girgenti walk

MaltaMaltaC O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

Girgenti Walk

IntroductionThe walk starts at the entrance of Buskett, on the outskirts of Dingli, and ends in Qrendi. It comprisesthe 16th century woodland of Buskett, prehistoric cart ruts and Ghar il-Kbir, a complex of caves whichwere inhabited up to 150 years ago. You will walk by Roman quarries and, further on, the InquisitorsGirgenti Palace, an 18th century palace currently used as the Prime Ministers official residence. LaferlaCross is a landmark sited on a hill. It provides a vantage point from where spectacular views of thesurrounding countryside can be enjoyed.

The walk passes through the village of Siggiewi with its numerous chapels and imposing ParishChurch. Siggiewis main square is of particular interest. Further on, a tower on the outskirts ofQrendi offers interesting architectural features. You will walk through the narrow village core road,past the monumental Parish Church and St. Anne chapel. The walk ends at Il-Maqluba, a largedepression in the ground formed by the collapse of an underground cave.

The text, read in conjunction with the route map (found in the centre pages), helps you to followthe route more easily. The numbers in the text correspond to the numbers on the map.

How to get thereThe walk starts at the entrance to Buskett on the way to Dingli. (For vehicles, this is the main exitfrom Buskett).

Public TransportYou can get there as follows: From Valletta, take route bus 81 and alight near the old Government Winery (near Buskett

Forest Aparthotel) across the road from the Buskett main exit. From Sliema, take route bus 65 and alight at the Saqqajja, Rabat bus stop next to the Ta Saura

home for the elderly. From the same bus stop, board the 81 bus to Dingli, alighting near the oldGovernment Winery across the road from the Buskett main exit as indicated above.

From Bugibba, take route bus 86 en route to Rabat and alight at the Ta Saura old peoples hometo change to bus 81, from the same bus stop, to Dingli as indicated above.

For the return journey from Qrendi it is best to return to Valletta by bus no. 35 from the Qrendi BusTerminus situated near the Parish Church.

Length of the walk (excluding visit to Buskett) is 12.5 km.Duration is approximately 4.5 to 5 hours.

Photo: Pauline Dingli

M A L T A C O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

The walk starts from near the oldGovernment winery. Follow thesigns to Clapham Junction(prehistoric cart ruts) to start thewalk.

Before doing so, however, you canspend some time exploringBuskett. The road to Buskett is atthe crossroads a few metres awayfrom the bus stop.

These wooded areas and gardensare well worth a visit. If you do

spend some time in Buskett, makesure you remember your way backto this Buskett entrance.

Verdala Palace 1

BuskettBuskett Gardens started off in the late 16th century by Grand Master LaValette as a hunting area. It was improved upon by successive GrandMasters.

The Gardens were mostly planted during the reign of Grand MasterLascaris (1636-57). The layout of Buskett has remained virtually unchangedto this day. Buskett (meaning a small forest) is crowned by Verdala Palacebuilt by Grand Master Verdala in the late 16th century. The pine treessurrounding the palace were planted much later during the time of theBritish Governor Sir Arthur Borton (1878-1884).

Upon returning to the walk route,follow the signs to the ClaphamJunction prehistoric cart ruts. Walka few metres uphill and then turnleft. Some 50 metres further on,you come across a rough lane, tothe right of the road. 1 This laneslopes slightly uphill and passes inbetween fields. The lane leads

onto a large rocky area. This isClapham Junction. If you look toyour left you can distinctly see theconglomeration of prehistoric cartruts. The cart ruts resemble thecriss-crossing of lines at railwayjunctions hence the nameClapham Junction. Please treadcarefully as you observe these cartruts.

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No precise information is availableon these ruts. One of the theoriesis that they were created by thecontinuous nomadic movementsof people.

Could an ancient civilization havemade these ruts as peoplefollowed a set pattern ofmigration? Could they have beencaused by the transportation ofsoil to higher grounds? If the wheelhad not yet been invented, what

could have produced those paralleltracks in the rocks? Could it besome form of sledge or wheel-lesscarts similar to those of theAmerican Indians? And who pulledthem? These are questions whichbear no answers, only theories.

Keep walking along this path.From Clapham Junction, look outfor a large weather beaten carobtree. Walk towards it.

