Malta - Malta

This name is used by several places. More places with this name can be found at Malta (signpost).

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Capital	Valletta
Form of government	republic
currency	1 Euro (EUR) = 100 cents
surface	316 km²
population	397.000
languages	Maltese, English
Religions	Roman Catholic 98%
power grid	240 V / 50 Hz
Phone code	356
Internet TLD	.mt
Time zone	ME (S) Z

Malta is a densely populated small state in the Mediterranean Sea consisting of the main island of Malta and three other islands. He has been a member of the European Union since 2004. On the area of ​​316 km² (of which 246 km² are on the main island and 67 km² on Gozo) live 420,000 inhabitants.

The archipelago is about 90 km south of the coast Sicily and a little further south than the Tunisian capital.

Regions

In addition to the main island, Malta also consists of the islands

• Gozo
• Comino: Comino has a population of less than 10 people.
• Cominetto
• Filfla: Access to the island of Filfla is not allowed, so no people live there.

Politically, Malta is divided into six districts:

• District Gozo and Comino

region Malta Majjistral (North West - Malta)

• Western District with i.a. Mdina, Rabat, Attard, Dingli, Siġġiewi and Żebbuġ
• Northern District With Mellieħa, St. Paul's Bay, Mosta and Naxxar
• Northern Harbor District With Sliema, St. Julian's, Birkirkara, Qormi, San Ġwann and Ħamrun, extends from the northwest around Marsamxett Harbor north of Valletta

region Malta Xlokk (Southeast - Malta)

• South Eastern District in the southeast of the island with i.a. Birżebbuġa, Marsascala, Żejtun and Żurrieq
• Southern Harbor District, mainly includes the cities around the Grand Harbor of Valletta to the southeast, i.a. Floriana, Tarxien, as well as the "three Cities" with Birgu (Vittoriosa), Bormla and Senglea.

Cities

Malta Gozo Comino

The cities around the capital Valletta have grown together so that a large city with around 300,000 inhabitants has emerged. In some cases, the individual places are only separated by a street and for non-locals they merge without any recognizable demarcation (such as quarters), the bus network and various ferry connections connect the different places. The largest city is Birkirkara with around 23,000 inhabitants, the best shopping opportunities are in Sliema.

• Valletta, the capital district at the tip of the peninsula between the two docks
• Sliema
• Birkirkara
• Vittoriosa (Birgu)

Outside the region of the greater Valetta area are separate cities:

• Mdina, the walled old island capital
• Rabat, the sister city of Mdina
• Qormi
• Mosta
• San Pawl il-Baħar (St. Paul's Bay with Qawra and Buggiba)
• Mellieħa

Other goals

On Malta itself are the following Tourist Attractions worth mentioning:

megalithic temple of Hagar Qim

megalith. Temple of Mnajdra

Golden Bay

• Hypogeum by Hal Saflieni in Paola - Book prehistoric underground temples that were excavated between 1914 and 1919 well in advance as they are often fully booked. Online booking via: Heritage Malta Shop.
• Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples at Qrendi
• Valletta (World Heritage) - the capital, surrounded by fortresses, built by the Knights of St. John in 1565.
• The Three Cities - Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea (L'Isla) and Bormla (Cospicua)
• Sant 'Anton gardens at Attard
• Buskett Gardens - Forest created by the Johannites with an adjoining summer palace.
• Mdina - the walled former capital of the island
• Catacombs of Rabat
• Dingli Cliffs
• Blue Grotto on the south coast Qrendi - accessible by boat.
• Mosta with the "Rotunda" with the mighty one dome
• Red Tower in Marfa Ridge at Mellieħa
• Fish market in Marsaxlokk on Sunday morning

and on the neighboring island Gozo

• Ggantija temple complex - almost 6,000 year old cult site

In the following places is swimming in the sea possible on rocky beaches:

• Sliema (Rocky beach)
• St. Julian's with the small sandy bay and beach St. Georges Bay
• Bugibba and Qawra each with rocky beaches.

Sandy beaches can be found in

• Marsascala
• in the northwest sandy beaches of the Gnejna Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha, Golden Bay
• Mellieħa Bay, north of the village
• as well as in the north of the island the Paradise Bay and Armier Bay.

The most beautiful sandy beach, however, is on the neighboring island Gozo and is called Ramla Bay.

Another bathing opportunity arises in the summer in between Gozo and Malta lying Blue Lagoon on the island Comino. In summer, small ferries, excursion boats and speedboats regularly go to this popular swimming spot. The fare with the ferry is around 7 euros for a return trip.

