Introducing Malta: My first impressions and some random facts Posted on 24. Apr, 2014 by Dany in Malta When I told friends of mine I’d be visiting Malta and got asked questions like ‘Malta? Is that a country?’ or ‘Where exactly is Malta?’ I realized how little-known this little island nation actually is. So I decided to share my first impressions, a few fun facts and random trivia about Malta with you before talking about my trip in more detail.At first sight, Malta seems like a magical fairytale island: tiny villages dotted on hilltops across the countryside, little bays with water in such dark shades of blue that it is almost too perfect, and medieval towns so well preserved that it feels like you’re stepping back in time when you set foot in them. Nowadays, there is another side to Malta, too: stretches of the coast that have been built up with modern apartment complexes and hotels, even a party mile that could rival the notorious party towns along the Spanish coast, and industrial areas right next to quaint
fishing villages.
What I loved about Malta was that it can be exactly what you want it to be. Looking for history and culture? You can use Valletta as your base and tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient temples and medieval forts. You want beach and relaxation? Stay in Sliema or St Julian’s and enjoy the ocean, take a sailing trip to the Blue Grotto or the Blue Lagoon. You want culinary revelations and shopping? There are more good restaurants and shopping facilities to keep you busy for a week!
Valletta seen from the sea The country is actually an archipelago, made up by Malta, the main island, and the two smaller islands of Gozo and Comino (plus a few smaller, uninhabited islands). In total, just under 400,000 people live in Malta – nearly 370,000 of those live on the main island, about 30,000 live on Gozo and just a handful live on Comino. This makes Malta one of
the smallest countries in the world by population (#174).
The tiny fishing village of Marsaxlokk Malta is so small that you can walk the island in its entire length (27 km / 17 miles) or width (14.5 km / 8 miles). Gozo is about half this size (14km long and 7km wide). It took us less than 40 minutes to cross the island from south to north by car, starting in Marsaxlokk in the south and finishing in Mellieha Bay in the north of the island. By area, Malta is the 207th smallest country in the world! The archipelago is located in the heart of the Mediterranean, south of Italy, north of Libya and west of Tunisia.
Malta is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage listed sites – an impressive number for such a small country! Three sites are declared UNESCO World Heritage: the historic city of Valletta, the underground temple Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and the Megalithic Temples of Malta. Six more sites are currently nominated to be World Heritage sites: Mdina, the Grand Harbor, the Victoria Lines and the Great Fault (a line of fortifications flanked by defensive towers), the Catacombs, the Northwestern Coastal Cliffs, and Dwejra (the Azure Window) as well as the Cittadella on Gozo. Valletta, the capital, is one of Malta’s UNESCO sites, thanks to its many historic churches, palaces, the unique wooden balconies – painted in bright colors – and the maze of narrow lanes. Malta is so close to Sicily (Italy) that you can see it on clear days and you can take catamaran day trips there – it is 90km (60miles) from Malta, and takes about 2 hours to get there. There are no forests, lakes or rivers in Malta. Instead, the islands are made up of rolling
hills and terraced fields. The Maltese cross was introduced to Malta by the Knights of St. John when they took possession of the islands in 1530, is depicted on many items around the country, including Maltese Euro coins (the Euro was introduced as the official currency here in 2008) and even door knobs!
The Maltese Cross – depicted on Euro coins, the interior of St John’s Co-cathedral and a door knocker Ftira is the Maltese answer to pizza – a flat-bread with a hole in the middle, topped with Mediterranean vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant and olives (and sometimes anchovies).
Ftira: Maltese flat bread Malta, predominantly Roman Catholic, has over 360 churches! Considering the small size of the nation – Malta is just about twice as big as Washington D.C. – this is quite a large number. The Blue Lagoon off the coast of Comino is one of the most breathtaking bays in all of the Mediterranean.
The Blue Lagoon from the ferry Maltese coffee culture is very similar to the Italian coffee culture: there are lots of little coffee bars where people have a small cup of coffee right at the counter, usually espresso. Coffee prices are still very low in most places. Not only the coffee culture, but also the architecture feels reminiscent of Italian towns: The Rotunda Of Mosta is the fourth largest unsupported dome in the world and the third largest in Europe, with an internal diameter of 37.2 meters (122 ft). The church is also known for the ‘Miracle of Mosta’: In 1942, 1942, during an afternoon air-raid by the German Luftwaffe, a 200 kg bomb pierced the dome and landed in a congregation of 300 people who were waiting for mass. The bomb did NOT detonate – a miracle!
The Rotunda of Mosta: Place of the Mosta Bomb Miracle Malta is a diver’s paradise – it is named as one of the best diving spots in the world on a
regular basis. No wonder with clear water like this: One of the most famous diving spots is the Blue Hole near Gozo, right by the Azure Window, a spectacular limestone rock formation (and also a popular diving spot).
The Azure Window, a 328feet / 100 meter high limestone rock formation in Gozo The islands are a cat lover’s dream! There are plenty of cats everywhere, and all are well taken care of. Malta produces wine. There are several vineyards on Gozo and Malta and the islands take pride in their local wines. Having tried several Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, I can confirm that Maltese wines are delicious. Malta has been used as a backdrop for quite a few Hollywood Blockbusters (without getting credit for it!), including Troy, Captain Phillips, and World War Z, and the popular
TV series Game Of Thrones.
Mdina was used as King’s Landing in the first season of Game Of Thrones Valletta is one of the smallest capitals in Europe, with a population of just over 6,000! It’s actually one of the smaller cities on the island.
Merchant Street, one of Valletta’s main shopping streets tal-Fenek is the national Maltese dish: rabbit! Rabbit can be found in almost any dish: Pasta in rabbit sauce, rabbit pie, or rabbit meat stew.
tal-Fernek: Rabbit, the Maltese national dish. Nothing for vegetarians like me, but apparently it is very tasty. In Malta, the boats have eyes. Even though the islands are just as developed as any other European country, the adorable fishing boats named luzzu can still be found in many of the coastal villages and are still used for fishing on a daily basis. They are painted in flashy colors like yellow, red or blue and all have eyes which are supposed to keep bad luck and the evil of the sea away from them.
Luzzu: Traditional Maltese fishing boats One of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, the Beheading of St John, can be seen in St John’s
Cathedral in Valletta. The church itself is famous for its striking inside and well worth a visit.
St John’s Co-cathedral with frescos by Mattia Preti – it took him years to paint them! Kannoli (pastries stuffed with sweet ricotta), known as a popular South Italian dessert, are a typical afternoon snack in Malta, too. Another local specialty are pastizzi, flaky dough pasties filled with ricotta cheese or peas (similar to a British pie). They are a popular breakfast dish and in addition to bakeries, there are pastizzerias, which focus on these delicious little pasties. Malta is home to an entirely intact medieval walled city: Mdina. The historic capital of the country is on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage list. The Maltese love ornate iron door knockers (and so do I!):
Maltese door knockers
English and Maltese are both official languages in Malta. I was surprised that many people aren’t fluent in English, despite it being the official language. The impressive harbor of Valletta is one of the most significant natural deep-sea harbors in the world. Stay tuned for more posts on medieval Mdina, beautiful Valletta, a road trip across Malta and where to eat in Malta and Gozo!