Department stores and clothes shops here are uninspiring compared to their mainland European counterparts, and the prices in international shops, such as Marks & Spencer, Benetton and Next are substantially higher. The best places in which to experience the bustle of true Maltese life are the Sunday markets in Valletta and Marsaxlokk.

Craft Centres

Generally speaking the best place to see – and the cheapest places to buy – local handicrafts are the two crafts villages on Malta and Gozo.

Gozo Citadel Crafs Centre

Arts and crafts purchased by private Maltese and Gozitian firms, located in what use to be the old Gozo prisons.

Ta’ Qali Craft Centre, Ta’ Qali

Authentic Maltese crafts are displayed on the site of a World War II aerodrome. Here you can watch working silver-smiths, glassblowers, potters, ironsmiths, stone carves, lace makers and jewelers. A visit to the village \features on day tours of the island but it is more satisfying to go independently and browse (and buy) at your own leisure.

Ta’ Dbiegi Crafts Village

This is Gozo’s version of the Ta’Qali Craft Centre, displaying and selling local crafts, but all ona samller scale. The emphasis is on lace making and weaving

Brass and Iron

Replica brass dolphin doorknockers, as seen in Mdina and other old quarters, are favourite souvenirs. Wrought ironwork is a local tradition, and items range from candlesticks to an entire suit of armour.

Ceramics

Local pottery is not as varied as you might expect from a Mediterranean island. The styles are mainly rustic and the predominant colours are brown and blue. Very reasonably priced are the ceramic and sculpture; seconds sold at the Craft Centre in Ta’Qali.

Glass

Local glassware is stylish, beautifully coloured and reasonably priced. Vases, pots and ornaments come in various shades of blue and green, often in a mottled effect.

Jewelery

The Maltese have been making jewelery for centuries and the island is full of silversmiths and goldsmiths, many specializing in filigree work. The streets of Valletta are the best place to shop.

Street Markets

The main event is Valletta’s flea market held on Sunday mornings near City Gate. There are also weekday markets in Merchants’ Street, Valletta, and in Rabat, in Marsaxlokk, and in Victoria in Gozo.

Textiles

Most of the authentic handmade items you will see are made on Gozo. Beware, however, of imitation lace. Among the range of genuine items are lace-edged handkerchiefs, napkins, tablecloths and full-lace shawls. Try the crafts village of Ta’ Dbiegi, the shops behind It-Tokk Square in Victoria or the shops of Xlendi.

Equally abundant are the cheap and chunky woolen cardigans and sweaters that hang outside the shops in Malta, and Gozo, Cotton goods such as T-shirts, towels and jeans are very reasonably priced, especially in markets.

Malta Weave is an especially hardwearing cloth that is used for making dresses, skirts, tablecloths and bedspreads.

Today the capital of Malta, Valletta is still the island’s richest repository of art, architecture, history and culture. It is also the main shopping and business center. Sightseeing could occupy two or three days, but equally rewarding are the streets, many of which are still flanked by handsome balconied houses.

The main thoroughfare is Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street) which is full of shops and, during the morning and early evening, free of traffic. In recent years it has seen the arrival of several fast-food outlets, bringing in more visitors by night. The street cuts through the city before dropping down to Fort St Elmo on the trip of the peninsula. Leading off are numerous back streets forming a rectangular grid that has altered little over the years. Some of the narrowest slope very steeply down towards the harbour, and a glimpse of brilliant blue at the end of many streets reminds you that this is a very small city, almost entirely surrounded by water.

The Auberges

The Order of St John was divided into eight languages (or nationalities), each one having its own auberge. Literally translated as an inn or hostel, this was more akin to an Oxford or Cambridge college, with a chapel, dinning hall and accommodation ranged around a courtyard. Of the original auberges, five have survived and only two are open to the public. The exteriors alone, however, give you a good idea of the lifestyle enjoyed by the Knights.

Churches

The knights of St John who combined the careers of monk and soldier, were responsible for most of Valletta’s churches. the greatest being, St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Grand Masters’ Palace

The 18th-century traveler, Patrick Brydone, noted that ‘the Grand Master (who studies conveniency more than magnificent) is more comfortably and commodiously lodged than any prince in Europe, the King of Sardinia perhaps only excepted.’ Behind its inappropriately severe façade, and in spite of the malicious pillaging by Napoleon’s troops following the French occupation in 1798, the palace still conveys an impression of the splendor to which the Grand Masters were accustomed.

Armoury

Only about a quarter of the arms and armour belonging to the knights has survived, but it is still a formidable collection, with around 6,000 pieces in all. Among them are daggers, rapiers, halberds, cannon, pistols and some stunningly decorated suits of armour. In one room rows of Knights in armour stand to attention, while the special suits of armour individually made for the Grand Masters are displayed separately. The most splendid of these is the suit inlaid with gold made for Grand Master Wignacourt in 1610-20. among the weapons and armoury of the Knights’ adversaries are Turkish battle axes, helmets, gilded shields and a sword said to have belonged to the corsair, Dragut.

Manoel Theatre

This gem of a theatre is said to be the third oldest in Europe. It was built in 1731 by the Portuguese Grand Master, Manoel de Vilhena ‘for the honest entertainment of the people’. The religious life to which the Knights were committed did not stop them indulging in theatrical pursuits. Watching or participating in pageants, operas, comedies and tragedies was very much part of their lifestyle.

National Library

Also known as the Bibliotheca, this imposing arcaded building dominates Republic Square. Built in the late 18th century, it is the repository of a large number of original documents recording the administration of the Order of the St John. The original library was built by the Knights in 1555. from 1612, the sale of any book belonging to deceased Knights was forbidden, hence this vast collection of valuable leather-bound tomes.

National Museum of Fine Arts

This art collection occupies three floors of a fine baroque palazzo that was built by the Knights in the 16th century and remodeled in the 18th century. For many years the building served as the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet, during which time it was commonly known as Admiralty House. The collection here begins with medieval Italian works and takes in all periods up to modern Maltese art. The highlights are the baroque paintings by Mattia Preti and the sculpture an the first floor by Antonio Sciortino (1879-1940).

The George Cross

The George Cross was instituted by King George VI ‘ for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger’. Malta is the only nation to have been awarded the medal. The award of the medal is explained in a letter of 15 April 1942 sent from Buckingham Palace to the Governor of Malta: ‘To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the award Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Malta in 1992.

Valletta Environs

Close to Valletta is the town of Birkirkara, Hamrun, Qormi, Floriana, Sliema and St Julians. Sliema is considered to be Malta’s number one tourist area. It is also the island’s most densely populated town. A century ago this was a quiet area, then the wealthy Vallettans came and built their elegant art nouveau residences along the promenade. Today it is the largest and most expensive residential area in Malta.