Organized Boat trips offer numerous tour operators that you can book in much more numerous small agencies on the island. Most famous and most expensive is Captain Morgan, which also has its own fleet of ships. For bus tours, however, there are numerous cheaper providers (Silverstar, Maltarama, nova, etc.), some of which offer the same service for half the price. However, none of them have leased the reliability. You always have to expect significant delays when picking up the bus or even a cancellation of the tours.

background

Blue Grotto

geography

Malta is approx. 27 km long and a maximum of 14.5 km wide and lies 90 kilometers south of Sicily. The island's capital, Valletta, is to the south of Tunis, the capital Tunisia. The highest point in Malta is 253 meters high and is located near the Dingli Cliffs in the southwest.

Malta is separated into a southern and a northern part by the Victoria Lines drawn by the English in the 19th century. Most of the people live in the southern part of the island.

Almost the entire island is surrounded by a rocky coast, some of the sandy beaches mentioned here are only a few meters long.

The landscape is determined by the agave, carob tree, prickly pear and fan tree.

history

Grand Harbor near Valletta

Mdina: St. Paul's Cathedral

Red Tower (Marfa Ridge)

Malta has a checkered history behind it, which is characterized by constantly changing conquerors coming from the sea.

The first traces of settlement come from Stone Age settlers. In the fourth millennium BC, numerous gigantic temples were built on Malta, the history of which is in the dark. Around 2,500 BC, the island was apparently left without fighting. the temple culture has perished.

After 2,500 BC. the island was repopulated, necropolises and ceramic finds were found from the Bronze Age culture. Around 800 BC A port and trading post of the Phoenicians was established in Malta, their name goes back to the consonants "M-L-T" of the Phoenician consonant writing. The Phoenicians as seafaring people mingled with the local population who adopted Phoenician customs and deities.

The settlement on Malta was in contact with the Phoenician foundations of Carthage and the other Phoenician (or Punic) colonies Sicily and also maintained an exchange with Greek cities. The Punians used Malta as a base against the Hellenic expansion Sicily and also succeeded in attempting the occupation by Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse to prevent.

In the first punic war between Carthage and Rome 264 - 241, Malta remained in the hands of the Carthaginians as a base of the Carthaginian troops, only in the second Punic War around 217 BC the island came under Roman rule. The Romans built Städt in on the island now called "Melita" Mdina and Victoria in Gozo and built an irrigation system. The port facilities were expanded and served as a Roman naval base, settled veterans led to the increasing Romanization of the island. According to legend, the apostle Paul, who was to be brought to the trial in Rome with a Roman escort, was shipwrecked off the island. Paul is supposed to stay in a cave for three months Rabat lived, which is now a place of pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the Roman governor and the first inhabitants of Malta converted to Christianity. From the first time of the persecution of the new religion to the 4th century. the catacombs that were used for prayer meetings and as necropolis come from - Malta has had an uninterrupted Christian tradition ever since. After the division of the empire in AD 395 and the invasion of the Ostrogoths in AD 494. The Eastern Roman Empire recaptured the islands under the general Belisarius and they came under the rule of Byzantium.

After the expansion of Arab rule, the island was initially able to resist Sicily Had fallen under Arab rule, the Arabs took the islands around 904. The Byzantine inhabitants were partly murdered or driven out, partly they were subject to special taxes but still tolerated in the country, the catacombs became the place of practice of the Christian faith again. Under Arab rule, the port facilities were expanded and part of the capital was surrounded by fortress walls (today's Mdina), the suburb Rabat remained unpaved.

In the following centuries parallels to the history of Sicily can be found: the Norman King Roger I occupied Malta, a diocese was established and fiefs were granted, and due to the childlessness of the last ruler of the Normans, the island passed to the Stauffer King Frederick II. He had an Arab uprising put down on the island, the "Saracens" were driven from the island or forced to convert to the Christian faith. Similar to Sicily, the house of Anjou and later, after the sea sex off Malta, the Spanish house of Anjou alternated in rule.

In 1429 a Turkish naval force tried to conquer the island as an important naval base. There are legends surrounding the fighting, the arrival of reinforcement troops and their overestimation by the Turkish invaders is likely to owe the victory of the Maltese population.

