Zurrieq Attractions
Many people say this area is the real heart and soul of Malta.
Zurrieq is one of the original 10 parishes of Malta, and the largest land-locked village of the area. It has little of the charm found in its neighbors, but is close to the lovely medieval church at Hal Millieri, and is en route to the Blue Grotto or to the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
The village is surrounded by countryside full of wild herbs and flowers and a canopy of tall palm trees.
Three kilometers from the village is the Wied iz-Zurrieq or Blue Grotto.
Zurrieq is one of the original 10 parishes of Malta, and the largest land-locked village of the area. It has little of the charm found in its neighbors, but is close to the lovely medieval church at Hal Millieri, and is en route to the Blue Grotto or to the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
The village is surrounded by countryside full of wild herbs and flowers and a canopy of tall palm trees.
Three kilometers from the village is the Wied iz-Zurrieq or Blue Grotto.
Blue Grotto
From the cliffs above Wied iz Zurrieq Grand Marshall Copier and a cavalry squadron shadowed the Turkish Armada of over 181 galleys on the eve of the Great Siege of 1565.
Legend has it that the Blue Grotto was home to the sirens, or sea nymphs, who serenaded sailors to their destruction with soft verse. Brightly painted boats and luzzus leave every 15 minutes, providing the sea is calm, for the natural caves and grottoes along this stretch of coast.
The Blue Grotto is one of six caves on the 25-minute trip.
Legend has it that the Blue Grotto was home to the sirens, or sea nymphs, who serenaded sailors to their destruction with soft verse. Brightly painted boats and luzzus leave every 15 minutes, providing the sea is calm, for the natural caves and grottoes along this stretch of coast.
The Blue Grotto is one of six caves on the 25-minute trip.
Church of St Catherine
This church was built in 1632. Behind the altar is "St Catherine being freed by angels" and in the nave St Andrew is depicted laboring magnificently under the weight of his cross. A triptych panel in the vestry dates back to 1604; it came from a cave chapel on the islet of Filfa, where the parish priest used to say mass for the fishermen up to the outbreak of World War II.
Church of St John the Evangelist
Outside the Church of St John the Evangelist is an old Roman olive crusher that was once used as a baptismal font. The cross in front of the church marked the center of the settlement.
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Mattia Preti Square
This square doubles as the bus terminus. At the end of the square is the Armeria, built as an armory at the end of the 1600s. It is a plain and Classical structure that echoes a nobleman's town palazzo. The eight worn semicircular steps and the balcony hint that it may once have been something special and the twin dolphin door-knockers are traditional Maltese door furniture. The building was sold in 1784 to the Crispo family, a branch of which still owns it today. There is no admission.
Punic Tower
In the parish priest's garden is part of a Punic tower, the only example on the island. The cornice has the tell-tale Egyptian lip. The massive bricks were laid without mortar sometime between 500 B.C. and 600 B.C. and each has a concave and convex face to ensure a perfect fit.
