The Mysterium Fidei Monastery which has been secluded in the heart of Malta’s capital for over four centuries has just opened for the public… and the initial photos look incredible.

The secret garden forms part of Valletta’s Monastery of St. Catherine’s, home to the Augustinian Cloistered nuns. And after more than 400 years, it’s opening its rusted doors as part of an immersive experience called the Mysterium Fidei Museum.

Brought to life by Hidden Valletta Ltd., the new experience promises two tours. The monastery itself was founded in 1575 and was initially intended to care for female orphans. “From within the walls of this monastery, what is probably the last generation of nuns carry on the legacy to this day,” the tour says of the cloistered nuns who made an oath to lead a life of prayer within these walls.

Meanwhile, visitors will also be treated to a tour of the underground complex, which was originally used as a quarry to build the monastery above it. “From the ribbed vaulted rooms, the peaceful, central garden, the fiery ovens, and the undisturbed burial place, this complex is as fascinating as it is unique,” the museum explains.

Located on the corner of Strait Street and St. Christopher’s Street, the new museum is open on mornings and afternoons from Tuesday to Saturday, and from 8:30am to 2pm on Sundays. For more information – and a more detailed list of Opening Hours – check out their Facebook page and website here.

Global travel authority Lonely Planet has unveiled its top destinations to visit next year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023, and Malta has been awarded the “Top Destination to Unwind” Award, alongside destinations such as Halkidiki in Greece and Jordan, The Malta Tourism Authority said.

Lonely Planet said that Malta has been ‘much-loved by European visitors for decades,’ adding that it ‘is attracting more visitors from around the world, beckoned by its prehistoric temples, fantastic scuba diving and buzzy Valletta, its beautiful capital,'” the MTA added.

Lonely Planet’s annual marquee moment celebrates their expert predictions for where to go in the year ahead, the MTA said. “Showcasing 30 incredible destinations around this globe, Best in Travel 2023 is Lonely Planet’s 18th annual collection of the world’s hottest destinations and the must-have travel experiences for the year ahead. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 recommends 30 must-visit locations around food, journeying, connection, learning and unwinding. It offers a comprehensive set of itineraries aimed at helping travellers to explore the world – while following along with some seriously knowledgeable locally based experts along the way.”

The award was presented to Clayton Bartolo, Minister for Tourism; Gavin Gulia and Carlo Micallef, Chairman and CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, during last week’s World Travel Market in London.

“Malta’s profile in the tourism world is rapidly gaining the strong reputation it truly deserves. In the past months, the Malta Tourism Authority has been a proactive catalyst in making sure that the splendour of the Maltese Islands is shared and outreached around the globe,” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo.

“Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are then whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 30 destinations. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainability, community and diversity,” the MTA said.

Article credits: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2022-11-16/local-news/Malta-wins-Lonely-Planet-s-top-destination-to-unwind-award-6736247525

AX The Saint John, a boutique hotel in the heart of Merchants Street, Valletta, is the recipient of Booking.com’s Traveller Review Award 2022 with a score of 9 out of 10!

A Traveller Review Award is won by having an average review score between 8 and 10 with at least three reviews left by Booking.com travellers by 1^st December of the previous year. AX The Saint John managed to obtain a fantastic score, rendering the boutique hotel a recipient of this prestigious award.

Once a former merchant’s residence and shop, the accommodation was reformulated as the successful and hospitable setting that it is today but never losing its rich history. Rooms at AX The Saint John combine luxury, technology and style – ideal for the smart and independent traveller.

Mike Xuereb, the owner at Hotel 19 Rooms in Valletta, is working together with his team towards becoming the first carbon neutral hotel in Malta.

This was shared by Singular Places, a berlin-based, impact and sustainability driven travel booking site, which said the company is proud to be part of Hotel 19 Rooms’ journey, “as they continue to grow towards sustainability and on to regeneration”.

19 Rooms is the only Maltese hotel to be listed on the sustainability-focused booking site, and has passed a set of criteria to make it onto the platform. Criteria assessed include power saving initiatives, water saving measures, plastic avoidance, ecological construction, waste policy, use of local suppliers and more.

In comments shared with Singular Places, the hotel’s owner, Mike Xuereb, remarked:

“Hospitality for me is about exceptional service and being an enabler for your guests’ experience to help them get the most out of their holiday or business trip.

“Sitting on top of that is the need to have an eco-friendly and sustainable operation, were we recognise the realities of climate change and focus on reducing our footprint and being a responsible part of our community.”

For the first time in hundreds of years, a Grand Master will be buried in the crypt of St John’s Co-Cathedral, its foundation has said.

Fra’ Matthew Festing will be the 12th Grand Master to be laid to rest in the crypt – the burial place of L’Isle-Adam, who brought the Order of the Knights of St John to Malta in 1530, and La Valette, who won the 1565 Great Siege and founded the city of Valletta.

The 79th Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Festing died, aged 71, after feeling ill in Malta and being hospitalised earlier this month, the Grand Magistry had announced.

He served as Grand Master from 2008 up to his resignation in 2017.

The last Grand Master to be buried in the crypt was Vasconcellos in 1623, although it is understood, despite a lack of documentation, that it is also the resting place, in an unmarked grave, of Ximenez, who died in 1775, said St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation CEO and curator, Cynthia de Giorgio.

The tradition was that the Grand Masters would be buried underground, but from 1623, their remains would be moved to the chapel of their langue in the co-cathedral after a year in the crypt for the “special indulgences it was endowed with”, she said.

