The
strategic position of Malta, Gozo
and Comino has made these islands,
located south of Sicily in the
Mediterranean, a crossroad of history.
You might recognise the Maltese
Cross? It is the insignia of the
Knights of Malta who were in charge
of the islands for 270 years, building
magnificent churches and monuments
before losing power to Napoleon
and the French empire in 1889.
The two official languages of the
Republic are Maltese and English,
leftover from about 160 years of
British colonization and then remaining
in the Commonwealth when it became
independent in 1964.
An abundance of archaeological
finds to discover, recent research
has shown that the earliest Neolithic
temples on Malta are about 1,000
years older than the famous pyramids
of Giza. On the north side of the
island lie Malta’s most beautiful
beaches including Mellieha Bay,
Paradise Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha and
Golden Sands. With its clear water
and temperatures averaging 23° C,
diving is a favorite attraction
with sites to discover from reefs
to wartime shipwrecks. Malta's
nightlife is mainly located in
the central part of Malta, namely
around St Julian's and Sliema,
two suburbs of Valletta. Choose
from one of the wide range of excellent
restaurants and don’t forget
to try to Maltese wine. Malta is
also well known for its handcrafted
lace, glass blowing and local pottery.
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Flights
to Malta can be found from over
20 UK airports including all major
airports.Flights to Malta from
London Heathrow will take just
over 3 hours with up to 14 flights
a week and from London Gatwick
13 flights a week. Air Malta also
operates regular scheduled flights
from Manchester, Birmingham and
Glasgow.
A regular ro-ro ferry service
carries passengers and cars between
Malta and Gozo. The trip takes
about 30 minutes.
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