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 is located less than 15 kilometers west of Valletta, the country’s capital, which you’ll have the chance to explore during your next teen language study trip to Malta with LEC. It owes its highly symbolic status on the island to the fact that it is, quite simply, the country’s former capital.
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).