The Squill

The deeply furrowedrock at ClaphamJunction - (prehistoriccart ruts)

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Once the pathreaches higherground, avoidstepping on thesmall beds of soil soas not to damagethe little vegetationestablished there.You will sooncome across thelarge carob treerising above therubble wall.

If you happen to be here inautumn, you can see masses of thetiny Autumn Crocus in flower.Along the path, you can also seethe tall linear foliage of theAsphodel and the low-lying, wide-leaved medicinal plant, the Squill.You are advised not to touch thebulb of the Squill as this may causeskin irritations.

Upon reaching thetop you will see alarge cavity belowyou. This is Gar il-Kbir (the Big Cave)where troglodytes(cave dwellers) livedup to the earlynineteenth century.

On your left, a narrow path leadsdown to the entrance of severalcaves. The first cave on the rightcan be easily accessed.

This cave was probably originallyused as a burial place. Note theniches in the rocks similar to thosefound in the Rabat catacombs.

The gaping west side of the big cave at Gar il-Kbir

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Proceeding further down the path,turning to the right beneath theburial cave, you arrive at the largestcave. Tall caper plants hang abovethe entrance like curtains. Oncethrough the opening you can seethat this large cave isinterconnected with others. Overhundred troglodytes used to livehere, together with their farmanimals.

Exit the large cave and walk toanother one to the right. You cansee two beds complete with aheadrest cut in the rocks. Nochance of shifting beds there!

The holes on the side of the bedswere used to tie cloth or skinmaterial to create partitions. Theshorter and wider bed has a coupleof narrow steps leading on to it.Various small niches were used tohold oil lamps and icons. Holes inthe ceiling and sides of the cave wereused by the troglodytes to hangherbs, onions, garlic and possiblysheaves of straw and sacks of seeds.Rock tomb from Punic Times

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After having seenthe Ghar il-Kbircomplex of caves,walk back to thefootpath. 2 Keep tothe right, walkingby the low wall,until it endsabruptly on to an area of garigue.Explore this area to discover smallcaves punic tombs and cart ruts.Proceed over the discernablepathway which lies between youand the country house (about 300metres ahead of you) in a northeasterly direction. Using thecountry house as your referencepoint, you will come to the rubblewall. 3 From near the countryhouse, Verdala Palace, surroundedby woodland, can be seen in all itsmajesty.

You are now on a better marked

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Roman Quarries - Girgenti

The Inquisitors Palace andsurrounding woodland

path which leads to a gatewayonto an asphalted road. Turn rightalong this road. The narrowasphalted road passes through astretch of rocky garrigue. Oncepast a farm entrance on the left,you can see the remains of romanquarries - proof of a Roman colonyclose by. As the road starts slopinggradually downhill on the left,there is a service road leading tosome farm buildings.The road passes through arableland of heavy clayish soilcomposition. At the roads end,turn right into a wider road. 4


From here, you can see the fertileGirgenti Valley below. Across thevalley, there is Girgenti Palace. Builtby the 57th Inquisitor Mons AngeloDorini (1760-66) as his summerresidence, it commands aspectacular country view. It issurrounded by the fertile farmlandsof Ghajn il-Kbira (the Great Spring).

This palace was restored in theearly 1990s and is now the officialresidence of the Prime Minister.

Walk along the road towards thequarry in the distance. Notice a rampon the left, leading down to a largeportal, which bears a coat of armsdating back to 1728. A marble plaquestates that these fields were leasedto a certain Joseph Muscat.

Walking past the portal, on the leftyou can see the lush growth of theivy Hedera helix, tall pecan nut trees,citrus orchards, carob and fig trees.The gateway entrance to the GirgentiPalace can be seen on the left wherethe road widens considerably.

Continue walking uphill towardsthe Ta Zuta Quarry. This produceshard stone sand and spalls forconcrete. Next to the quarryentrance as the roads turns left,there is a wayside shrine flanked bytwo Aruacaria trees.The shrine, dedicated to our Lady,carries a 1961 marble plaque and afresh stock of candles. It iscustomary for passers-by tostop and light a candle if theone in the lantern is spent.

