A Holiday Guide to Malta
Malta holidays give the visitor an incredible blend of culture from ancient Rome, Egyptian civilisation, the Arab world and the legacy of the British past.
You can start by drinking in the wealth of cultural attractions on offer in Valletta, move onto world heritage sites, join in colourful local 'festas', enjoy high quality shopping and finally immerse yourself in the local beach life.
Valletta is the home of the oldest theatre in Europe, the Manoel, and the contemporary St James Cavalier Creative Centre.
You'll find superb visual arts, cinema theatre, literature, music, and dedicated creative activities for children and young people.
In summertime, the famous annual Jazz festival enjoys a world-wide following, and don't miss Malta's Arts festival which takes place during the first three weeks of July.
Another celebrated event is the Notte Bianca.
This is a night when Valetta's museums and cultural institutions keep their doors open to the public throughout the night, plus the streets come alive with a wealth of performance artists.
Next, Malta's annual carnival began in the 16th century and takes place today every year leading up to Ash Wednesday.
And as if this weren't enough, you must still then take in a local celebration known as a 'festa'.
Churches become elaborately decorated, with their bells ringing while full-size religious statues are paraded through the exquisitely decorated streets.
Local bands provide plenty of music, there's confetti in the air and many street parties.
The more noisy, colourful and musical the festa, the more each village is said to show keep its devotion to the local patron saint alive.
For visitors, this means an array of truly amazing spectacles every year.
The Maltese traditions are very much upheld and this also means that Malta holidays offer tourists a much better class of souvenir shopping.
Not far from Valletta, there is the Crafts Village at Ta Qali, where local artisans are renowned for hand-blown glassware.
Each glass piece is a one-off creation, testifying to centuries of skills passed from generation to generation.
The Stone workshop creates exquisite ornaments using local marble and there are also potters working with hand thrown ceramics.
Don't forget the famous hand-made lace, and intricate, hand-crafted sterling silver filigree jewellery.
Once you've taken in all this vibrant culture, you'll probably want to explore the quieter side of Malta holidays.
In 1998, the Catacombs Complexes were put forward for designation as a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site.
They are usually dated between the third and seventh century AD and they lie underneath the modern town of Rabat.
Next, it should be straightforward to book a (routine) appointment to see the highly elaborate burial chambers at the Tal-Minta catacombs of Mqabba.
Then, Paolo's Hypogeum is a fully listed UNESCO site dating from 3300-3000 BC.
Another highlight is the Inquisitors Palace built during the 15th century.
This is the only Inquisitor's Palace in the world today to allow normal public viewing.
Today, the Palace is home to the Museum of Ethnography and is famous for its elegant Baroque staircase connecting the ground and upper floors.
Finally, since you'll have been busy with all this activity, you can relax on a pristine beach.
Then again, since you're surrounded by the clear Mediterranean sea, you may as well get back into the swing of things and join in the water sports scene.
Malta has translucent, warm, waters throughout the year, so it's an absolute haven for divers and water sports fans.
For those who have never tried either before, there are good local facilities with friendly lessons for beginners.
When you're really are about ready to simply flop on your beach towel and soak up the rays, there's plenty of unspoilt beaches for you to take a good book to, chill out and see the boats sailing by.
You can start by drinking in the wealth of cultural attractions on offer in Valletta, move onto world heritage sites, join in colourful local 'festas', enjoy high quality shopping and finally immerse yourself in the local beach life.
Valletta is the home of the oldest theatre in Europe, the Manoel, and the contemporary St James Cavalier Creative Centre.
You'll find superb visual arts, cinema theatre, literature, music, and dedicated creative activities for children and young people.
In summertime, the famous annual Jazz festival enjoys a world-wide following, and don't miss Malta's Arts festival which takes place during the first three weeks of July.
Another celebrated event is the Notte Bianca.
This is a night when Valetta's museums and cultural institutions keep their doors open to the public throughout the night, plus the streets come alive with a wealth of performance artists.
Next, Malta's annual carnival began in the 16th century and takes place today every year leading up to Ash Wednesday.
And as if this weren't enough, you must still then take in a local celebration known as a 'festa'.
Churches become elaborately decorated, with their bells ringing while full-size religious statues are paraded through the exquisitely decorated streets.
Local bands provide plenty of music, there's confetti in the air and many street parties.
The more noisy, colourful and musical the festa, the more each village is said to show keep its devotion to the local patron saint alive.
For visitors, this means an array of truly amazing spectacles every year.
The Maltese traditions are very much upheld and this also means that Malta holidays offer tourists a much better class of souvenir shopping.
Not far from Valletta, there is the Crafts Village at Ta Qali, where local artisans are renowned for hand-blown glassware.
Each glass piece is a one-off creation, testifying to centuries of skills passed from generation to generation.
The Stone workshop creates exquisite ornaments using local marble and there are also potters working with hand thrown ceramics.
Don't forget the famous hand-made lace, and intricate, hand-crafted sterling silver filigree jewellery.
Once you've taken in all this vibrant culture, you'll probably want to explore the quieter side of Malta holidays.
In 1998, the Catacombs Complexes were put forward for designation as a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site.
They are usually dated between the third and seventh century AD and they lie underneath the modern town of Rabat.
Next, it should be straightforward to book a (routine) appointment to see the highly elaborate burial chambers at the Tal-Minta catacombs of Mqabba.
Then, Paolo's Hypogeum is a fully listed UNESCO site dating from 3300-3000 BC.
Another highlight is the Inquisitors Palace built during the 15th century.
This is the only Inquisitor's Palace in the world today to allow normal public viewing.
Today, the Palace is home to the Museum of Ethnography and is famous for its elegant Baroque staircase connecting the ground and upper floors.
Finally, since you'll have been busy with all this activity, you can relax on a pristine beach.
Then again, since you're surrounded by the clear Mediterranean sea, you may as well get back into the swing of things and join in the water sports scene.
Malta has translucent, warm, waters throughout the year, so it's an absolute haven for divers and water sports fans.
For those who have never tried either before, there are good local facilities with friendly lessons for beginners.
When you're really are about ready to simply flop on your beach towel and soak up the rays, there's plenty of unspoilt beaches for you to take a good book to, chill out and see the boats sailing by.