In 1530, Malta became of the island by a papal bull to the Rhodes (where he had not been able to assert himself so successfully against the onslaught of the Turks) Order of the Johanniter assigned. As a result, the Grand Harbor, the port of Valetta and also the first capital that was relocated to the port under the Hospitallers Birgu the construction of the enormous forts and fortifications, which still dominate the architecture of the cities of Malta today. In 1565 the Turks stood again with 40,000 men before Malta, for the capture of Fort St. Elmo as the first fort before Valetta they paid in the first great Maltese siege an enormous toll in blood. With reinforcements from Sicily approaching in time, the Maltese troops succeeded in victory and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire to the west, reinforced by the Knights of the Order. Under the leadership of the Order of St. John, the city became under the Italian architect Francesco Laparelli Valetta Built with enormous fortress walls and chessboard-like streets as the new capital, it was named in honor of Grand Master Jean de la Valette. The order of knights ruled the island until 1798, before Napoleon seized the island as a base on his campaign on the Suez Canal to Egypt.

But French rule lasted only two years before the English, under Lord Nelson, were summoned by the Maltese to help in response to the enormous looting of the French. In 1814, Malta became an English crown colony and this was to be the case for 150 years until it gained independence from England Stay in 1964.
Due to its strategic location, Malta as England's "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the Mediterranean Sea was badly damaged by German bombs in heavy permanent bombing edements during World War II, so that many buildings around the port fell victim to the bombing. The population of Malta received from King George VI. In recognition of his perseverance, he was awarded the George Cross, which still adorns the flag of Malta after independence. The capital Valletta was almost completely rebuilt according to old original plans after the Second World War.

In 1964, Malta was granted independence by Great Britain and remained in the Commonwealth under the English crown until the introduction of the parliamentary republic in 1974. After an interlude of political rapprochement with Russia and Libya, Maltese politics turned back to Western Europe in the 1980s and the country became a member of the EU in 2004.

The "Maltese cross" omnipresent on souvenirs is next to the red and white coat of arms - very similar to the flag of Denmark - the coat of arms of the Order of St. John resp. of Sovereign Knights and Hospital Orders of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta. The fact that the order of knights, which is considered to be a "sovereign subject of international law" and has its own currency, postal authority and diplomatic missions, could try again to gain influence and sovereignty in Malta leads to some skepticism among the Maltese population.

getting there

Airport Malta Luqa in the morning sun

Malta International Luqa

Catamaran ferry "Jean de la Valette" in the port of Valetta

Entry requirements

Since Malta has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of persons was signed on December 21, 2007, an identity card is sufficient for entry from the Schengen area or an identity card for Swiss citizens.

By plane

Scheduled flights of the national airline Air Malta, numerous other airlines and also low-cost airlines fly the 35.857514.4775Malta airport(IATA: MLA) near Luqa in the south of the island, an overview of the airlines currently flying to Malta Website of the airport. For example, the flight from Frankfurt to Malta takes about 2 1/2 hours.

ferry

Between Pozzallo on the south coast of Sicily and Valetta there is a ferry connection with a Catamaran - fast ferry of Maltese society VirtuFerriesthat transports people as well as motor vehicles; the crossing takes just under two hours. Trips are carried out on Mon, Wed, Fri and on weekends once or twice a day, the timetables are more geared towards day trips from Malta to Sicily. From Pozzalo there is a bus connection to Catania.

mobility

See also:Mobility in Malta

Former public bus ...

... and one of the new ones used from 2011

Malta rules Left-hand traffic, The streets are often narrow and the traffic routing on the partly double-lane roundabouts with the Mediterranean traffic temperament of the other road users is at least challenging! After heavy rains in the winter months, the streets outside the urban region around Valetta can be flooded, as the sewer system cannot absorb the runoff. It should be noted that many petrol stations are closed on Sundays, although it is increasingly possible to pay at the banknote machine.

There are two types of in Malta Taxis. The white and also more expensive taxis can be found at the taxi stand. The cheaper black taxis can only be ordered (by telephone). 10 kilometers cost around 14 euros, a half-day trip can be done for around 40 euros.

There is a well-developed one in Malta Public transportation. In July 2011, the bus traffic was taken over by the operating company "Arriva" and the old centralized bus system with concessionaires with their partly historic vehicles was abolished. The historic Maltese buses were replaced by 264 new air-conditioned vehicles, some of the newly acquired articulated buses proved unsuitable for the narrow road conditions in the capital area and soon had to be taken out of service. After the operating company incurred a major loss, the bus system was taken over by the Ministry of Transport at the end of 2013:

Type is group designation

There are two companies on the island "Sightseeing hop on - hop off" Bus routes offered with open-topped double-decker buses: Malta sightseeing and City Sightseeing Malta. Tourist information about the sights is available via headphones. Both companies offer two round trips each for the island of Malta (north and south route), as well as one or two round trips for Gozo. The operators sometimes use the same and sometimes different stops, which can lead to confusion. The tickets are not mutually recognized. The "red line" of the Malta sightseeing runs from Valetta via Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto to the south of the island of Gozo, the "blue line" serves the sights in the northwest of the greater Valletta area, the "yellow line" runs to the center of the island to Mosta, Mdina and Rabat. The prices are € 20 each.