Hedera Helix

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Follow the Laferla Cross sign. Onthe left, you can see GirgentiPalace. Walking along this road,flanked by the quarry on the right,you can see quarrying activity stillgoing on below.

The road continues uphill fromwhere you can get a view of bothGirgenti and Verdala Palaces. Bynow you will have noticed thatseveral farmers channel water run-off from the roads into theirartesian wells. Collecting preciouswater is particularly important inautumn to enable them to harvesta winter crop.

The road levels off, flanked byarable land on the left and garigueon the right. Fennel plants line thegarigue alongside the squill. Theroad dips down slightly andterraced fields follow the lie of theland. Terracing is one of the bestways to prevent soil erosion. Theroad then goes slightly uphillflanked by rubble walls until a

junction is met. Turn left at thejunction. 5 Again, from here,Verdala Palace offers a lovely sight.Beyond, you can see the cupola ofthe Dingli Parish Church. Look tothe left to see an arch formed bytwo carobs growing behind eachother in a private field.

It is interesting to note that the

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prevailing saline winds have forcedthe lower carob tree to grow in awedge-like shape. In fact, wind isa problem for unprotected farmingespecially in such exposed areas.Rubble walls offer some shelter.

On a clear day, you can easily seethe outline of the Mdina Cathedraland the Mosta Dome. The coast isvisible in the distance.

Turn left and onto a concretedpath. 6 The path ends at theAnnunciation Chapel, which wasbuilt in 1857 with donations fromgalleon crews. The original chapel,which was built in 1420, fell intoruin and was rebuilt in 1494. In1693 an earthquake struck theisland and the chapel collapsed. It

was rebuilt the following year. Itcollapsed again in 1856 due to anearth tremor. A year later thepresent chapel was built.

Any construction on this site isprone to damage because of anunderlying clay layer. Even simplewetting and drying of the subsoilcauses differential movement inthe ground resulting in structural

Archway in a carob tree

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Laferla Cross

The cross was put up in 1900 to commemorate the Holy Year. The cross isnamed after Rev. Paul Laferla, on whose initiative this cross was erected. Theplinth contains a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.

In 1904 the Archbishop blessed the cross and a painting of Our Lady of Sorrowswas added. In 1946 the cross collapsed but was re-erected in 1963. The crossis 16 metres (52 feet) high. Being on high ground the cross is a landmarkvisible from the surrounding countryside and nearby towns and villages.

damage to the chapel. Next to thechapel stands a huge bronze crossknown as Laferla Cross.

Growing near the chapel, there isthe Acacia karroo, whose long,white thorns are a silent reminderof the crown of thorns adorningthe head of the crucified Christ asseen in the small chapel.

Just below the chapel parvis there

is a cave hewn in the rocks andbeyond it the path drops down intoa country lane. The path was fullycobbled until recently. This wasessential to enable farmers toreach their fields on wet wintrydays. Small stones were embeddedin the soft terrain and kept in placeevery couple of metres byhardwearing kerb stonestransversing the path. The lane notonly gives access to the fields but

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Approaching Laferla Cross


also drains excesswater run-off fromthe fields and fromhigh ground.

Along the downward path, on theleft, a niche contains a statue ofChrist carrying the cross. There arethree more statues depictingstages of the way of the cross. Infact it is customary for a pilgrimageto be held here during the HolyWeek. Prior to Good Friday, late inthe evening, hundreds of candlesand open flame torches (fjakkoli)light up the way.

Just past the shrine asolitary lentisk shrubon the left carries redberries during late

autumn, a reminder of the dropletsof blood left on the wayside by thecrucified Christ.

Three more statues can be seenfurther down - namely Christcrowned with thorns, Christ tied toa column after flogging and finallyChrist being comforted by an angelin the Olive orchard.

The path ends in Fawwara road.Turn right. 7 If one looks closely,

Entrance to underground cavenear Laferla Cross Annunciation Chapel

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Way of the crosson the hill side

the roofs cornice of one of the ruralbuildings on the right, sports a pairof horns of a bull. This was asuperstitious habit, to ward off theevil eye. Farming in this villagemainly consists of cabbage,cauliflowers and kohlrabi crops.

