Malta

Malta floats at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, a limestone archipelago where Europe meets Africa, where East meets West, where 7,000 years of civilization have left their mark on just 316 square kilometers. Beneath a relentless sun, honey-colored stone cities rise from rocky shores, their baroque churches and fortified walls telling stories of Phoenicians and Romans, Arabs and Normans, Knights and colonizers.

This is a nation built on strategic position—every great Mediterranean power has wanted Malta, and each has left something behind. The Knights of St. John transformed the islands into an impregnable fortress and created Valletta, Europe's first planned city. The British made it an unsinkable aircraft carrier. Today, Malta is a modern EU member state with a booming economy, yet its streets still echo with the footsteps of history.

For travelers, Malta offers an extraordinary concentration of experiences: prehistoric temples older than the pyramids, cathedrals dripping with baroque gold, crystal-clear waters for diving, and a distinctive cuisine that blends Italian, Arabic, and British influences. English is an official language, making navigation effortless. The sun shines over 300 days a year. And everything is within easy reach—no destination is more than an hour away.

⚠️ Travel Advisory: Malta is a safe, stable EU destination with excellent tourism infrastructure. The main considerations are summer heat (up to 40°C in August) and crowding at popular sites during peak season. Book accommodations and ferry tickets to Gozo in advance during July-August.

The name "Malta" likely derives from the Greek word "meli" (honey), possibly referring to the island's unique honey production or to the honey-colored limestone that defines its architecture. The Phoenicians called it "Maleth," meaning refuge or haven—an apt description for a natural harbor that has sheltered ships for millennia.

The Maltese language is the only Semitic language written in Latin script, a living artifact of the Arab conquest (870-1091 AD). It sounds like Arabic to untrained ears, yet incorporates Italian, Sicilian, English, and French vocabulary. When Maltese people say "bonġu" (good morning) or "grazzi" (thank you), you hear the layers of their complex history.

Identity in Malta is inseparable from Catholicism. The islands boast 365 churches—one for every day of the year, the saying goes—and village festas celebrating patron saints are the highlight of the summer calendar. Yet this is also a modern, cosmopolitan nation: an EU member since 2004, using the Euro since 2008, with a thriving gaming and financial services industry alongside its traditional maritime heritage.

The Maltese archipelago consists of three inhabited islands—Malta, Gozo, and Comino—plus several uninhabited rocky outcrops. Malta, the largest at 246 km², holds the capital and most of the population. Gozo (67 km²) is greener, more rural, and beloved by those seeking tranquility. Comino (3.5 km²) is essentially wild, famous only for its spectacular Blue Lagoon.

The islands are the visible tips of a land bridge that once connected Sicily to North Africa. Limestone bedrock, sculpted by millennia of wind and sea, creates dramatic coastal cliffs, hidden coves, and the unique "blue holes" prized by divers. There are no mountains, no rivers, and limited groundwater—Malta is one of the world's most water-scarce nations, relying heavily on desalination.

Geographically, Malta lies 80 km south of Sicily and 284 km north of Libya, making it the southernmost nation of the European Union. This position made Malta strategically invaluable throughout history—whoever controlled Malta controlled the central Mediterranean shipping lanes.

Malta's human history begins around 5200 BC with Neolithic farmers arriving from Sicily. Between 4000-2500 BC, they constructed the remarkable megalithic temples that still stand—Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Ġgantija on Gozo—sophisticated stone structures predating Stonehenge by a millennium. This temple-building civilization mysteriously vanished around 2500 BC, leaving only their monuments and the enigmatic "Sleeping Lady" figurine.

Phoenicians arrived around 800 BC, followed by Carthaginians, Romans (who called it Melita), Byzantines, and Arabs (who left the most lasting linguistic imprint). Norman conquest in 1091 began Malta's Christian reorientation. Then came the defining event: in 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V gave Malta to the Knights of St. John, religious warriors expelled from Rhodes by the Ottomans.

