Malta Information
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 17
Home Country: malta
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 Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:42 am Post subject: SHOPPING IN MALTA |
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SHOPPING IN MALTA
Shopping in Malta is colourful markets with fresh fish; quaint old shops in Valletta’s backstreets; and the latest continental fashions in shopping plazas.
But more than anything, it is an excuse to stop off at a café and people gaze. Shopping is a cultural window on the Islands too.
You’ll find plenty of tempting must-buys to take home. For a taste of the Mediterranean, choose among the many local deli treats from olives and sun-dried tomatoes to fine wines. If you want something to appreciate for longer, try the intricate, filigree silverware or a work from one of the Islands’ renowned artists.
Deli Delights
With the Islands drenched with sun nearly all year round, it’s not surprising that some of the best buys are products of the climate.
Gozitan thyme honey, the rich flavours of sun-dried tomatoes, sun-ripened olives, fresh figs, capers, peppered goats’ cheese known as Gbejniet, sugary "helwa", nougat and fine wines. The list is endless. Many visitors love the Maltese snack pastizzi so much that they even buy the frozen variety to cook back home.
If you’re here for summer, why not stock up on a few treats for Christmas? The Islands’ wineries have won international accolades in recent years and are happy to arrange tastings. Their most prized vintages are among Malta’s best-kept secrets.
Where to buy
For deli treats like olives and Gbniet cheese, you can try any local village shop or supermarket. Specialty shops in the old centres of Cittadella and Victoria, Gozo, and Valletta’s covered market between St Paul and Merchant Streets are good options. For nougat try a village festa for the best selection. Decorated carts are piled high with local sweets.
Art & Books
The Maltese Islands with their deep colours and rugged landscape have long inspired artists and sculptors both local and foreign. Many excellent artists work in Malta today. The Centre for Creativity at St James Cavalier, Valletta, often shows their work. Look out for exhibitions held by the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, a Maltese heritage foundation. It holds spectacular displays of Maltese art, antiques and artefacts from private and church collections. The Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, holds regular exhibitions as well.
For a memento, buy a coffee table book or an old maritime print. There are excellent publications which give you a different angle on places you may visit and glimpses of the Malta you may not see. They show the treasures which lie behind the walls of Mdina’s palaces and tucked away in Valletta’s tiny back streets.
Where to buy
Private galleries are dotted across the Islands, often not in the main centres. The Centre for Creativity, St James Cavalier, Valletta, can help with enquiries on local contemporary artists, as can staff at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta. St James Cavalier, an arts centre in a 16th century fortress, showcases Maltese and foreign art and sculpture in its series of exhibitions. Collections of Melitensia - books and maps on Malta - are best found in Valletta and Sliema bookstores. Look also in the Manoel TheatreBookshop, Old Theatre Street, Valletta.
Crafts & Jewelry
Malta’s jewellers have a worldwide reputation for quality and craftsmanship. Craftsmen work in both silver and gold. Choose from intricate filigree broches, bracelets and earrings or classic designs in gold.
Traditional handcrafted glass is produced across the Islands. Some factories are open for visits. Check attractions on the interactive map for where they are. Favourite objects include vases and figurines sometimes swirled with Mediterranean-inspired hues of blue. Potteries produce too vast a range of items to describe, but there is something for everyone from practical items for the house to more decorative objects.
Basketware and wickerwork are local crafts with a practical purpose. Maltese homes use cane blinds, hasira, on doors and windows to cut out the harsh summer sun. But there are numerous smaller items to take home.
If you’re visiting Gozo in high summer, don’t be surprised to find heavy-knit sweaters on display all over the Island. Plan for winter and stock up with colourful and classic pure-wool knits. Woven wool rugs in cream and white are also favourite buys.
Gozo is also famed for its fine lace. Women still perch outside on doorsteps working the bobbin. There has been a revival in recent years in this traditional craft.
Where to buy
The Ta’ Qali crafts village is a convenient place to see a range of crafts and find craftspeople at work. Many hotels and local operators organise tours which include a visit to Ta’Qali en route to Mdina.
In Gozo, try the Cittadella Crafts & Shopping Centre in Victoria and Ta’ Dbiegi Crafts Centre at San Lawrenz. Visit the Folklore Museum at Gharb to see how Gozitan history was centred on wool, cotton, and agriculture. Small shops in Victoria and other localities stock crafts and produce.
For jewelry try Valletta’s back streets. Jewellers are concentrated mainly on Santa Lucija Street with some larger outlets on the main Republic Street.
Lace is on sale all over Gozo and Malta.
For more information on any crafts, enquire at The Malta Crafts Centre in St John’s Square, Valletta. It acts as a showcase of the Islands’ crafts and provides information on where best to buy the various items.
Wines
Malta’s viticulture dates back to the Romans and before, but owes its revival to the Knights of St John. Today, the Islands have several notable vineyards and producers. The climate and distinct terroir produces some fine whites and reds, some from the indigenous grape varieties, Gellewza and Girghentina Several wineries offer tastings and tours.
Where to buy
You can find a variety of Maltese wines at supermarkets.
Fashion, Music and More
Sliema and its urban neighbour, coastal St Julian's, are the place for international-style shopping at reasonable prices. There are shopping centres with music, continental European, UK and American fashions, perfumeries, shoes and brand names together with fast-food outlets, restaurants and cafés.
In Sliema, shopping action is found on two main streets, Bisazza Street and Tower Road, but the side streets house interesting options, especially for fashion, sports, interiors and shoes. Up the coast, St Julian's has excellent shopping, leisure and entertainment outlets.
Valletta itself is a shopping mecca, attracting locals and visitors from around the island. Bargains are easy to find, especially along Republic Street, the main thoroughfare, which boasts the widest range of locally produced goods and international brands. Valletta has several shopping malls and arcades. Amongst the grid of streets with tiny crafts shops, restorers and household shops, Valletta has designer names, fashion, music, jewellery shops, cosmetics, bookshops and much more too. Valletta’s main shopping areas are along Republic Street and Merchants Street.
The advantage of shopping Malta is the abundance of café and restaurants to stop off at.
Antiques
As home to so many of Europe’s nobility from the 16th to 18th centuries, it is not surprising that Malta has a reputation for some of the finest antiques and examples of craftsmanship. From furniture and silverware to maritime prints, art, distinctive Maltese clocks, the Islands’ museums and palaces house myriad gems.
You’ll find antique shops in almost every town. Some handle finer items, while those offering what seems like bric-a-brac reveal cherished curios and items of bygone times. Both style of shop are a delight to browse. Alternatively, visit an open-air market. In Victoria, Gozo, you’ll find several rustic antique shops spilling their wares out on the pavements.
To view antiques in their setting, visit the palaces open to the public, especially Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar, and Casa Rocca Piccola, Valletta, both homes to Maltese nobility.
If you want to export antiques, first check if the artefact is over 50 years old. If it is, you will need an export licence issued by the Museums Department. |
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