On reaching the crossroad, walkstraight ahead. 8 Soon you willpass by a renovated farmhouse onthe left, and on the right, the WiedZikku borehole. Take the road tothe left of the borehole. The pathis narrow and flanked by raisedfields. Turn left. 9

Continue straight ahead along this

road. On the left, a ditch indicatesthe head of a valley. Soon you willreach the main road leading fromSi''iewi to Gar Lapsi. 10 Turnleft and proceed for a few metres.On the right, you can see a shortroad leading to il-Kappella tal-Providenza (Providence Chapel).The chapel, completed in 1753,replaced an earlier one which wasin ruins. The portico was added laterin 1816, to buttress the chapel whichhad been damaged by lightning.

The walk continues along this busyroad towards the village ofSiggiewi. You pass by a large openstorm water reservoir. Continue


Portal leading toMtaleb hamlet

walking towards the villageperiphery, up to the roadjunction. Walk across to theother side of the junction toreach Triq Gar Lapsi asindicated by the streetnameplate affixed to the firstbuilding along the road.

A few more steps will takeyou past the fine faadeof a rehabilitated farmhouseconstructed in 1765. Note thetypical farmhouse featuresincluding the pregnantwindow and the stonewaterspout.

Continue along the road towardsthe village core. On the right, youpass by a shrine dedicated to OurLady of Grace.

Note the variety of balconiesalong this street. Past the officeof the Local Council and the localPolice Station, there is a chapel onthe left.

This chapel, built in 1730,is dedicated to theBeheading of St. Johnthe Baptist. Peepthrough the grilled door(kept open during theday) to get a glimpse ofa fine specimen ofbaroque architecture.

Providence Chapel

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Chapel dedicated to thebeheading of St John the Baptist

The walk has now reached themain square of the village. In thecentre of the square, a statue of St.Nicholas acts as a focal point.

The imposing faade of the ParishChurch as it now stands is a creditto the architects, craftsmen andthe local population who workedhard over the years to improve it.

The original church took 17 years toconstruct and was completed in1693. Three Grand Masters offeredcash donations for its completionand embellishment. It wasenlarged in 1864 by the addition ofsix side chapels. This church boasts

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a Mattia Preti titular painting andseveral works of art of foreign andlocal famed artists.

Pjazza San Nikola has another chapel,directly opposite the one of St. Johnthe Baptist. This chapel, commonlyknown as Ta Chuerra, is dedicatedto Our Lady. It was built in 1742 overthe ruins of an earlier chapel.

This walk continues by proceedingalong Triq il-Qajjied situated closeto the Sta. Marija Ta Chuerrachapel.

This road goes through Misrah il-Vittmi tal-Gwerra (War VictimsSquare), through Triq Nikola Saurainto the Siggiewi by-pass, namedafter Mons. Azzopardi. At thevillage flag mast, turn right.


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(Nearby there is LimestoneHeritage, a visitor facility set in adisused quarry displaying craftsrelated to the building industry.You can take a short detour fromthe walk to visit the museum).Cross the road and walk along thetree-lined pavement. The row oftrees includes the tall Eucalyptus orgum trees and the floweringAlbizia. The pavement stretchesover the head of the Valley, towardsa road junction.

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Siggiewi Parish Church

Limestone Heritage

Take the second turning on yourleft into Triq tal-Kilba. 11 The roadleads to Qrendi village. It passes by

a number of renovatedfarmhouses and past a roadjunction. Still walking straightahead on the right, you comeacross a shrine dedicated to theAssumption of Our Lady bearing a1945 marble tablet. It is framed bytwo cypress trees. Directly oppositethis shrine there is a short road, atthe end of which there is asixteenth century Hal-Xluq chapeldedicated to the Assumption ofOur Lady.

Continue walking along thisQrendi road. Before the road takesa slight uphill gradient to the right,you can see the squat QrendiReservoir in the distance.

Along this road, on the left, look outfor an old rural room overlying an

arched covered watercourse. Thedate of 1771 is engraved on theroom faade. This area is the lowestpart of the land, hence water run-off is directed to the valley furtherafield.

The road proceeds along a numberof quarries. Some quarries are stillactive. A few spent quarries areused as orchards. From this roadone can see one of the runways of

Chapel at Hal-Xluq

Field Bindweed flowers in the dry season

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the Malta International Airport aswell as the nearby village ofMqabba.

