Attractions in Malta

Name the quietest place on Malta? You’d think it might be difficult to come up with a definitive answer to this question but my money would be on the Carmelite Priory. Why? Well, a working monastery in Mdina - a place known as ‘the Silent City’ - that has to be in with a decent shout of claiming the title, doesn't it?  READ MORE

Stately homes throughout the world follow the same tried and tested formula - display the property and it’s interior to the public in its best possible light. The problem is that, attractive though this can be, it relies on the best guess of a curator – how someone who doesn’t really know thinks it should be. That’s not how it works at...READ MORE

Every year, around half a million people have the enviable privilege of arriving at the historic city of Valletta by boat, or cruise ship to be more precise. Travelling to the city by boat is surely the best, most romantic, historic and picturesque way of winding up in this wonderful city -  and thanks to the Sliema Ferry, it’s attainable for mere...READ MORE

Malta has an embarrassment of riches for historians and archeologists. The Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples in Malta are enough to make them feel weak at the knees. But even their standing pales at the side of the most historic offering over the sea in Gozo, where the Ggantija temples await you – the oldest standing structure in the world! READ MORE

Although it sounds to the non-Maltese ear like something you should be ordering with pilau rice and a naan bread, this is, in fact, a cave! Actually, it’s much more than a cave; it’s a very important cave. It’s the cave where the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta was discovered – from around 7,400 years ago. READ MORE

Anyone taking a trip to Malta will find there’s more than enough to amuse them on the main island for much longer than the week or even the fortnight of their visit. But even so, we’d still strongly advise everyone who comes here to get on a ferry and go to Gozo, and specifically, go to the Citadel. READ MORE

The great French author Voltaire once said: “Nothing is more well-known than the Siege of Malta.” Admittedly, he said it a long time ago before Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Lady Gaga came along but it goes to show what a significant event this once was. READ MORE

If you are beguiled by the mystery of ancient civilisations and the mystique of their arts and crafts, then the Neolithic temples of Malta and Gozo will be right up your sabre tooth tiger track. The pre-historic remains on the Maltese Archipelago are plentiful, and trying to get your head around the ancient ‘magical mystery tour’ they provide will...READ MORE

A short break on this compact but very lovely isle will be enough to convince you that it’s a great place to be. It doesn’t take a genius to work that one out! People have been attracted to these sun-drenched shores for thousands of years and undeniable proof of that comes in the shape of the many pre-historic temple sites to be found on the Maltese...READ MORE

Once upon a time the beseiged Catholic Church became increasingly concerned about the upsurge in the Protestant faith in Europe. They established the Roman Inquisition to ensure people kept the faith, and in 1574 dispatched an Inquisitor to Malta to take care of business on the island. He needed a base, and this magnificent palace was it! READ MORE

On the rough rocky surface of things, a tourist attraction dedicated to limestone hardly seems like one that’s going to set the world alight. But this stuff has played a massive part in Malta’s heritage and this visitor centre is aware that it needs to offer some fun activities to make rock … well, rock! It is aware and the attraction works....READ MORE

Planes, and especially World War II planes, have a strange effect on some people … specifically, men! I spent much of my childhood with various bits of Spitfires and Lancaster bombers stuck to my hands as I attempted to build models, while males of my father’s generation go all dewy eyed at the sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine (this is...READ MORE

 This one always causes a few raised eyebrows among the locals on Malta! Does the island need a museum housing a Classic Car Collection, they ask, when so many of the cars buzzing around on the roads could easily be classed as ‘classic’ or ‘vintage’ anyway? We admit, it’s a strange choice for an attraction in a country where...READ MORE

If you navigate yourself to the website of the Malta Experience, the first line of text you see describes the attraction as: “Your ideal first stop on the island!” And, d’you know what? They’re probably right! READ MORE

The Knights of Malta are possibly the island’s most famous ever inhabitants. Steeped in tradition and history, their rule over the country was as eventful as it was dramatic. The story is recounted in many associated attractions on the island – St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Palace Armoury and the Great Siege Experience. But nowhere is told so...READ MORE

