To help you practice your English effectively while spending one, two weeks—or even longer—in a unique setting, LEC takes you to England, Ireland, the United States…and also to the most famous of the Mediterranean archipelagos. Today, for your next teen language trip to Malta, our teams are telling you all about the one-of-a-kind Mdina!
A town not far from Valletta
Mdina se trouve à moins de 15 kilomètres à l’ouest de La Valette, capitale du pays que vous aurez la chance d’explorer lors de votre prochain séjour linguistique ado à Malte avec LEC. Sa posture hautement symbolique sur l’île, elle la doit au fait qu’elle est ni plus ni moins l’ancienne capitale du pays.
Mdina and Rabat
Mdina wasn’t always a city in its own right: it used to be part of its neighbor, Rabat (not to be confused with the capital of Morocco!). Today, the two cities are clearly distinct; however, only a road separates them, and the most curious tourists can visit both places in a single day.
The Silent City
During your teen language study trip to Malta, you may hear locals refer to Mdina as The Silent City. The city owes this nickname to its small population: it is home to fewer than 300 people! That’s a far cry from the roughly 5,700 residents of the republic’s current capital…
Her own unique style
Formerly known as La Melita, il-Medina, Notabile, or Citta Vecchia, Mdina is surrounded by fortifications that give it a unique character. Even today, it has managed to preserve some examples of 12th-century Siculo-Norman architecture (the prefix “Siculo” referring to Sicily). This small piece of Maltese territory also features buildings dating from the late 17th century (such as its cathedral, for example), as well as from the 18th century (such as the former Palace of the Grand Masters).