With over 6,000 years of history, Malta is a cash cow when it concerns locations to visit. As a matter of fact, every town and town on the Maltese Islands, has something interesting to discover. Prior to planning your visit to Malta, it is a good idea to note all the major tourist destinations and enjoyable locations to go to, so as not to miss them.
1. Valletta, the capital city Valletta is the capital city of Malta and is named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, a French nobleman who was Grand Master of the Order of St. John and leader of the protectors throughout the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565. After the fantastic siege of 1565, the Order of St. John chose to discovered a brand-new city on the Xiberras Peninsula so as to strengthen their position in Malta. The city was designed by Francesco Laparelli, while much of the most crucial structures were built by Gerolamo Cassar. Valletta was one of the earliest websites engraved by UNESCO on the World Heritage list and is regarded as the world's first planned community.
2. St. John Cathedral Area: Republic Street, Valletta. St. John's Cathedral was constructed in between 1573 and 1578 on a style by Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar. The flooring is completely taken by knight's graves all having intricately inlaid marble in various colours. The cathedral was mostly embellished by another Italian artist and a knight himself, Mattia Preti in the 17th Century, who designed the intricate sculpted stone walls, all done on website, and painted the vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St John.
3. Mdina, the silent city The word Mdina is stemmed from the Arabic word 'medina' which implies 'city'. It was first created as such by the Romans when they separated it from the rest of the town which became Rabat, which means Residential area, and strengthened it. Mdina was currently the principal settlement of the Phoenician around 3,000 years ago and up till the arrival of the Knights of St. John in the mid 1500's, it was Additional reading the capital of Malta. Today Mdina is a major traveler attraction acknowledged globally as an essential UNESCO heritage site and is the seat of the Maltese bishop.
4. Ggantija Temples Location: Temples Street, Xaghra. The Ggantija Forehead ('place of giants') is the very best maintained and the oldest free-standing structure in the world. It includes 2 megalithic temples surrounded by an enormous typical border wall. The temples were cleared around 1826 and include two Neolithic temples going back to 3,500 B.C.
5. Heaven Lagoon Place: Comino. The Blue Lagoon lies along the coast of Comino, the little island which lies in between Malta and Gozo. The lagoon enjoys crisp, clear, blue-green waters that are absolutely best for swimming. At both sides of the lagoon there are small sandy beaches and a variety of intriguing rocky beaches to explore.
6. St. Paul's Catacombs Place: St. Agatha Street, Rabat. St. Paul's catacombs is a maze of narrow passages, and includes really intriguing carvings. The Roman cemetery was located on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Mdina, as the Roman law prohibited burials within the city. The characteristic function of the Maltese catacombs is the presence of round tables called "agape tables" carved from stone with slanting sides on which mourners reclined to participate in a goodbye repast. St Paul's Catacombs represent the earliest and largest historical proof of Christianity in Malta and was cleared and investigated in 1894 by Dr. A.A. Caruana, the leader of Christian archaeology in Malta.
7. Mosta Dome Place: Mosta. The Mosta Dome is the 3rd largest unsupported dome in Europe and is devoted to the Presumption. It was developed between 1832 and 1863 around Mosta's previous parish church which was then demolished and highlighted stone by stone, through the doorways of the spectacular brand-new edifice. The Mosta Dome is an architectural work of art differentiated by the splendour of its 67 metre high cupola and neo-classic façade embellished by iconic columns. The church got away damage in the 2nd World War when an afternoon air-raid on the 9th of April 1942 saw a 200kg bomb penetrating the dome and landed on the mosaic flooring where 300 individuals were gathered in prayer. The bomb failed to explode and a reproduction of the bomb is now on display screen in the church.
8. Hal Saflieni Hypogeum Area: Burial Street, Paola. Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a subterranean structure excavated around 3,600 B.C. and includes a system of caves, passages and cubicles cut into the stone, comparable to the interiors of megalithic temples. It is the only ancient underground temple in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage. To ensure its conservation, the site's microclimate is strictly regulated. For this factor, the site is open to a maximum of 80 visitors each day.
9. Blue Grotto Place: Zurrieq. Heaven Grotto is the most well-known cave in Malta, with its deep waters displaying splendid spectacular colours, varying from turquoise to deep blue. Situated near the village of Zurrieq in the south west of Malta, the 43-metre (140-foot) high cavern is hollowed out of the cliff rockface. The waters around the limestone caverns and archways are said to be at their most impressive in the morning when the sun's rays glimmer through the opening to the grotto. The cavern was given its English name by British soldiers who thought that its blue waters looked like the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) in Capri. To get to the grotto, visitors have to take a trip by boat.
10. Hagar Qim Temples Location: Hagar Qim Street, Qrendi. Hagar Qim temple was excavated for the first time in 1839. The megalithic temples date from what is known as the Ggantija stage around 3,400 B.C. and are approximated to be one thousand years older than the pyramids at Giza. The temples are constructed of globigerina limestone rock, some towering six metres (20ft) high, and weighing around 20 tonnes. The complex is an impressive maze of corridors, chambers, specific niches and altars, all took of stone utilizing flint. On the early morning of the summer solstice, sunlight travels through a hole known as the 'oracle hole' and fills the apse of the temple.