The Knights transformed Malta into a Christian bastion against Ottoman expansion. In 1565, they withstood the Great Siege—four months of ferocious assault by a massive Ottoman fleet. Their victory was celebrated across Europe, and the new capital Valletta was built as a monument to their triumph. The Knights ruled until 1798, when Napoleon seized the islands. British forces took control in 1800, and Malta became a crucial naval base for 164 years.

World War II brought another siege: from 1940-1942, Malta endured relentless Axis bombing—the most bombed place on Earth by some measures. King George VI awarded the entire island the George Cross for heroism, which now appears on Malta's flag. Independence came in 1964, republic status in 1974, and EU membership in 2004.

Valletta is Europe's smallest capital and perhaps its most perfectly preserved. Built by the Knights after the Great Siege, it was the first planned city in Europe—a grid of streets designed from scratch on a rocky peninsula between two harbors. Every building serves the greater design; every fortification calculated to repel attack. UNESCO calls it "one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world."

The city's centerpiece is St. John's Co-Cathedral, whose austere exterior hides perhaps the most ornate baroque interior anywhere. Every surface blazes with gold, marble, and the work of Mattia Preti. The floor itself is art: 400 marble tombstones of Knights, each a masterpiece of inlaid colored stone. In the Oratory hang two works by Caravaggio, painted during his turbulent Maltese sojourn.

Beyond the cathedral, Valletta rewards wandering. The Upper Barrakka Gardens offer panoramic views across Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. Republic Street's cafes and shops occupy former palaces. The Grandmaster's Palace, now home to Parliament and the President, displays the Knights' armory and Gobelins tapestries. Fort St. Elmo, where the Great Siege began, houses the National War Museum.

Evening transforms Valletta. The daily cannon salute echoes from the Saluting Battery. Restaurants spill onto limestone steps. The skyline, all domes and bell towers, glows in the Mediterranean sunset. This is a living city—just 6,000 residents—that somehow manages to be both museum and metropolis.

Before Valletta, there was Mdina. Perched on a hill in Malta's center, this walled city was the island's capital for over a thousand years—from Roman times through the medieval era until the Knights shifted power to the coast. Today, fewer than 300 people live within its walls, giving Mdina its nickname: the Silent City.

Entering through the baroque Main Gate feels like stepping into a film set—and indeed, Mdina has appeared in countless productions, including Game of Thrones. Narrow streets wind between honey-colored palaces, their ornate doors and windows hinting at aristocratic histories. Cars are banned; the only sounds are footsteps, church bells, and the occasional clop of a horse-drawn carriage.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Paul dominates the central square, built on the site where the apostle Paul allegedly lived after his shipwreck in 60 AD. Adjacent, the Cathedral Museum houses Dürer woodcuts and a remarkable collection of coins spanning Malta's conquerors. The Palazzo Falson offers a glimpse into medieval noble life, while Fontanella Tea Garden on the bastions serves legendary cake with views stretching to the sea.

Mdina is best experienced at dawn or dusk, when day-trippers depart and the city returns to its timeless silence. At night, gas-style lamps illuminate the streets, and the city feels genuinely medieval—a living preservation of a world that elsewhere exists only in imagination.

Across Grand Harbour from Valletta lie the Three Cities: Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea (Isla), and Cospicua (Bormla). This is where the Knights first established themselves in 1530, where they withstood the Great Siege before building Valletta, and where Malta's maritime traditions remain strongest. The area is often overlooked by tourists focused on Valletta—which makes it all the more rewarding to explore.

Birgu is the most atmospheric, its streets barely changed since the Knights' era. Fort St. Angelo, jutting into the harbor, served as the Knights' headquarters during the siege and later as a British naval base. The Malta at War Museum, in a network of underground shelters, vividly recreates the World War II experience. The Inquisitor's Palace—yes, Malta had its own Inquisition—is one of few surviving Inquisitorial palaces in Europe.

