April 7, 2023
Our ship docked at 7:00 AM in Valletta, Malta, alongside the massive Seaside Fortress (built in 1530) on the Grand Harbor of Malta. What a magnificent view from our balcony! As far as the eye can see, the entire island seems to be all ancient limestone buildings beautifully preserved. We are exceptionally overwhelmed by this island that seems completely untouched by time. Malta turned out to be one of the best stops of our entire World Cruise.
The entire city of Valetta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are over 300 monuments within half a square kilometers. On the other side of the ship, we could view the town of Vittoriosa, which is one of the most important towns in medieval Malta.
Every direction we looked, 360 degrees around from the ship, were these incredibly beautifully preserved medieval buildings.
Invited for an Amazing Excursion
Cliff and I were getting ready for a trek into the Seaside Fortress, when we received a call from Joan. She had purchased an excursion for a tour in a private vehicle, but didn’t realize that she would be all alone for it, so she invited us to go with her. I was stepping out of the shower when the phone rang, so I had to dry my hair, get dressed, and we had to get downstairs in only 15 minutes, but we did it. The 18 passenger van was quite a luxurious way to travel. Thank you, Joan!
The first part of our drive, we saw over a mile of beautifully preserved aqueducts, which were built early in the 17th century to get water into Valletta. We also saw orange trees, many clusters of cactus plants, fields of carefully tended grape vines, blooming trees (redbuds everywhere and even peach trees), wildflowers alongside the roads, and palm trees.
Ancient Mdina
We were taken to the ancient quarter of Mdina, all of which is a UNESCO Heritage site. The golden limestone walls surrounding the city tower over lush rolling fields.
We entered the ornate city gates into an ancient city filled with beautiful maze-like alleyways, magnificent palaces, and gorgeous churches.
Horse drawn carriages filled with tourists charged down the streets we were walking. We had to watch for them careening around corners.
We loved the gorgeous architecture with the wooden rectangular bay windows painted in various colors and the narrow stone streets.
I found a little shop with Valletta blown glass and bought a small blue vase with gold embedded in it. Walking the streets of Mdina was magical. We felt we could stay there all day.
The Catacombs and an Impressive Cathedral
When we returned to the van, our driver said to walk down the street a couple of blocks further to find the catacombs. On the way, we found the towering baroque stye St. Paul’s Cathedral (1693). The interior was splendid — especially the altar with the golden sunburst on it and the frescoes on the ceilings.
From there, we followed the signs to the catacombs, which were beneath another church.
The Glass Factory
After that, the driver tried to drop us off at a large outdoor shopping area, but a couple from our ship who were waiting for the hop-on-hop-off bus told us everything was closed (it was Good Friday), so he drove us a block away to a glass blowing factory. The owners were about to close, but opened back up for us. Other tourists started to come in as well. It was massive, but I found a few small hand-blown glass necklaces and a paperweight to take home.
Impressive Mosta Church
Next, our driver dropped us off at the nearby Mosta Village where we toured the massive Mosta Church. During World War II, Mosta lay in the path of airplanes attacking the airfield. During one raid in 1942, several bombs were dropped around the Rotunda, with one actually piercing the dome of the church. There were about 300 people in the church at the time, but the bomb failed to explode and no one was injured. Fortunately, the dome suffered only slight damage and remained intact, which was considered a miracle.
To enter the Mosta Church, we purchased tickets for 5 Euros each, and were directed to climb worn narrow stone steps that spiraled up to the roof of the church (about 74 steps).
From the rooftop, we could view the countryside, and enter a narrow catwalk that circled around the base of the dome so that we could look down into the church. Another set of narrow winding steps took us down so we could tour the lovely, massive church. One of the interior rooms was a small museum with a replica of the bomb and photos of the hole it had made in the dome.
On the outside of the church was the entrance to a bomb shelter (with a separate exit) that the priests must have used. It had a bedroom and little kitchen. Just down the street, we were able to see small area of catacombs.
