Żejtun, Valletta and Countryside Walks and Bike Routes

HOST project
Fit On Olive Trails
Żejt iż-Żejtun Marathon
Tourist Package: Itinerary for Foreign Visitors
Malta: Żejtun, Valletta and Countryside Walks
and Bike Routes
m a l ta
E X P LO R E O U R WO R L D
www.olivetrails.eu • info@ olivetrails.eu
Co-funded by
the COSME programme
of the European Union
Ċ
IŻ-ŻEJTUN
CITTA BELAND:
AN INTRODUCTION*
*Source of Information http://www.Żejtunlocalcouncil.com/#!history/c1aa8
Iż-Żejtun – Ċitta Beland: An Introduction
The town of Żejtun, also known as Ċitta Beland
Żejtun, is situated in the south-eastern part of Malta.
It covers the top of a hill that dominates the bays of
Marsaxlokk, St. Thomas Bay and Marsaskala, today
important sites and in the past popular ports of call
for all Mediterranean sailors since Phoenician times.
They also provided convenient landing beaches for
invaders.
The origins of Żejtun go back to Phoenician and
Roman times. Originally Żejtun, known as Terra
Santa Catarina, covered the whole south eastern
part of the island extending to the outskirts of the
walls protecting Cottonera and included Żabbar,
Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk and St. George’s Bay.
The inhabitants of Żejtun proper till 1680 formed
two separate communities huddled in residences
protected by narrow streets (which of themselves
provided protection) known as Bisqallin referred
to till today as the Lower Village (Ir-Raħal
t’Isfel) and Ħal Ġwann and Ħal
Bisbut, known today as
the Upper
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Village (Ir-Raħal ta’ Fuq). Development during
the eighteenth century and the construction of the
new parish church in between the two communities
formed the present centre and linked the two to form
one community.
Today, Żejtun is a vibrant community with authentic
village life surrounding an active community proud
of its roots and rich tangible and intangible heritage.
Żejtun has revived its olive production tradition, and
is also a leader in matters that promote the south
eastern region of the Maltese Islands.
Spending time in Żejtun will take you back in time,
give you an opportunity to familiarise yourself with
the heritage, explore the unspoiled countryside and
experience life in an authentic Maltese village.
Żejtun is also an ideal location to
explore the surrounding
localities.
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DAY 1
Breakfast at Żejtun followed by a visit to Valletta
Waking up in Żejtun or for that matters, in any of the
surrounding villages in the South East of Malta is an
experience in itself. The church bells calling their
patrons to mass are an innovative wake-up call. A
unique breakfast follows, it can consist of a fresh
baked warm ftira (flat bread) from one of the local
bakers, with local tomatoes, hams and cheeses or
Roger’s famous pastizzi - a pure delicacy of flakey
pastry savoury pockets filled with cheese or peas.
Alternatively, if you have a sweet tooth, you can
enjoy treats prepared by two renowned local bakers
of Żejtun, Barbetta or Ermenia – whose apple pie, and
sinizza are worth waking up for.
Visit to Valletta – European Capital of Culture 2018
Valletta is Malta’s capital city, a city built by
gentlemen for gentlemen. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and in 2018 will be the European
Capital of Culture together with Leeuwarden, in
Netherlands.
Our capital city is a pure example of Maltese Baroque
architecture and offers the visitor a glimpse of the
richness of high art and culture – with monuments
designed by the Knights of St. John and Maltese
architects and subsequently embellished by the
British. The most recent addition to this melting pot
of architecture is the Maltese Parliament at Valletta
Gate – a tribute to Maltese creativity built by Renzo
Piano.
Valletta is a vibrant city, where the old mixes with
the new, where open spaces give the visitor a glimpse
of the rich intangible heritage of the Maltese culture;
it is a city that is alive with activities mostly during
the day. At night you are most welcome to wander
around the cool streets, appreciate the local life and
feast your senses at the many eateries specialising in
Maltese cuisine.