Senglea offers the iconic Vedette watchtower, its carved eye and ear symbolizing vigilance. The gardens at Senglea Point provide stunning views of Valletta. Cospicua, the largest of the three, suffered terribly in WWII bombing and has a grittier character, but its fortifications and churches reward exploration.

The best way to reach the Three Cities is by traditional dgħajsa water taxi—the Maltese gondola—from Valletta's waterfront. These colorful boats have plied the harbor for centuries, and the crossing offers the classic view of Valletta rising from the sea.

Gozo is Malta's quieter, greener, more mystical sister island. Legend identifies it as Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso held Odysseus captive for seven years in Homer's epic. Whether or not the myth has basis, Gozo does feel otherworldly—its pace slower, its landscapes more dramatic, its traditions more deeply rooted.

The island's heart is Victoria (Rabat), crowned by the Citadel—a fortified hilltop town where the entire population once sheltered from corsair raids. The Cathedral within, with its remarkable trompe l'oeil painted dome (they ran out of money for a real one), embodies Gozitan resourcefulness. From the bastions, views extend across terraced fields to distant blue horizons.

Gozo's coastline rewards exploration: the Azure Window may have collapsed in 2017, but the Inland Sea (a lagoon connected to the ocean through a cave), Ramla Bay's red sand, and Xlendi's sheltered cove remain magnificent. Ġgantija temples, older than those on Malta, stand as testament to the island's ancient significance. Diving here is world-class, with cathedral-like underwater caves and pristine visibility.

Gozitans maintain distinct traditions—their dialect differs from Maltese Malta, and many still farm the terraced hillsides their ancestors carved. The island produces distinctive cheeses (ġbejna), sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and honey. Visiting Gozo feels like stepping back into a Mediterranean that elsewhere has been modernized away.

Malta's prehistoric temples are among humanity's oldest architectural achievements. Built between 3600 and 2500 BC—a thousand years before Stonehenge, two millennia before the Great Pyramid—they represent an extraordinary burst of cultural sophistication that remains largely mysterious. Who built them? What beliefs drove their construction? Why did the civilization suddenly vanish?

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, perched on cliffs above the sea in Malta's south, are the most accessible and atmospheric. Ħaġar Qim features the largest megalith on the islands—a 20-ton limestone slab. Mnajdra's lower temple is astronomically aligned: at equinoxes, sunlight pierces the main doorway to illuminate the inner chamber. Both sites are now covered by protective tents, but the sense of ancient mystery remains profound.

On Gozo, the Ġgantija temples are even older—among the first monumental buildings in the world. The name means "Giants' Tower" in Maltese, reflecting the traditional belief that only giants could have built such massive structures. The temples' cloverleaf plan and curved walls, created with multi-ton limestone blocks, prefigure techniques used thousands of years later.

The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta houses artifacts from these sites, including the famous "Sleeping Lady" figurine and the Venus of Malta. These relics hint at a goddess-centered religion, fertility cults, and sophisticated astronomical knowledge—but the temple builders left no written records, and their civilization collapsed, leaving only stone questions.

Maltese cuisine reflects the archipelago's position at the Mediterranean crossroads—Italian pasta and pizza share tables with Arab-influenced stews, British touches, and uniquely local inventions. The scarcity of arable land and reliance on the sea shaped a cuisine of preserved foods, robust flavors, and creative use of limited ingredients.

The national dish is fenkata—rabbit cooked in wine, garlic, and herbs. Sunday fenkata gatherings are a Maltese institution, often stretching for hours in countryside restaurants. For quick eats, nothing beats pastizzi—diamond-shaped puff pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, consumed at all hours from hole-in-the-wall shops. Ftira, Malta's crusty bread topped with tomato, capers, olives, and oil, resembles Italian focaccia but has its own character.

