Malta: November 2019

Malta sits in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. At 27 km long and 14.5 km wide in comparison to other countries, or cities for that matter, it’s the size of a postage stamp. But you can’t correlate the size of Malta with a lack of things to do or see.

Malta is actually 3 islands: Malta is the largest and is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with almost 1/2 a million people; Gozo the second largest; Comino and an Archipelago of smaller uninhabited islands.

It’s an easy country to travel through with efficient bus lines and connections onto ferries to access the islands of Gozo and Comino. There were lots of surprises experienced in Malta from the Ħal Saflieni neolithic hypogeum to the picturesque narrow alleyways of Mdina to the intricate decorated chapels of St. John’s Co-Cathedral.

This small country packs it all in, and whether you are a beach enthusiast, hiker, swimmer, historian, foodie, architecture buff or a globetrotting photographer from Nova Scotia - Malta’s a win!

My top ten favourites sights between Malta, Gozo and Comino are listed in no particular order below and photos where they were permitted follow.

Fortress City of Valetta, Malta
St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta
Dwerja Bay, Gozo
Victoria Citadel, Gozo
Silent City of Mdina, Malta
Catacombs of St. Paul’s, Rabat, Malta
Megalithic Temples, Gozo
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu, Malta
Ħal Saflieni neolithic hypogeum, Malta (no photos permitted)
Blue Lagoon, Comino

Featured

Malta National Library - a reference and research library holds various collections of books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts and maps.

The fortress city of Valetta with the pops of colour accenting the buildings.

The fortifications of the St. John Bastion in Valletta at dusk.

Remains of the Old Opera Theatre, bombed during WWII

St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valetta - dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1572 and 1577.

Hundreds of inlaid marble tombstones dating back to the early seventeenth century cover the entire floor of the co-cathedral, from the nave to the chapels to the oratory. Each one of these tombs is a commemoration for a Knight of the Order.

The cathedral contains nine richly decorated chapels on two sides.

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist painted in 1608 by Caravaggio is the most famous work in the church, considered one of Caravaggios masterpieces.

The interior of the church is considered to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.

Walking to get a better view of the fungus rock. Where the Knights of St. John used to collect a rare fungus from its summit.

Dwerja Bay, Gozo

Victoria Citadel, Gozo - The Medieval township at the Citadel is documented to have thrived up to the 16th Century and included a densely packed urban settlement.

Evening stroll through the streets of the Citadel amongst churches and other historic buildings.

Gozo Cathedral, a 17th century baroque building within the Citadel.

Gantija Megalithic Temples, Gozo

Blue Lagoon, Comino

Fort St. Angelo Great Siege Bell

The Saluting Battery (Valletta) located in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, overlooking Fort St. Angelo and the rest of the Grand Harbour. Twice-a-day gun salute.

Birgu, also known as "Victorious City", is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour.

All neoclassical Monument to Sir Alexander Ballin the Lower Barrakka Gardens in Valletta.

Rabat is home to the famous Catacombs of St. Paul and of St. Agatha. The site has more than 30 underground chambers with interconnected passages and tombs of over 1000 buried bodies.

St. Paul's Catacombs, the largest and most impressive of all the underground Roman cemeteries in Malta. The first burial dates to the 3rd century BC and the tombs continued to be used until the 4th century AD.

Mdina, also called the Silent City, is surrounded by fortified walls and sits on top of one of the highest hills of Malta.

Built in Medieval times, much of its original architecture has been preserved and its narrow alleys tell tales of centuries of history.