Not so long ago I was able to visit Malta - the amazing islands in the Mediterranean Sea! I want to share some information that I learned and saw in Malta.
It is a island nation located near Italy. Throughout history, the islands were occupied by many different empires. Temples, fortresses, and other historic sites still stand today.
People first lived in Malta around 5900 BC. Around 3850 BC, the islands were populated by a civilization that built the Megalithic Temples. These temples still stand today as some of the oldest buildings in the world.
Mdina is the first capital of Malta.
The second name is Silent City and it was founded four thousand years ago. The population of Mdina today is only about 300 people. For a long time, only local nobility has settled here.
Malta is the last refuge of the Templar knights who left Rhodes, which was conquered by the Turks. The Knights of the Order of Malta were able to obtain the keys to the city only in 1530.
In 1565 Turks sent an army of forty thousand people to capture Malta and expel the Knights from its territory.
Most of the cities were destroyed, about half of the knights were killed. As a result of the long siege, the Maltese survived. In honor of the victory in the Great Siege was founded a new city - Valletta.
Now Valletta is the capital of Malta.
You can use the public transport system which connects all cities, towns and villages from one to another. You can find bus stops all over the island and all you need to do is ask the locals for the nearest bus stop.
If you are up for it and prefer to be more independent, you can also hire a car. We drive on the left and follow speed limits of 40 kph in urban areas and 60 kph on open roads. All road signs are in English and normal international laws of the road apply.
There are plenty of natural attractions to view or visit.
The Blue Lagoon is located in Comino and is like a picture taken out of a postcard with its light blue crystal clear waters and white sandy sea bottom.
Dingli cliffs are located off the village of Dingli, on Malta’s Western coast. They stage the highest point of the Maltese Islands at around 250 meters above sea-level.
In 1980, a set of films were filmed in Malta about Popeye, a place which is now called “Popeye’s Village”.Today it is open to the public as an open-air museum and family entertainment complex.
What could be a better way to see the sights than from an exceptional vantage point, with the refreshing sea breeze caressing your face? Taking a Valletta Grand Harbour tour has today become an integral part of the tourist itinerary for thousands of visitors to these islands.
You can also catch a ferry between Sliema and Valletta with frequent ferry trips linking Valletta and the Strand in Sliema.
Once inside Grand Harbour, one can appreciate better the vital role this port still plays in Malta’s economy, with a constant flow of cargo ships coming in to load and unload, while others wait to be repaired at the local dockyard.
The Maltese are a proud people, with a unique culture, with a blend of foreign influences introduced during several ages of occupancy.
Many falsely believe Maltese culture as merely being a melting pot of cultures introduced by foreign empires. However, there exists a broad foundation of age-old traditions, customs and values passed on through successive generations of Maltese and Gozitans irrespective of any traces of culture left by foreign rule.
Thanks to these historic and cultural attractions, plus the sun and sea, Malta is a popular tourist destination.
Now you have some information about the Maltese Islands, where they filmed the cult TV series “Game of Thrones”!