Seafood features prominently: lampuki (dorado) is the autumn specialty, while fish soup (aljotta) warms winter evenings. Ġbejniet, small rounds of sheep's or goat's cheese—fresh, dried, or peppered—appear on every antipasto platter. For sweets, look for imqaret (date-filled pastries), kannoli (Sicilian influence), and the elaborate figolli almond cookies eaten at Easter.

Wash it all down with Kinnie, Malta's bitter orange soft drink, or Cisk, the local lager. Wine production has surged, with indigenous Girgentina and Gellewża grapes yielding distinctive wines. And tea time remains a thing—the British legacy lives on in afternoon cuppas and the occasional fish and chips.

Fenkata

Rabbit Stew

Malta's national dish—rabbit braised in wine and garlic.

Ingredients: 1 rabbit, jointed, White wine, 1 head garlic, Bay leaves, rosemary, Tomatoes, Olive oil.

Preparation: Marinate rabbit in wine overnight. Brown rabbit pieces. Add garlic, herbs, tomatoes. Then add marinade wine. Braise until very tender. Last, serve with spaghetti or potatoes.

💡 Rabbit should fall off the bone—braise slowly.

Pastizzi

Savory Pastries

Flaky filo pastries with ricotta or pea filling—Maltese street food.

Ingredients: Filo or special pastizzi dough, Ricotta cheese (or mushy peas), Egg, Salt, pepper, Butter for layering.

Preparation: Make or buy pastizzi dough. Then fill with ricotta or peas. Fold into diamond shapes. Bake until golden and flaky. To finish, eat hot from bakery.

💡 Best eaten within hours of baking—from local pastizzeria.

Soppa tal-Armla

Widow's Soup

Hearty vegetable and cheese soup—Maltese comfort food.

Ingredients: Mixed vegetables, Gbejniet (sheep cheese), Eggs, Pasta or bread, Olive oil.

Preparation: Simmer vegetables until tender. After that, add small pasta. Drope in eggs to poach. Then add cheese pieces. Drizzle with olive oil.

💡 A meal in a bowl—filling and economical.

Visa Requirements: Malta is part of the Schengen Area. EU citizens need only an ID card. US, UK, Canadian, and Australian citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days. Other nationalities should check Schengen visa requirements.

Getting There: Malta International Airport (MLA) receives flights from across Europe and beyond. Ferries from Sicily (Pozzallo and Catania) offer a scenic alternative. Cruise ships frequently call at Valletta's spectacular harbor.

Getting Around: Public buses serve most destinations but can be slow. Car rental is popular—drive on the left (British legacy). The Gozo ferry runs frequently from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr. Water taxis cross Grand Harbour. Walking is the best way to explore historic centers.

Money: Malta uses the Euro (€). Cards are widely accepted but carry cash for small vendors and village shops. ATMs are plentiful in urban areas.

Best Time to Visit: Spring (April-June) and autumn (September-November) offer ideal weather and fewer crowds. Summer (July-August) brings intense heat and packed beaches but lively festas. Winter is mild but can be rainy; some tourist facilities close.

City of Valletta (1980): The entire capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its exceptional concentration of historic monuments and uniform architectural style. The city represents an outstanding example of a planned urban area from the Renaissance period.

Megalithic Temples (1980, 1992): Seven temples across Malta and Gozo—Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba, Ta' Ħaġrat, and Tarxien—form one UNESCO designation. They are "unique architectural masterpieces" and among "the most ancient free-standing stone structures in the world."

Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (1980): This underground prehistoric burial site, carved from living rock around 4000 BC, is unique in the world. Its subterranean chambers descend three levels and once held the remains of over 7,000 individuals. Daily visitor numbers are strictly limited—book months ahead.

"Malta is a limestone palimpsest—each conqueror wrote upon it, yet none could erase what came before. Seven thousand years of civilization in 316 square kilometers of sun-blessed stone."

— Radim Kaufmann, 2026