Once past a large poultry farm, youcan see an active quarry producingsoft stone blocks. The Qrendi ParishChurch is clearly visible ahead. TriqMisrah is-Sinjura (now called TriqSi''iewi) ends in Triq San Nikola.This is the periphery of Qrendi.

You will soon reach Triq it-Torri onthe left, named after an old

octagonal shaped tower.This privately owned 16thcentury tower, commonlyknown as the Ellul PreziosiTower, can be seen if you justwalk a few paces into thisstreet. The apparentbalconies at the top areactually stone partitions.These would have been usedto protect the defenders,from the arrows of attackers,whilst shooting or droppingmissiles on anyone trying toscale the walls.

The walk continues alongTriq San Nikola, and thenalong Triq 15 tAwwissu. Note

Drop Balcony

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Ellul Preziosi Tower

that some old buildings carry stonecorbels underneath a first floorwindow. In the past a family, witha young daughter of amarriageable age, would place potplants in the window. This an-nounced to prospective suitors thepossibility of arranging a marriage.

Soon the village school isreached and close by, the streetpasses behind the ParishChurch. This monumentalChurch dedicated to Our Ladywas built in 1712 on the site oftwo older chapels. These were

demolished to make way for alarger church.

In the square in front of the ParishChurch there is the Route BusTerminus. This walk continues alittle further before returning herefor its termination.

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Qrendi Parish Church

Walk past the church into a narrowroad on the right, Triq il-Parrocca.You are now walking in the villagecore of Qrendi. At the centre of thesmall square, Misrah San Mattew,there is the statue of St. Matthew.Follow the sign to Wied iz-Zurrieqalong Triq San Mattew.

Note the elaborate family coat-of-arms on some house faades.These are probably the homes ofquarrymen and stone masons.


You will soon reach a narrow roadon the left, Triq Sta. Anna. An 1892statue of St. Anne adorns thisnarrow road. St. Annes Chapel is afew metres further on.

This chapel was originally builtafter the Great Siege of 1565 inthanks-giving of the defeat of theinvading Turkish armada. It wasrestored in 1796 and is still kept inpristine condition.

Proceeding along this delightfullyplant-decorated village lane, you

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will reach a wide road, Triq Hal-Lew,which is bypassing the village.

Turn right along Triq Hal- Lew toreach the square Pjazza tal-Maqluba.

You can see to the left the largechapel dedicated to St. Matthew.The chapel was built between 1674and 1682. Its titular painting isbelieved to be the work of therenowned artist Mattia Preti.

Next to the chapel and overlookingthe gorge, is a smaller, fifteenthcentury chapel. A legend isconnected with this small chapeland the nearby formation knownas Il-Maqluba (the upturned).

Walk down the steps of the gorge,through a path among the lushvegetation and overhanging carobtrees. You will reach a viewpointoverlooking a large cavity ordepression in the rocks severalmetres deep. The cavity wasformed by the collapse ofunderground caves as a result ofearth movements many years ago.Growing at the bottom of thislarge depression are laurel,pomegranates and canes, amongstothers. Overhanging the sides are

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St. Annes Chapel

several mature specimen of ourNational Tree, the sandarac gumtree Tetraclinis articulata. This isone place where this conifer growsin its natural state.As the walk ends here one goesback to the Bus Terminus in frontof the Parish church through thesame route, namely Triq Sta. Anna,Triq San Mattew, Misrah SanMattew and Triq il-Parrocca.


St Matthew Chapel next to il-Maqluba

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il-Maqluba

Il-Maqluba LegendAccording to legend, several hundredyears ago, where the small chapelstands today, there was the humbleabode of an old pious lady.

The lady was always admonishingthe erring inhabitants of a smallhamlet situated where thedepression is today. One day a terribleearthquake destroyed the hamlet butthe old womans house escaped anydamage and was left, perched on theedge. This chapel, according to thelegend was built to commemoratethis event and to serve as a reminderto erring humans.

