Passing through the gates of the walled city of Malta’s Mdina is like stepping back in time. Once the country’s capital city and more recently used as King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, this fortified city is a labyrinth of cobbled alleyways, quiet piazzas and grand Baroque buildings.
Yet it’s the sense of calm you notice first. Nicknamed the Silent City, fewer than 300 people live within Mdina’s walls, businesses have strict noise restrictions and cars are banned for all but locals, with horse-drawn carriages the only other means of transport.
Staying at The Xara Palace allows you to experience the city at its most tranquil. A Relais & Châteaux property, this restored 17th century palazzo is now a five-star boutique hotel tucked away on Mdina’s ancient bastions with just 17 elegant rooms and a Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant. Plus, you’ll have Mdina all to yourself once the day-trippers depart.
The Vibe
Mdina has been home to Malta’s nobility since the 12th century and The Xara Palace feels like staying in one of their private family homes, stuffed with antiques and ornate paintings. Narrow corridors lead off twisting stone stairwells and rooms are clustered round a central covered courtyard, lined with plump sofas for curling up with a coffee.
A side room serves as the reception, lit by table lamps on mahogany desks and stocked with well-thumbed paperbacks for borrowing. Though the building has retained every bit of its old-world grandeur, the atmosphere is disarmingly relaxed thanks to staff who feel like old friends within moments of arriving, greeting us warmly by name each time we return to the hotel.
The Rooms
Every one of the 17 suites is individually designed, with soaring high ceilings, marble floors and opulent fabrics in shades of muted gold and bronze. Some have two floors, others their own terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi. Mine had antique wooden cabinets, panelled doors, snug window seats and a panoramic 180° view across the island.
The bathroom is made for wallowing, with a walk-in shower stocked with L’Occitane products, a built-in bath big enough for two and essential fluffy white robes. For a little more space, choose Angelina Jolie’s favourite room, the duplex Presidential Suite which has a dining table to seat six, original beams and a balcony overlooking The Vilhena Palace, originally the law courts during the time of the Knights of St John.
The Food + Drink
Book in advance if you want to bag a table at de Mondion, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant at the very top of the bastions. Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings, the restaurant serves a seven-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings plus à la carte dishes that showcase the best Mediterranean ingredients, including local octopus, prawns, rabbit and soufflé made from Maltese pecorino. Breakfast is also served here the following day and includes a platter of local delicacies, loaded with goat’s cheese, Maltese sausage and crunchy ftira – the country’s traditional flatbread best eaten with tomato paste, a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of pepper.
For a more casual dinner, choose Trattoria A.D 1530, which spills onto the square in front of the hotel for al fresco meals and serves hearty portions of pasta, baked fish dishes and exceptional pizza. Just save room for dessert – there’s coconut cake, caramelised white chocolate and peanut mousse and even Smarties ice cream on the menu, but the simple chocolate fondant is perfection on a plate.
The Little Extras
While there’s no outdoor space at The Xara Palace, staff will drive you to their sister property, The Xara Lodge, during the summer months. Just a few minutes away from Mdina, it has landscaped gardens and a large outdoor swimming pool where Bollinger and cocktails can be served straight to your sun-lounger and you’ll be dropped back to the hotel whenever you’re ready. Ask for recommendations too. Staff are all-too-happy to provide insider tips on everywhere from the cheapest place to buy handmade Maltese silver jewellery (Valletta Sunday market) to the best spot to feast on traditional pastizzi, a flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta or peas (Crystal Palace bakery).
The To-Do List
All Mdina’s sights are a short walk from the hotel and the best way to see the city is to get lost in its jumble of narrow alleyways, stumbling upon hole-in-the-wall wine bars and brightly painted wooden doors framed by fuchsia bougainvillea. Walk the city’s medieval stone walls for views towards Malta’s capital Valletta and the sea beyond, then head to Fontanella Tea Garden overlooking the bastions for the best cake in town.
Afterwards, admire the stunning stained-glass windows and frescoes in the 17th century St. Paul’s Cathedral, built in the spot where St Paul is believed to have converted the Roman governor Publius to Christianity. The National Museum of Natural History is close by, next to the city’s gates in the stunning, converted 18th century Palazzo Vilhena, and houses a vast collection of fossils and almost one million specimens including a 4000-year-old mummified Nile crocodile. Most importantly, head out after dinner for an evening stroll around this magical medieval city where the only sounds are the tolling bells of the cathedral and your own footsteps echoing in the silent, lantern-lit streets.
Lead image: Malta’s Mdina
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