The (blue) "North Route (T1)" of the City sightseeing runs from Buggiba / St. Pauls Bay via Valletta and Mdina / Rabat, the (red) "South Route (T2)" from St. Julians via Valletta, Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto / Hagar Qim. A complete round trip of a line takes about 3 hours. The prices are 20.00 / 12.00 € (adults / children 5-14 years) for the one-day ticket, 37.00 / 17.00 € for the two-day ticket.

For some time now you can also get to Malta with the Seaplane discover. The HarbourAir Malta flies several times a day from Grand Harbor in Valletta to Mgarr on Gozo and also offers sightseeing flights for € 88, where you can see the interesting geology of Malta. Attention: The seaplane company has now suspended all flights until further notice!

There used to be one too Rail connection between Mdina and Valetta. This only rail connection was discontinued in 1931, so that one is dependent on other means of transport. A relic from this time can still be admired in the San Anton Gardens in Attard.

language

Since Malta was an English colony until 1964, English is the official language alongside Maltese. Malta offers a popular destination for language travel with numerous language schools. The official language, Italian, was abolished in the 1930s.

The Maltese language is a Semitic language and therefore very similar to Arabic, peppered with borrowings from French, Italian and English. The language is the only Semitic language written in Latin letters. In Gozo, a language closely related to Maltese is spoken with its own expressions. Every Maltese learns English in school. Private schools even use English as the language of instruction. But for many it remains a foreign language. If you want to talk in English in Malta, you have to be prepared for a more or less strong accent of your counterpart.

to buy

Kiosk in the center of Valetta

The euro has been the official currency in Malta since January 1, 2008; the former Maltese lira is equivalent to 2.33 euros.

Malta has relatively few supermarkets. It is the land of small shops that can be found by the thousands on the island. Regardless of the strong Catholic character, even on Sundays and public holidays, the shop opening times are much longer than e.g. in Germany, especially the smaller shops sometimes have the longest opening times. While many larger shops and supermarkets often close at 7:00 p.m., the small shops are often open until 9:00 p.m. - the best Shopping can be found in Sliema or in Valletta on Republic Street, which starts at the old train station. Paying with major credit cards is possible in most shops and restaurants. The supply of ATMs is comparable to Germany.

Malta is not a shopping paradise. Due to the fact that most of the food and raw materials have to be imported, the food prices are comparable to the German-speaking countries, sometimes slightly cheaper.
Glassware from local glass factories, Maltese wine or olive oil are most suitable as souvenirs if you dare to take it home (observe hand luggage rules for liquids, or only buy them after checking from the airport). Maltese euro coins delight coin collectors.

kitchen

Kinnie - national drink in Malta

More on this topic under Eating and drinking in Malta

The cuisine of Malta is vegetable-oriented and influenced by the English-Italian. The national drink is Kinnie, a lemonade made from bitter oranges and spices without alcohol, which tastes similar to martini.

As for Maltese cuisine, the long British colonial era has unfortunately done a great job. There are only a few restaurants that offer classic dishes. Due to the geographical proximity to Sicily and the Muslim occupation times, the original Maltese cuisine is geared towards spicy pasta and hearty puff pasta. And if there is any traditional dish in Malta, it is rabbit ("fenek").

Almost everywhere, in addition to the sandwiches owed to the English tradition, there are mostly also open sandwiches Ftira-Breads, especially with tuna and capers. Pastizzi, Dumplings with a filling of ricotta, spinach or peas are a suitable snack between meals. Timpana, a type of lasagna with tubular noodles, vegetables, cheese and some ham is also common.

Since Malta was a British colony until 1964, sausages with bacon and ham are still part of a good Maltese breakfast today. Fish soup is also traditional Aljotta with garlic, pepperoni, tomatoes, rice and chopped marjoram or parsley. The national fish is the golden mackerel (lampuki).^[1]

nightlife

Qawra by night

In the tourist areas there are a large number of restaurants and pubs where there is something for every taste. Away from the tourist areas, however, it becomes difficult to find what you want.

The center of nightlife in general St. Julian's and Paceville. Numerous dance halls, night clubs and bars can be found here. At the weekend it is very noisy here until the early hours of the morning.

