A World Apart
The afternoon light falls gently on the city walls, the peaceful streets, the beautiful domes and spires, warming the stone, shimmering on the sea’s surface. Here, in the Marsamxett area, away from the busy centre, the gently aging capital stretches itself out, basking in the mellow light, as the sea washes up gently at its feet. The sounds from the centre recede here, only the clink of teacups or the sound of the ferry as it crosses over the open sea from Sliema can be heard. Just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Valletta’s busy thoroughfares, this feels aeons apart in terms of these areas’ distinct pulsations of life.
Far less pretentious than most other areas of Valletta, the area around Marsamxett harbour is often overlooked in favour of the more commercial areas. But, down here, where spires rub shoulders with apartments and crumbling facades look out on magnificent open sea views, is a city which lives and breathes, a rawer side to the capital than the more polished streets around the bustling centre.
Broadly speaking, Marsamxett, or Marsamxetto Harbour – as the ferry stop sign reads – is the northern of Valletta’s two natural harbours separated by the Valletta peninsula, with the Grand Harbour to the south. To the north, Marsamxett is bounded by the towns of Gzira and Sliema, stretching as far as Dragut Point, and extending inland to Pietà and Msida. The harbour is also home to the historical Manoel island with its 18th century Manoel Fort, which may also be reached by a small bridge from Gzira.
Less glamorous but more leisurely than its busy southern counterpart, Marsamxett harbour houses a large yacht marina in Msida and tourist cruise boats from Sliema, operating on a regular daily basis, offering a different view of the cities from the sea.
Brimful of character, the area includes seaside restaurants, a waterpolo pitch and adjacent club premises as well as the famous regatta club, home to the yearly Regatta boat race event. Currently there are plans for its regeneration and the area is slowly being rediscovered; concept restaurant 2-22, literally encased within the ancient city walls, for instance, lends Marsamxett a contemporary touch, blending visuals, music and cuisine in a prime location.
This is Valletta as experienced by its real and permanent inhabitants, away from the commercialised centrestage. It is the life of village bars serving tea and coffee in clear glasses, pastizzi and Maltese bread for the working class, of small businesses that struggle to survive in hole-in-the-wall groceries and household stores, bazaars and butchers serving the neighbourhood. It is the daily routine of those who lead ordinary lives surrounded by monuments such as the Auberge de Baviere and Fort St Elmo, past and present merging peacefully in the fabric of the capital’s life.
Built in 1629 as a private house, the Auberge de Baviere subsequently served as an army officers’ mess, a school and a ministry. Guarding the entrance to both harbours, Fort St Elmo was the scene of a heroic defence during the Great Siege of 1565 and, in 1940, at the start of the war, Italian airmen led the first aerial attack on Malta with Fort St Elmo as the main target. Today, part of Fort St Elmo houses the War Museum – currently closed for refurbishment – with the rest of the fort serving as the Maltese Police Academy. The Fort is the scene today of the In Guardia and Alarme historical re-enactments – fullscale military parades in period costume. The Malta Experience auditorium, standing opposite the Mediterranean Conference Centre and a few feet away from the fort, recounts the island’s 7,000 years of history in a multilingual audio-visual spectacle.
City centre attractions within the Marsamxett Harbour radius include St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, the Carmelite Church and the unique 18th century Manoel Theatre among others. A final stop and a must for all visitors exploring Marsamxett is the grand view of the district that can be observed from the vantage point of Hastings Gardens, situated right above the city gate.
On the other side, another garden also beckons with magnificent views and a gentle sense of peace. Situated at the intersection point of the neighbouring cities of Floriana and the capital, the Garden of Rest, a former Protestant cemetery, has been beautifully restored and reopened to the public under the patronage of Din L-Art Helwa. Mikiel Anton Vassalli, considered to be the father of the Maltese language, also lies buried within its grounds.
Looking across at the far more commercial town of Sliema, Marsamxett stands quietly on the edges of the sea, which gives the area its character and colourful life. With its quaint ferry boat, seaside cafes and mixture of old and new, the area retains its sense of old-world charm, a world apart from Valletta’s bustling centre, adding yet another facet to the rich fabric of the capital’s life.