Great Selection of Restaurants at the Fish Market
Next, the driver took us to see the Fish Market. We asked the driver if we could eat there, but he said there wasn’t enough time. Alongside the waterfront, we could see many bright colored boats. Booths were lined up along the waterside walkway, selling linens and souvenirs. Across the street, as well as streets perpendicular and parallel to the market, were more restaurants than we have ever seen in a two block area. They all had outdoor seating, were full of people, and looked wonderful.
The Seaside Fortress of Old Valetta
The driver then took us to the Old City of Valletta, and left us there. We found a little restaurant with inside seating and enjoyed pizza and fish and chips. Cliff and Joan enjoyed a delicious local beer. Old Valetta was similar to Mdina, with the towering walls we had seen from our ship and a maze of old streets, churches, courtyards, shops and restaurants. From the walls we could look out over the sparkling Mediterranean.
Looking for the Barrack Lift that would take us down from the city to where our ship was docked, we got a bit lost and walked in a huge rectangle, even after asking directions from many people. Finally, we finally found it. The lift that took us down the city wall was over 190 feet high. It was a glass elevator so that we could see the magnificent views of the ancient walls. Definitely it was better than taking the steps down from the walled city. Like most of the stone sidewalks throughout all of Valetta and Mdina, the walkway back to the ship was very narrow.
Incredible History of a Strategically Located Island
We were honestly so astounded with Malta — how incredibly beautiful it is, truly special. Several days are needed to explore this tiny country that is only half the size of Washington, D.C. Many people believe that Malta is the legendary city of Atlantis. There are megalithic temples in Malta there are believed to be older than England’s Stonehenge. We would love to have seen some of the many archaeological sites that dot the island. Malta has some of the world’s oldest free-standing structures. The Tarxien Temples date from 3600 to 2500 B.C. and are famous for the detailed carvings. The 5,000 year old Hagar Qim temple is the best preserved of the ancient temples, and is laid out in a cloverleaf shape.
There is so much to learn about the history of Malta as well. We just couldn’t absorb it all in one day. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Malta has endured invasions by many of the world’s greatest civilizations. In 800 B.C., the Phoenicians established trading posts. Then Carthaginians based their warships in Malta when fighting against Rome. For 400 years, it was a naval station for the Byzantine Empire. After that were a bewildering series of conquests — Arabs, Normans, Germans, French and Spaniards all gained and lost control of the tiny island.
The Knights of St. John wrested control from the Ottomans in 1530. It was planned as a refuge for injured soldiers and pilgrims during the Crusades. The arid, rocky land was transformed into a fortified city with steep hills, deep moats, and beautiful structures such as St. John’s Cathedral.
Under Napolean Bonaparte, in June 1798, the French invaded and occupied Malta, but the Maltese rose up in revolt on September 2, 1798, leading to the Maltese blocking the French troops inside Valletta. British and Portuguese ships were sent to help. The siege took two years of suffering on both sides of the walls, until the French were finally defeated and Britain took control over Malta.
Malta was of great strategic importance to Britain, and the Grand Harbor became the home port of the British Fleet of the Mediterranean. Malta was a pivotal location during the Greek War of Independence, the Crimean War, and World War I (for hospital services it provided the allied troops). World War II took a toll on Malta. The day after the declaration of war on Britain and its allies by Italy under Mussolini, Malta was attacked. The Second Great Siege of Malta lasted up to 1943 when the Italian navy surrendered. Whole families lived and survived throughout the whole period in shelters they had dug into the sandstone.
Eventually, on September 21, 1964, Malta gained independence from Britain. British bases remained during the period of the Cold War, but on December 13, 1974, Malta was finally declared a republic within the Commonwealth. Five years later, on March 31, 1979, the final British base in Malta was closed. Malta is now a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the European Union.
Should You Visit Malta?
Malta is about 90 kilometers south of Sicily, our next stop. All I can say is that I would recommend to everyone we know that you visit Malta, and spend at least a few days there. Every single old building is just beautiful. Nothing you read about it and no amount of photographs can truly prepare you for how amazing Malta is. It is beyond description.
More photos can be found at the following link:
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