numerous restaurants, cafes and bars. Picturesque Spinola Bay is still used by fishermen whose traditional boats are housed just below the restaurants. The bay is particularly attractive at night and as a venue for open-air dining. The elegant Spinola Palace, built in 1658 by an Italian knight, Giovanni Spinola, is the landmark historic building on the bay. Another fine building with superb sea views is Villa Dragonara, now a casino, on the headland of St George's Bay.
Some historical facts about St. Julian’s
Before 1800 there was practically nothing standing in the area today called San Giljan, except for Spinola Palace, the old church and a few fishermen’s huts and farmers’ dwellings dotting the countryside.
However in the area known as Mensija one finds a set of cart-ruts of the late Bronze Age period. Of the Roman period one finds also a couple of tombs discovered by P.F.Bellanti in the early 20th century in the Tal-Ballut district on the site now occupied by the Chapel of the Sacred Heart Convent. One finds also the remains of a round Roman tower, one in a chain of some eight other similar ones on Malta; this lies at ta’ Cieda at the top of present-day Triq il-Korvu, Kappara. This site was later used as a Saracenic burial ground. There are also Arab influences such as the name of the valley – Wied Ghomor. Both tal-Ballut - name of a type of tree, and tas- Sliema are Moslem personal names in Sicily.
Under the British influence San Giljan changed from an insignificant locality to an important seaside village of pleasant residences.
The Old Parish Church
The earliest documentary evidence is of the pastoral visit of Bishop Tommaso Gargallo of 1601 to this church. He states that he Church was built in 1580 and was dedicated to Saint Julian. In 1736, when Monsignor Alpheran de Bussan re-visited San Giljan, he noted that the locality was already known as
Portus Sancti Juliani, meaning
after the patron saint, evidence that the previous medieval name
Qaliet Gnien il-Fieres was placed aside. In 1854, the 600 residents of San Giljan applied to the church authority, in order for San Giljan to become a parish. The Birkirkara chapter protested strongly against such an application and consequently the application was withheld. Nevertheless, another similar application was resent in 1891 and the request was accepted. Dun Guzepp Scerri became the first parish priest.
Getting There: 10 minutes by bus or taxi
Attractions: Churches, Promenande, Restaurants and the like.
ABOUT PACEVILLE
Located west of St. Julian's, Malta, Paceville is the name given to an informal district heavily populated with nightclubs, bars, pubs and restaurants, and is considered to be Malta's nightlife capital. Paceville is located between Spinola Point and Dragonara Point, delimiting Spinola Bay and St. George's Bay respectively.
The areas around Paceville after the war were mostly farming communities surrounded with fields, and Paceville itself only had a few restaurants. Unlike today, parking in Paceville was relatively straightforward as people used to park their cars in fields, one of them being the field on which the St. George's Park hotel was built.
Paceville's slow transition into a tourist hub commenced in the 1960s, when two major hotel corporations, the Sheraton and the Hilton, developed five-star hotel properties in the area.
At around the same time, a number of bars and clubs started to open in the area in view of the increasing number of British servicemen and tourists living in St. Julian's, St. Andrew's and Pembroke. Throughout the years, bars, clubs, discotheques and additional hotels were developed.
Getting There: 10 minutes by bus or taxi
Attractions: Casino, nightclubs, bars, cinemas, bowling alley and the like.