It has ancient ruins older than Stonehenge and pyramids of Egypt, 7,000 years of history, Jules Verne was scared by its storms, and Humphrey Bogart fought for its falcon. Welcome to Malta, the open air Mediterranean museum.
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In the heart of the Mediterranean Sea three small fascinating islands saw the greatest ancient civilizations, conquerors of many armies, St. Paul, Knights of St. John, world wars, and almost every event that has its place in the history of the world. Still, the Maltese islands remained their own, soaking a bit from every culture and creating a unique mix of history preserved in one place.
Wrap that history with the firework of sea colours and you'll see why Malta, Gozo and Comino are popular destinations at the crossroad of East and West, North and South.
On Maltese islands the calendar is full of festas with processions in every little parish, as well as the carnival held in early spring during which you have the opportunity to taste a number of traditional delicacies. Just a brief look at the calendar reveals that there are 16 public holidays through the year. In other words, more than one holiday per month. With just 246 square kilometres, it takes around one hour to drive between any two points on Malta island. Since it is situated just 97km south of Sicily, it's easy to jump over, even for just a few days.
The capitol Valletta is a World Heritage city which UNESCO described as "one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world". The port welcomes tourists with food, beverage and shopping outlets, and many other services with the internet connection on every corner. Major attractions are St. John's Co-Cathedral, Hypogeum and Medina.
While Medina is an ancient island capital and among the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, Hypogeum is a 5,000 year old underground temple. St. John's Co-Cathedral has been built in 1573 and there you can find some of the best Caravaggio's paintings.
Going from Valletta to the west, you will encounter Three Cities, a unique combination of three towns merged in one. Vittoriosa is full of historical architecture, including a hospital built in 1672 which is still inhabited Benedictine convent. Fort St. Angelo, the oldest fortified part of Vittoriosa from 1274, has the world famous Museum of Maritime History. The youngest of the Three Cities, Cospicua, dates from 1717 and features some interesting churches, while Senglea, built in 1551, is an important place of pilgrimage. Its church contains a statue of Christ the Redeemer that is said to have miraculous powers.
Malta is full of historic and World Heritage sites: there are 30 prehistoric sites with massive Neolithic temples, considered to be the oldest freestanding stone buildings known to man. One of the most important of them is the site of the Ggantija Temples (Giant Temples) in Xaghra on the island Gozo. The Ggantija Temples consist of a megalithic complex of two shrines surrounded by a massive wall built on a high terrace.
Dating back to between 3600 and 3200 B.C., these are the oldest known freestanding temples anywhere and pre-date Stonehenge by more than 1,000 years.
If you are into water sports, especially diving, Gozo is the place for you. Situated only a 30-minute boat ride from Cirkewwa in the North of Malta, it is the host of Dwejra bay, the place with secluded pebbled bathing pool and crystal clear water. Its rock formations created so called "inland sea" and provides the unique diving experience. While there, don't miss Fungus Rock, the famous formation heavily guarded during the era of the Knights of Malta. A unique plant with healing properties grew on it, and any thief too crazy to steal it couldn't count on mercy: the penalty was death sentence.
Since Malta is small, you can literally walk from town to town and enjoy its greenery so unusual for other islands. If you see a snake along the way, don't worry, St. Paul took care of that. A long time ago, he was gathering wood and a viper jumped out and bit him. Instead of dying St. Paul was just fine, and from that day all snakes and scorpions in Malta are harmless.
Jules Verne was so fascinated with the storm off Malta that he described it in Mathias Sandorf, and Humphrey Bogart put his life on stake because of the Maltese Falcon covered with jewels. We have no doubt that you too will have a lot to talk when you come back from that Mediterranean world of its own. ■
