Things to see and do St Julian’s

Its colorful, swaying boats, ducks and cats are the recurring themes of every tourist calendar in the country. You'll also notice the small statue of Saint Julian that gives the town its name. At the water's edge, still at the end of the bay, new modern buildings have recently appeared. You'll understand what they mean when their shadows on the ground form the word "Love". In Spinola Bay, the local brass band's bar makes sure you don't forget that the pleasure town was once a peaceful village. But it's not so easy to notice. Every facade, every building is occupied by restaurants. They all try to make their terraces look bigger or better than their neighbors', but they're all a good option if you're in the mood for a romantic dinner. This is a very lively area in the evenings, especially on weekends. The atmosphere is family-friendly and chic, and most of the restaurants are quite expensive. As you walk up rue Saint-George, you'll pass the Palazzo Spinola. Its name and that of the bay come from an Italian knight who had this beautiful residence built in 1688. Half a century later, his grand-nephew remodeled it to give it its current appearance, that of an interesting and graceful building that today houses a business center. It was this same Spinola who built the small Church of the Immaculate Conception, to provide a nearby place of worship.

Above the harbour, the Paceville district is THE lively corner of the island, with a concentration of party venues frequented by young Maltese and tourists alike. It's the place to be in the evening, especially at weekends. This urban development dates back to the mid-1980s, when Valletta's traditional Corso, where most of the island's entertainment took place, was abandoned. The district has a real attraction for the country's youth, as it's constantly on the move. As Maltese society changes and evolves with the times, restaurant, store and nightclub signs close, open or change frequently. You'll stroll from bar to club, as one after the other, they all compete with each other in boom-boom, colorful neon lights and terrace crowds. If you're a fan of cutting-edge music, be sure to pick your spots, as most of the bars and clubs play the summer's dance and techno hits over and over again. It seems that the trend in the area (and this is to be regretted) is the proliferation of "gentlemen's clubs", where men can do their business discreetly in full view of everyone...

Paceville is also known as one of the capital's residential districts. Here, you'll find a number of old houses dating from the 1920s, in the style of fine Italian lakeside residences, with Victorian balustrades and bow windows. The area has also seen the recent emergence of countless language schools. Their modern buildings have transformed certain streets (Triq Paceville in particular).

Its main attraction is the ultra-modern Bay Street shopping mall. It's even more stores, following the model set by Anglo-Saxon television. And all this while awaiting a more modern successor attraction.

Behind Paceville, this bay has a beautiful beach, unfortunately very dirty in summer: the gossip is all over the sand, even if the place is monitored and large panels encourage to keep the place clean. The swimming pool is moderately pleasant, especially since the beach is small and quickly crowded in summer. It is also the trend beach where we must be seen: Pretty girls and beautiful boys at sight.

You access St George's Bay on foot through the discotheques, then descending the stairs to Baystreet, the big shopping mall that transformed the bay. A leisure complex recently added to the shopping center (cinemas, IMAX, rink, bowling) and the very large and luxurious Intercontinental Hotel. If the replacement of this hotel by another large emirati hotel complex is now forgotten, another hotel project is now being debated: the construction of a concept of rock coffee which would come to the place occupied by the building of the school of tourism. The project still divides many but the fate of the school of tourism is already sealed, she will join Smartville.

This is the first bay from Sliema. There are a few hotels on the seafront, and at the back of the bay there are small restaurants that spread their terraces on the square in summer. You will of course notice the swimming pool of the local water polo club. You will not be surprised to see sometimes a huge Belgian flag which colours the bay with its three colours. It is not that of a Belgian protectorate but the colours of the St Julian Aquatic Club. It is dominated by the church of the Carmelites and by a superb building with vast niches on the façade.