Gauss-Telegraph: World trip from home in 30 days – Malta

Gauss-Telegraph: World trip from home in 30 days – Malta

by Lena Heinecke

Marsaxlokk

Streets of Valetta

My impression of Malta

Malta is the largest island of the small European state Malta which consists of the three islands Comino, Gozo and Malta. Due to (mostly) good weather and great beaches, Malta is particularly popular with travelers who want to spend the day at the beach and the night at the clubs. But with its ruins, cute villages and cathedrals, Malta also has a lot to offer culturally. In addition, the nature is breathtaking, so extensive hikes are very nice as well. All the places on the island are very well connected by a bus system with cheap tickets. It is also very impressive how well the bus drivers maneuver the buses through the narrow streets and alleys. The only problem is that the departure times can rather be regarded as a recommendation and there are many delays.

Blue Grotto

Must-see attractions

Let’s start with the capital, Valetta. The St. John’s Co-Cathedral there is particularly beautiful on the inside. The Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens offer a breathtaking view of the Grand Harbor and some forts, because all of Valetta is actually a fortress that is surrounded by walls and fortifications. A walk through the narrow, often steep streets with the bright, old houses and at the same time the view of the sea definitely offers many opportunities for great photos.

A great route for a hike is from the Dingli Cliffs to the Ħaġar Qim temple and finally to the Blue Grotto. On the cliff you have a great view of the sea and the landscape. The temple (or its ruin) has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other Maltese temples. In addition, after a total of about 8 km hike, you can enjoy the view of the Blue Grotto as a reward. The sea shimmers in an incredibly beautiful blue. You can also take a boat to go into the grotto and admire it from inside, where the colors of the water are even more incredible.

Tarxien Temple

As a day tour it would be possible to take a bus to Marsaxlokk, a small fishing village with colorful fishing boats and the church “Our Lady of Pompei”. From there, a bus goes to Tarxien to the archaeological site of the Tarxien Temple (more on that below).

Mdina and Rabat are two very popular cities that can also be visited together. In Mdina (which was also used as a filming location for Game of Thrones) are the St. Paul Cathedral and the Palazzo Falson with the associated museums. Rabat is home to the very magnificent St. Pauls Church, the St. Agatha Catacombs and the St. Paul Catacombs. These underground, interconnected burial chambers are huge and partly decorated with paintings on the walls.

Best museum on the island

Tarxien Temple is a part of the World Heritage Site “Megalithic Temples of Malta” and in my opinion offers the most interesting museum of them. The excavation site partially shows the ruins of the temple, but the temple has also been reconstructed in some places so that you can better imagine what it used to look like.

Risotto bil–frott tal–bahar

Favourite local dish

Since Malta is an island, logically, there is fish and seafood on the menu in every restaurant. A typical Maltese dish is, for example, Risotto bil–frott tal–bahar which is rice with seafood such as mussels and crabs or shrimps and sometimes vegetables in it.

 

 

 

Note: Due to the spread of the coronavirus, we don’t recommend to travel until the all restrictions have been lifted.