Tuesday 4 December 2012

Must-See Malta

This is almost certainly The Last Post About Malta.  I just want to sum up.

I was very nervous about going on holiday but actually for the most part I enjoyed myself and didn’t run into any trouble.


Although I did run into this freaky 3D Van Gogh.
I get embarrassed having my picture taken which is why they're never funny, even when it would clearly be so easy to be silly.  Sorry.

Overall I liked Malta.  The weather was just right, not hot but not cold.  I didn’t have trouble eating.  Everyone is bilingual English so it’s easy to communicate.  The bus service is excellent.  It felt safe.

So if you happen to find yourself jetting off to Malta, these are the tourist attractions I would definitely recommend:

Hastings Gardens (free) in Valletta for the views.  Good if you like castles (and gardens).

Casa Rocca Piccola (€9.00) in Valletta to see lots of historical curios and an air raid shelter; lots of variety here and a good tour.  Good if you like history and stately homes.  Tours are on the hour.

The Roman Domus (€6.00) in Rabat for Roman artefacts; a well-labelled museum with some wonderfully preserved pieces.  Good if you like history and museums.

The Malta At War Museum (€8.00) in Vittoriosa/Birgu for the underground air raid tunnels.  Museum itself isn’t great, apart from the genuine WWII film, but the tunnels are a must see for anyone with the slightest interest in the war, or who just wants to get a bit creeped out.

St Paul’s Catacombs (€5.00) in Rabat for creepy underground tunnels of doom.  Good if you want to scare the pants off yourself or if you like underground stuff, and history I suppose.  You MUST borrow the free audio guide at the start so you know what you are looking at.

National Museum of Archaeology (€5.00) in Valletta for some astoundingly detailed artwork and stuff from ancient times; some of the museum is quite boring but some of the artefacts really opened The Mind, so while mixed, overall a must-see.  Good if you like history (and art, I suppose) and museums.  Definitely go here BEFORE visiting any of the ancient temple sites.

Upper Barracca Gardens (free) in Valletta to see the noonday firing of the cannon in the Saluting Battery.  Only worth it if you want to see a cannon get fired, although there is a beautiful view of the sea too.

The National War Museum (€6.00) in Valletta to see World War II artefacts including Faith, one of four old biplanes that protected Malta, and the George Cross awarded to the entire island for bravery.  For WWII history buffs, only worth it if you really enjoy museums, but there is a lot packed in to a small space.

Prince Alfred’s Courtyard of The Grand Master’s Palace (free) in Valletta to see the huge stone lions hiding behind the trees.  It’ll only take a minute, but it’s quite atmospheric.

See The More Detailed Posts of what I saw in:

There.  Done.

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