Some important sites that you must visit in Valletta include:
The Archaeological Museum
The
Archaeological
Museum, situated in
Republic Street will give you
insight into Malta’s Neolithic roots
and megalithic heritage. For more
information about the archeology
of Malta and the museums in
Valletta, log on to the website of
Heritage Malta – Malta’s heritage
trust on
www.heritagemalta.com
St. John’s Co-Cathedral
St. John’s
Co-Cathedral – the
seat of the Knights of St. John. A
pure treasure of Maltese baroque
architecture and an art museum in
itself. In this site you will be able
to appreciate Caravaggio’s two
famous paintings – the beheading
of St. John and St. Jerome, the
Flemish tapestries, the tessellated
tombstones and the various works
of art that adorn each of the
eight chapels located within the
cathedral. For more information
about the Cathedral and its
treasures, log on to
www.stjohnscocathedral.com
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Upper Barrakka Gardens and the
Grand Harbour
Upper
Barrakka Gardens
and the Grand Harbour.
From Valletta, if you are still
willing to explore more of the
richness of our islands, you can
opt to take a traditional water taxi
– go down towards the old customs
house, using either the lift from
the Upper Barrakka Gardens or
take the scenic route and ride one
of the water taxis that will give
you a unique interpretation of
Malta’s life during the British era
by the water taxi driver.
Or, take the bus towards Żejtun
but stop first at Tarxien to visit one
of the World Heritage Sites – the
Tarxien temples.
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DAY 2
ŻEJTUN, HAS A RICH
HISTORY GOING BACK
TO ROMAN TIMES.
Indeed the locality takes its name from ‘olives’.
A Roman site of an olive oil production house can
still be viewed today. A special permit needs to be
obtained from the Girls’ Secondary School. A tour
around the locality of Żejtun will reveal chapels
going back to medieval times, baroque architecture,
palaces and historic homes. Whilst in the parish
square, one can admire the baroque cathedral and
the Religious heritage museum.
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A comprehensive heritage
route around the main
attractions of Żejtun has
been designed and created by
Żejtun Local Council.
The full comprehensive trail
can be downloaded from
www.5-sensesmalta.com/ZHR.pdf
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DAY 3
WALKS OR BIKE RIDES ALONG THE COUNTRYSIDE ROUTES
•
Ta’ Silg:
Marsaskala - Marsaslokk
This walk is a fairly easy one going along
the coast, around parts of the villages of
Marsaskala and Marsaxlokk, St. Thoman
Bay, and the pristine coasts of Munxar and
Delimara. There are two route options for this
walk, both start in the same way but in the
St. Thomas Bay area, one can choose either
Route A or Route B. Both routes will finish in
Marsaxlokk.
Route A takes you through the countryside
not following the coast while Route B follows
country roads around the coasts for most of
the walk. Both routes are similar in duration
at approx. lengths of 6.76km for Route A and
6.92km for Route B. Note that only Route A
can be followed by bicycle.
Bike Ride: Żejtun and Surrounding Areas
There are many options for tailored
bicycle rides starting in Żejtun and visiting
the surrounding areas of Marsaskala
and Marsaxlokk. Here is one route of
approximately 11.26km that goes around the
Marsaskala coast for a view of Zonqor to one
side and St. Thomas Bay and Munxar on the
other side. Many such routes can be planned
to take in different attractions on the way.
Some attractions include:
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Marsaskala Parish Church
Marsaskala seafront
St. Thomas Bay and Tower
Torri Mamo
Knisja San Gejtanu
Xrobb L-Għaġin
Tas-Silġ Church
Knisna ta’ San Niklaw
Marsaxlokk Harbour
Delimara
And more
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EXPLORE OUR WORLD
ENJOY YOUR STAY
Other Interesting activities in Żejtun:
Żejtun houses an active crafts persons
community – some interesting crafts people
in Żejtun include:
• Silversmiths
• Traditional Christmas crib makers
• Il- Manucca – kite making
• Confectioners and Bakers
• Accommodation in the area abounds. You
can find accommodation in traditional
houses, town houses, farmhouses and
apartments
References and Further Information
www.wirtizzejtun.com
Website of Żejtun researched
and hosted by a heritage NGO
“Wirt Iż-Żejtun”. The site
contains details of the natural,
cultural, environmental,
historical, ethnographical and
archaeological, tangible and
intangible heritage of Żejtun.
www.zejtunlocalcouncil.com
Website of Żejtun Local
Council.
m a l ta
E X P LO R E O U R WO R L D
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www.olivetrails.eu • info@ olivetrails.eu
Co-funded by
the COSME programme
of the European Union