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A good idea for a one-week holiday. Valetta
Malta has the best climate in Europe
few rain but more than 300 days sunshine a year.
Malta is very small, but full of history and culture.
People speak English.
Valletta Mdina Präh. Tempel Mosta Dingli Cliffs Marsaxlokk Popeye Village Gozo
History Sightseeing:
VallettaThe Old Town of Valletta is the most interesting place in Malta. Worth a look are the St-Johns Cathedrale ( free entrance ) with the chapels of the eight tongues of the Knights Order and the Grandmasters Palace ( entrance 5 Euro ).
The Multi Media Show „The Siege“ is very advertised, but rather expensive (10 Euro). You should decide yourself, if you pay so much money for an advertising campaign of Malta. The main bus station is just at the entrance of the Old Town. There is also a flea market on Sundays, but mostly new articles are sold. The market booths are anyway at Merchant Street every morning, so you will miss nothing, if you skip the flea market on Sunday. The ferry trip to Sliema is very nice and there is a nice walkway at the bay.
Mdina
Prehistoric TemplesHagar Quim and Mnajdra are situated in the western part of the island. These temples are Neolitic ceremonial sites, built around 4100-2500 BC. Another temples near Valetta are Tarxien and the Hypogeum. The Hypogeum is of most interest, because from the others remained only of some piled stone. If you are less interested in history, you must have a lot of imagination for getting a feeling for those archaeological sites. Read more in good guidebooks.
Mosta
Dingli Cliffs
Marsaxlokkvery nice is the old harbour with many coloured fishing boats.
Luzzus
the Maltese fishing boats all have Christian names and often two eyes at the bow. These eyes are the eyes of Osiris that is the old Egypt God of Death. These eyes symbolize alertness from the dangers of the sea; an old tradition, that protect seamen...................
From Marsaloxx you can walk to Peters Pool, a nice swimming bay.
Popeye Village
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CominoComino is named from the Italian word " Comino = caraway", which is a plant that is growing there. Comino is very small and a nice place for swimming and diving. The most known place for that is the Blue Laggoon.Gozo
Gozo is smaller, less inhabited and more tranquil than its counterpart Malta. The sights could be done in some few days.
The main attractions are the Citadell of Gozo's capital Victoria and the Neolitic ruins of Ggantija at Xaghra.Link: gozo.com
Some History:
Prehistoric Period
Malta was inhabited around 5.200 BC. The cultural flourishing epoche was the Neolithic Temple Building Period from 3.600 BC which lasts till 2.500 BD.Phoenician and Roman Period
Malta came under influence of the Phoenicians, who dominated the trade routes in the Mediterrean Sea in the 8th century BC. The Phoenicians called the island "Malat", which means a safe haven. Later the Cartagians established ports and trading settlements on Malta. During the second punic war Malta fell under Roman control and was getting part of the Romisch Empire since 218 BC.
The shipwrek of St. Paul
The Legend told that St. Paul was shipwrecked at the way to Rome in St. Paul ' s Bay, which later was named after him. St. Paul showed his divine power by burning brushwood. As he did this a snake shot up his arm and bite him in this hand. All people expected his death (although there are no poisonous snakes in Malta) but he touched a rock from which a spring poured out. St Paul probably would have stayed for three months meanwhile he would have evangelized the Roman Governor Publius, who became the first Bishop of Malta.Arabs
After the collapse of the Roman Empire the Arabs occupied Malta after a short Byzantines interlude in 870 AD. Many town and village names (for example Mdina) are dated back to this period.Middle Ages
Malta was an appendice of Sicily since 1090 AD for 440 years. Then it was ruled by different European Rulers. In 1479 Malta became part of the Spanish Empire.Knights of St Johns
King Charles V of Aragon/Spain handed Malta over to the Knights Hospitallers of St Johns out of Rhodes in 1530 AD. He wanted to protect Rome from the spreading Ottomans in the South, who had driven the Hospitallers out from Rhodes. Charles V gave them the choice between Malta and Tripoli. They Knights choose the barren Malta as the presumed safer location. The indigenous Maltese that were tired of frequently raids from foreign tribes at this time didn't put up resistance.The Great Siege
In 1565 AD the Ottomans (Turks) tried to take Malta, but the attack and the following siege failed, which is celebrated today as "The Great Siege". Malta increased the fortifications in Valleta.French and British Rule
The Knights were driven out in 1798 AD by Napoleon Bonaparte. But the Maltese didn't like the French rulers and chased them away by British help in 1800 AD. Malta became as a colony part of the British Empire.World War II
Malta was to 90 % destroyed because of the important strategically location as a place of reinforcement near to North Africa. Malta came under siege for a second time and for a secnd time the siege failed.Independence
Malta became an independent Republik at September 21th, 1974.EU- membership
Malta is member of the EU since Mai 2004. In the referendum in March 2003 from 91 % of the voters 143.094 were voting "yes" and 123.628 were voting "no" for the EU.
Knights Hospitallers of St. Johns out of Rhodes
The Knights of St. John was orginally set up as an order to provide medical assistance for pilgrims along the route to the Holy Land. It was dedicated to St. John financed by rich Italian tradesman. The order's symbol, a eight-pointed cross is still a symbol in first aid organizations today. The orden became rich by donation from thankful cured people. Often newly conquered terretorities were donated, that territories had to be defended as the pilgrims in the cure. A strong miltary wing of the knights was formed. Later the priorities changed, the task as crusaders was strengthen. The orden gained political and military power and they were also notable seaman. Other orders arouse in these times, which were for example the Knights of the Teutonic Order and the Knights Templar Order. Unlike the two other mentioned orders the task of nursing wasn't given up totally by the Maltese order.The structure of the order was divided in eight tongues (languages), that was Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Aragon, Castile, Germany and England. For avoiding power struggles the leader of each tongue had a specific task, the Italian tongue for example was responsible for the seafaring.
After driving out the order in 1798 AD the Pope in Rome confiscated most of the order's estate. The Emperor of Russia gave them shelter and the Knights of St. John's reconsidered themselves to their humanitary and nursing tasks. The name was from this time "Sovereign Miltary Hospitaller Order of St Johns of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta".
The Order claimed also today the status of a state under international law without national territory. The headquarter in Rome's Via Condotti should be the smallest state of the world. But the international status is - unlike the Vatican - not acknowledged. At least the United Nations recognized the Order of St. John's as an intergovernmental organization, which could participate as observers.
Some independent aid-organizations were split up from the Order, for example the German Catholic "Malteser Hilfsdienst" and the Protestantic "Johanniter Unfallhilfe". But these are independent organisations, which have nothing to do with the Maltese Order.
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