Cafés in Paceville (St. Julian's)

• A piece of cake, Triq Il-Wilga. The cheapest cappuccino is definitely offered here (LM 0.55 = € 1.38), and it is also a popular meeting place for language students.last change: not specified

• Cesar's cafe, Portomaso Marina. Huge selection of ice cream flavors and combinations, beautiful view of the Portomaso Marina (yacht harbor).last change: not specified

accommodation

In almost all larger towns you can find at least one hotel. Naturally, the largest selection is found in the tourist regions by the sea, as in Bugibba, Sliema or St. Julian's. There is something suitable for almost every budget in the two to five star hotels. If you want to live in St. Julian's, you should keep in mind that you should definitely not expect quiet nights there. If you like to go around the houses at night, you are in the right place. Private accommodation is usually only bookable with an English course, and there are many original and beautifully restored self-catering farmhouses in Malta, and especially Gozo. Many of these farmhouses even have a pool.

Learn

Malta is the country of language travel! Since English is the official language, you can choose your English course from over 40 language schools. The performance of the language schools is generally okay, but one should be aware that the schools are designed to improve existing English skills. You are not prepared if someone cannot speak English at all. The schools are often much larger than they appear in the photos on the Internet and usually have several branches. Stiftung Warentest has published several test reports on language travel: [1] and [2].

public holidays

security

Malta is a safe travel destination due to its island location, of course - as in any holiday destination - you should still watch your pockets. There is significantly less tourist ruff than in other classic travel countries. With taxi drivers you should make sure that the taximeter is switched on or negotiate the price of the journey beforehand.

health

There is on Malta and on Gozo a total of two state and some private hospitals and health centers. Many hotels and diving centers also work directly with a doctor. The statutory health insurance companies cover treatment costs within the framework of the EU agreement. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a provisional replacement certificate should be obtained from your health insurance company before you travel. A private foreign health insurance with the possibility of repatriation is advisable in any case. These cost between € 20 and € 40 per year, depending on how many family members are also insured.

climate

Mdina (in spring)

Malta has a subtropical Mediterranean climate.
Temperatures of up to 45 degrees can also be reached in summer. But there is often a more or less strong wind that makes the heat more bearable in summer, but one is often grateful for air conditioning in the accommodation, which makes the heat bearable. Rain hardly ever falls once in summer.

Most of the rainfall occurs between November and January, in the winter months the sea water cools down below bathing temperature from November onwards, frost days or even snowfall are extremely rare. In Maltese houses it can get uncomfortably cool at this time of year, as the buildings are often poorly insulated and there is no central heating.

The vegetation is in full bloom in the spring months (March / April), but then frequent rain showers must be expected.

respect

Swimming.

When visiting churches, the shoulders are to be covered, cloaks are usually provided at the entrance to the places of worship. Nudism or topless bathing is not tolerated in Malta.

Post and Telecommunications

Telephone booth in Malta

Since Malta is part of the EU, the domestic tariff from D or A can be used at home without roaming charges since June 15, 2017. There are numerous options for Internet access everywhere, either in dedicated Internet telephone booths or in Internet cafés. There are also some WiFi hotspots, including at the airport or in selected hotels. There is an app from the Malta Communications Authority (Android), which shows you where to find free hotspots.

Postage for letters within Malta and postcards to all of Europe is a uniform 37 cents, letters to other European countries cost 82 cents, and the Maltese post office delivers quickly and reliably.

Practical advice

Commonwealth plug

The earlier colonial days of Malta also affects that Sockets off, the "Commonwealth Type G sockets" with three rectangular pins are used. As a special feature, there is often an on / off switch on the sockets themselves and the plugs have a fuse inside, both of which must be checked in the event of problems with the power supply.

An adapter for English sockets should be carried with you or purchased on site. It should be noted that many multi-travel adapters are equipped with an internal fuse, which blows when a device with a higher output (hairdryer, kettle) is connected. The "Euro plug type C" may fit in sockets for shavers, but only small consumers may be connected here due to the very low level of fused power.

In some better hotels there are also Schuko sockets in the room.

trips

From Malta you can take day trips to Sicily 90 minutes away on the fast catamaran ferry. The highlight here is a visit to the Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Bus tours lead up to around 1,900 meters, from there you continue by cable car to 2,500 meters. From here you can get to just below the crater rim by all-terrain bus and mountain guide. With organized tours, however, there is no time for this unless you disconnect. On such an excursion, either Taormina or Modica controlled. In Modica, the chocolate shops that offer unusual chocolate in numerous flavors are interesting.

Web links

• Malta Tourism Authority website (in German)
• An overview of the different generations of Fortifications on Malta

Individual evidence

This is a useful article. There are still some places where information is missing. If you have something to add be brave and complete them.

35 ° 54 ′ N. 14 ° 24 ′ E