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Tips for the road

The route is suitable for hikes and for pedal bikes. Only when proceeding along the country lane fromLaferla Cross to Siggiewi outskirts, one is advised to dismount and to continue on foot.The local weather forecast should be checked before setting off as there is hardly any shelter fromadverse weather conditions along the route. A raincoat can come in handy in inclement weather.Allow enough time to complete the walk in broad daylight. Make allowances for time required forresting, taking of photographs and observing nature.It is advisable to wear appropriate footwear and a hat. A packed lunch and a bottle of water are alsorecommended.Always follow the designated route. Short cuts are to be avoided as many fields are privately owned.Some rubble walls are marked with blotches of white paint and may also carry the letters RTO. Thesemarkings indicate private property.If one intends entering parish churches, proper attire is to be worn.Respect the fragility of the countryside. Do not climb over rubble walls or throw stones in valleys or overcliffs. Do not take souvenirs from historical sites or from the countryside. Do not disturb animals, plantsor their natural habitats. Leave only your footprints behind you and nothing else.Be culturally sensitive and respect local customs. Take photographs but respect the privacy and dignityof others. Ask permission before photographing people.Bird trapping and hunting are practised in the countryside. There are, however, strict regulationsdetermining areas where such activities are permitted and times of year where no such activities areallowed.

Laferla Cross Photo: Pauline Dingli

Facilities

All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise, withoutthe prior written consent of thecopyright holder. Direct enquiresare to be forwarded to the MaltaTourism Authority.

Feedback and comments are welcome.Write to [email protected]

Date of Publication: October 2002

Text: Joseph BorgPhotos: Alex BugejaMap: Andre Micallef Grimaud

Produced by:Product Planning andDevelopment Directorate,Malta Tourism Authority

www.visitmalta.com

At Buskett Gardens there is a publicconvenience and a public phonebooth.

At Siggiewi and at Qrendi one can findall facilities one would expect to findin a town, i.e. catering facilities, phonebooths, banks and publicconveniences, local council offices andpolice station.

Useful telephone numbers.

Emergency & Rescue 112Ambulance 196Siggiewi Police Station 2146 0825Qrendi Police Station 2164 9944Siggiewi Local Council 2146 6000Qrendi Local Council 2168 0404Malta Tourism Authority 2291 5800Telephone enquiries 1182

Some of the sites along the route are providedwith an Infoline sign. The system allows you toaccess two minutes of information on the site.Simply call 9973 0000 on your mobile. Wheninstructed dial the 4-digit site number. The serviceis available in English, German, French and Italian.

The sites along the route are (site numbers givenin brackets); Buskett Gardens (4007) VerdalaPalace (4010) Gar il-Kbir (4008) ClaphamJunction (4009) Girgenti Inquisitors Palace (4006)Laferla Cross (4004) Providenza Chapel (4003)Annunciation Chapel (4015) St. Nicholas Statue(4014) Church of the Beheading of St. John (4002)St. Nicholas Parish Church (4004)

Girgenti Walk

Enjoy the dense greenery of Buskett, a 16th century wooded area. Observe the cart ruts atClapham Junction, a unique remnant of prehistory, Gar il-Kbir, a complex of caves whichwere inhabited up to 150 years ago and Il-Maqluba, a large ground cavity formed by thecollapse of an underground cave. Enjoy exceptional views of the surrounding countrysidefrom near Laferla Cross. Walk through typical village cores streets in Si''iewi and Qrendiand note the domestic vernacular architecture as well as the churches and chapels.

Other walks in the series

Passing through Barija - Barija Valley - MtalebTal-Vigarju Cliffs - Fiddien Valley - Rabat

Barija Walk

Passing through M'arr - Bin'emma - Dwejra LinesSperanza Valley - Mosta.

Dwejra Lines Walk

Passing through Gadira - Marfa Ridge - Ponta ta l-AraxDalet ix-Xmajjar - Ir-Ramla Tat-Torri - Armier BayMarfa - Paradise Bay - Ras il-Qammieg - Red Tower.

Marfa Ridge Walk To be published in March 2003

Passing through Marsaskala - St. Thomas Bay - Tal-MunxarXrobb il-Ga'in - Delimara - Tas-Sil' - Marsaxlokk.

Tas-Sil' Walk To be published in March 2003

Malta CountrysideWalks is a partnershipproject of:

PRICELm1

The project is being launched in 2002, the World Tourism OrganisationsInternational Year of Eco-Tourism.

girgenti walk

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