If you’ve been researching Malta for anything more than about 15 seconds, you’ll know the island is steeped in history. From its pre-historic temples, through the Knights of St John to wartime alliances with the British and independence, its past is both eventful and colourful. So, it stands to reason that the story of Malta’s national theatre...READ MORE

Before the infamous Knights of Malta turned up on these shores, defeated the invading Ottoman armada at the Great Siege and built Valletta, the capital city was Mdina. So, clearly Mdina is a place with a long and interesting history; one you can find out all about at the Mdina Experience. READ MORE

In this world you’ll find a number of famous places that claim to have a ‘something’ for every day of the year. So, you have York, a city with 365 pubs and Woodhall Spa, the home of English golf, with 365 bunkers. In Malta it’s churches, 365 of them … though no-one ever claims to have counted them … and no-one appears...READ MORE

Art galleries across Europe have a fine tradition of occupying some stunning buildings. So much so, that a lot of them would be worth going to just to see inside, irrespective of what's hanging on the walls. Take the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, Florence’s Uffizi and London’s National Gallery. All dazzling...READ MORE

If you’re off on a holiday to Malta then it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up taking a day-trip to see the magnificent hill-top city of Mdina. And while you’re there, if you have any interest in history, geology or science, then you’d be a fool to miss out on the National Museum of Natural History. READ MORE

The Maltese people are renowned for many fine qualities. They are passionate, friendly, helpful and unfalteringly loyal but if you upset them they are an immensely stubborn and fierce bunch. The National War Museum is testament to just how unyielding and resourceful this little island can become in times of strife. READ MORE

Delve into Malta’s history and you’ll inevitably find mention of knights. Whether it be the Knights of Malta, or the Knights Hospitallers, or the Knights of the Order of St John – it frankly doesn’t matter because they’re all different names for the same bunch. And whatever name you use, one thing is beyond doubt – the...READ MORE

Show me someone who says they don’t want to be filthy rich and live in a lavish palace and I’ll show you someone who needs their bumps felt. All but the slightly deranged aspire to the trappings of great wealth but let’s face it, for the vast majority of us, it’s never going to happen. Ah well, at least we can pretend by visiting places...READ MORE

Any parent who has children of a certain age will be all too familiar with the magical world of Playmobil toys. I say magical from experience because we have brought several of these high quality sets with their miniscule pieces into our house and over the months, many parts of them have magically disappeared! What most parents across the world don’t...READ MORE

Everything you read about this attraction screams to you that it shouldn’t work! It’s essentially the leftovers of the set from a not massively successful Disney film that was made in 1980. Even the website with tedious introduction and looped sea shanty gets right up your nose! And yet it makes for a terrific and fun day out, especially for young...READ MORE

When I was younger, and was concerned more about image than substance, I subscribed to the school of thought that open-top buses were ‘naff’ and ‘for tourists’. Now, I am older, and wise enough to realise that I actually am a tourist, it’s one of the first things I look for on arriving in a new destination – and you should...READ MORE

If you are visiting Malta then we’ll take it as read that you’ll be off to spend some time in Mdina, the old capital city … because you’d be a fool not to! And while you’re there, what better way of cruising around the ancient fortress than on the island’s only sightseeing train - the Peprina.  READ MORE

If you want a guaranteed winning formula for creating one of the most richly and lavishly decorated cathedrals you’ll ever see, take a tip from St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. The interiors in this 16 th century place of worship are utterly magnificent and how they became this way was by employing a very cunning plan! READ MORE

Across Europe, in some famous and, let’s face it, some less famous and downright bizarre venues, you’ll find tourist attractions called ‘dungeons’. The London Dungeon, for example, aims to scare you witless with its spooky tales. It’s OK I suppose but it aint the real thing, not like the St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat! READ MORE

If you visit Malta’s sister island of Gozo, you’ll notice that the pace of life seems much more relaxed generally than in Malta. It’s peaceful, more tranquil more laidback and so it’s the perfect setting for the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary in Gharb. READ MORE

When travelling abroad, some people like to do all their research beforehand, read travel books, scour the internet etc. So, they clearly won’t be reading this! But if you have one of those people as a partner or family member then this is the attraction for them! The history of Valletta told in the form of a 35-minute docudrama … or put another...READ MORE