Malta Tourist Attractions

Malta Tourist Attractions include history, culture, the arts, beautiful beaches, religion and many other activities. If you are spending your holidays in Malta this year, spend a few minutes getting to know some basic information on the Maltese Islands and its various popular Towns & Villages.

Malta and Gozo are truly two magnificent Islands, and both are rich in their own history and culture, with laods of tourist attractions around the islands. Places that you should try and fit in your itenary include a visit to Mdina (known as the silent city), St John's Co Cathedral, The Upper Barakka Gardens, The Palace State Rooms, Lascaris War Rooms and the War Museum in Valletta, Fort Rinella in Kalkara, Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor's palace in Vittoriosa, The Roman Villa in Rabat, and the Hagar Qim Temples in Qrendi which is a UNESCO world hertitage site. Heritage Malta is a great resource to find detailed information and the best attractions on the Islands of Malta and Gozo.

Malta and Gozo are famous for their ancient history, actually predating history due to the evidence of some colossal and well-preserved stone Temples from prehistoric times, some of these being dated older than the Pyramids of Egypt. But their fame is also due to the Two Great Sieges, one in 1565 when the Turkish Empire with all its might could not conquer little Malta, with its tall bastions, the brave Knights of St John and the local people whose support and determination were crucial; the other momentous event being the Second World war (1939 -1942) when Malta's successful stand-off against the aggressive and fearful airplane attacks, contributing in a massive way towards the final armistice, with Malta's people besieged, hungry but proudly helping the Allies to victory.

Malta was governed over the centuries by several super powers including the Romans, the Byzantines, the Angevins, the Castillians, the Arabs, the Normans, the Kingdom of the two Sicilies, the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Napoleonic French and the British. Independence within the British Commonwealth came on 21st September 1964.  Malta was declared a Republic on 13th December 1973, but British influence is still very evident. English is registered as an official language together with its native Maltese. In May 2004 Malta joined the European Union, another important date in its long and chequered history.

Today, Malta is the third most densely populated country in the world. Its natural resources are nearly non existent, except for the famous golden limestone used for our buildings. We produce only 20% of our food requirements and have no domestic energy sources. The main industries of the Maltese Islands are Tourism, Construction, Agriculture and various small industries. with Information Technology and Telecommunications are becoming  really active industry today.

If you like history, you will love Malta, museums & other historical places of Interest in Malta & Gozo are also ample. It's position, at the hub of ancient trading routes, meant that nearly every great civilization in the history of the world has left its mark, amongst the Phoenicians, the Arabs, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Ottoman Turks, the Crusader Knights, the French and the British. It was the Knights of the Order Of St John, however, who left a lasting impact on the island. There are a few places you must definately visit whilst in Malta, which include:-

* St John's Co Cathedral in Valletta, where one will find bautiful works of Art by Mattia Preti and Carravagio amongst others, inlaid marble tombs and more.

* The Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa, one of the very few suriving places of its kind.

* The Hagar Qim Temples dating back to somewhere between 3200 to 3600 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

* Ghar Dalam Cave which is Malta's oldest pre historic site, with bones of Ice Age animals clearly visible inside the cave.

The list goes on and on, there are numerous places of interest to Visit in Malta, which of course depends on how much time you have allocated for your holiday in Malta. The best resource for culture and heritage is the Heritage Malta website, where you will find infomative information of places to visit around the Islands of Malta and Gozo.

The Maltese Islands are Malta, Gozo, Comino, Filfla and Fungus Rock. Only the first three are inhabited, but the other two are well known for their flora and fauna. The main Islands however are MALTA and its sister island, GOZO. Malta is virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean 93km south of Sicily and 288km north of Africa. Population is approximately 533,000, with twice as many (and more) first and second generation Maltese having settled in several areas, notably in the UK, Australia, Canada, United States, Italy and elsewhere. 

Malta is a nation state, and these Islands are Members of the United Nations, European Union, the British Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, and several other important treaty organisations. Malta and Gozo have political, social and commercial relations with several countries and contributes people skills and know-how in many fields.

Maltese Religion, Churches and Festas

One of the dominant aspects of Malta, which is also a tourist attraction, is the Catholic religion. It has successfully survived as a religion of the people, despite the centuries in which the country was ruled by different rulers, because not all of them were Catholics. St. Paul of Tarsus brought Christianity to Malta when he was shipwrecked in a huge storm around 60 AD. According to tradition, he was on his way to Rome under protection to confront the Roman ruler Julius Caesar. St. Paul was supposed to answer for allegedly preaching a “new” religion that went against the Roman faith.

Hundreds of churches scattered across Malta and Gozo bear witness to the religion of the Maltese, who take pride in their traditional worship and celebration of the annual “festas”. Many of these churches were built in local limestone, carved and decorated by the residents of the villages. Many helped with great perseverance in their free time. Some of the large parishes in the villages have many colorful light bulbs that light up everywhere to match the facades, so when they are lit during the celebrations it looks very spectacular. A common feature is the ringing of church bells, which can usually be heard every half hour and hour every day. Tourists can of course visit these churches or other ecclesiastical and historical places spread across the islands. They often also contain many important works of art.

Malta and Gozo are full of shrines, statues, and niches dedicated to Our Lady and other saints. These can often be found on the corners of buildings. When Valletta was built, the Grand Masters required that every corner of a building be decorated with a sculpture or artistic embodiment. This could explain the exceptionally high number of niches and statues throughout Valletta, laid out in a grid along the straight streets, surrounded by huge and spectacular bastions and impregnable walls famous for their magnificent architecture and sheer height. The old town of Qormi (referred to as Citta' Pinto according to ancient documents and historical traditions) is adorned with statues and niches in its corners. Religion remains a mainstay of the Maltese islands, not only for the local people but also for the millions of tourists who visit Malta each year

The Festa seasin is a never-ending spectacle of musical parades through the streets of the villages, with local bands and concerts on special large stages (called plancieri) located in the village square. Large poles that line the streets are decorated with large colorfulbanners (arbli and bandalori), stalls offering all kinds of sweets and local dishes (e.g. the famous nougat or qubbajt) and of course the religious processions dedictaed to the patron saint, for whom the feast is celebrated. Colorful petards and the fireworks are set off in the night sky in addition to the abundance of sounds and the sense of celebration during a village festa.

Malta Towns & Villages

Malta & Gozo are very small islands and more often than not you will not realise that you are moving between one village and another since they are so close to each other. Taking the eastern part of the island as an example you will move between St Julians, Ballutta and Sliema along the sea side promenade in a mere 30 minute walk. Malta is split up in regional districts which are the Southern Harbour District, the Northern Harbour District, the South Eastern District, the Western District, the Northern District and finally the Gozo & Comino District.