Fra’ Festing would be buried in the crypt because he died in Malta, and since he was English, there was no English langue, de Giorgio explained.

“Where else can you bury a Grand Master in Malta?” de Giorgio asked, adding that the decision was taken in agreement with the knights, the archbishop and the prime minister.

A location in the Grand Masters’ Crypt has been found and his burial site prepared, with cultural and cathedral authorities acting fast to identify a space that could accommodate the very tall man.

The last Grand Master to die in Malta was de Rohan in 1797 and he is buried in the Chapel of Provence. Since then, no others have been buried in the co-cathedral, the Order of the Knights of St John having left Malta in 1798.

The last reigning Grand Master was Hompesch, but he had left Malta before he died and was, therefore, not buried here, de Giorgio said.

Fra’ Festing’s funeral will be held on December 3 and Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi, Pope Francis’s special delegate to the Order of Malta, will celebrate the Requiem Mass, while Archbishop Charles Scicluna will concelebrate.

The co-cathedral’s crypt, which was reopened to the public last year, following a €500,000 restoration project that lasted 13 years, was carved out of the rock for underground burial in the 16th century.

It is located beneath the high altar and houses the remains of the 11 Grand Masters who led the Order from 1522 to 1623, including Jean de la Cassière, who commissioned the church that would become St John’s Co-Cathedral.

A descendant of Sir Adrian Fortescue, a Knight of Malta, who was martyred in 1539, Fra’ Festing he led humanitarian aid missions to Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia.

Article credits: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/grand-master-to-be-buried-in-st-johns-co-cathedral.917539?fbclid=IwAR09D-_F4wRIZg-8GcBJOcrCGAhBEakQSrK2baxwHa4uqwO558KX2gJVmPg

Fairyland – Santa’s City will return to Valletta from the 3^rd December to 2^nd January 2022!

Fairyland promises to be exactly what anyone would expect, following its first edition in 2019, as the entrance to Malta’s Capital City will be transformed into an original adaptation of Santa’s City, all set up to give the ultimate experience to children, and those who are still children at heart!

Among the attractions expected to return, Rudolph’s Wheel will once again provide the best bird’s eye view of Valletta and neighbouring cities and the Ice Rink will be providing quite a festive adrenaline rush!. Naturally, the man himself, Santa Claus will be in residence at Fairyland, ready to meet children from all over the world, compile his Naughty and Nice list and even get a head-start on delivering gifts.

Christmas Food and Drink will be available from Santa’s numerous cabins, and there will also be a couple of surprises!

“The return of Fairyland – Santa’s City is another step forward in our path towards the normality, we strongly missed due to the pandemic. Through this event, we will be providing families with the opportunity to enjoy the Christmas spirit with their loved ones through a number of attractions aimed at nurturing the positive atmosphere that the festive season is well renowned for in the Maltese Islands. The Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection together with the Malta Tourism Authority will continue working hard to assure that our country remains an entertainment bastion in the Mediterranean,” remarked Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo.

Read the full article: https://www.mta.com.mt/en/news-details/337

This week’s Special Feature takes us to the newly opened Embassy Hotel, a 4* superior city hotel.

Located at the very centre of Valletta, this Valletta hotel stands on the site where one of the first hotels in Malta welcomed guests in the 1800s.

Valletta, Malta’s Capital City and a UNESCO Heritage site is quaint yet vibrant, dotted with restaurants, bars and shops at all corners and is the ideal location for any type of trip in any season.

Ivan Borg Ferrando explains how this brand new designer finished hotel boasts 81 good sized bedrooms, a rooftop pool and dining area along with a gorgeous courtyard full of greenery and also meeting facilities.

The Embassy Hotel is officially the largest hotel within the City Walls and is already making a mark on the local hotel map.

No doubt once tourism is back, this property will be buzzing with city slickers, business persons and even families.

We wish the Management and staff  all the very best of luck!

This week we walked along the Valletta streets to visit one of our top catering partners at the Casino Maltese, also known as the Knight’s Treasury.

The Casino Maltese is a social club that was created in the 1850s and is today still operating as both a social club and also one of Malta’s top event venues.

Brian Calleja, Director of Sales and Diane Farrugia, Head of Sales on the MICE market at Corinthia Caterers explained to us the versatility of this historical venue as we went down memory lane and reminisced on all the fabulous events we hosted together at this elegant venue.

We can’t wait to be walking down the streets of Valletta with groups again very soon!

This week’s journey took us to the bastion walls of Valletta to meet Mark Weingard, founder of Iniala Group.

Mark explained to us the concept of this amazing project, the inspiration and the results he’d like to achieve once the hotel opens its doors. Mark is full of energy and excitement as he talks about his project, now near completion after 7 years in the making.

Fabulously designed and decorated suites boasting imposing Grand Harbour Views, each uniquely finished to the highest of standards, a restaurant with the most scenic views and exquisite cuisine and a spa to relax in, all in the Capital City!

Mark goes on to say that this project will be the Top Luxury Experience in Malta but also a home away from home!

We can’t wait to experience the luxury of this new property, which opened its doors in mid October.

To learn more about Iniala Group and its philanthropy click on : https://www.inialagroup.com/

This week we visited Andy Tanti at The Rosselli Hotel in the heart of the Capital City of Valletta. This hotel offers two unique experiences – The Only 5* hotel within the fortified capital’s walls and a superb Michelin star restaurant. Rosselli Hotel forms part of the AX Hotels Group.