🇲🇹 Malta

Hej! I share an extract of my experience of visiting inviting Malta. I was there in the spring of 2025. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and also does not cover all the wonderful local attributes and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Valletta, Birgu, St. Paul’s Bay, Rabat, Mdina, Mellieħa.

🏛 Top sights visited:

1. Valletta
   • Tritons’ Fountain (Il-Funtana tat-Tritoni)
   • St. John’s Co-Cathedral (Kon-Katidral ta’ San Ġwann)
   • Republic Street (Triq ir-Repubblika)
   • The Upper Barrakka Gardens (Il-Barrakka ta’ Fuq)
   • Republic Square (Misraħ ir-Repubblika)
   • Fort St. Elmo (Forti Sant’Iermu)
   • The Basilica of St. Dominic (Il-Bażilika ta’ San Duminku)
   • Valletta Boat Taxi (Taxi tal-Ilma)
2. Birgu
   • Fort St. Angelo (Forti Sant’Anġlu)
   • Xatt il-Forn (Xatt il-Forn)
   • Victory Square (Pjazza i-Vitorja)
   • The Collegiate church of Saint Lawrence (Knisja Kolleġġjata ta’ San Lawrenz)
   • Collachio (Collachio)
3. St. Paul’s Bay
   • Buġibba Temple (Tempju ta’ Buġibba)
   • The Malta Classic Car Collection (The Malta Classic Car Collection)
   • It-Trunciera Street (Triq it-Trunciera)
4. Rabat
   • St Paul’s Catacombs (Il-Katakombi ta’ San Pawl)
   • The Basilica of St. Paul (Il-Bażilika Kolleġġjata u Proto-Parrokkjali ta’ San Pawl)
   • Casino Notabile (Il-Casino Notabile)
5. Mdina
   • Mdina Gate (Il-Bieb tal-Imdina)
   • Vilhena Palace (Il-Palazz De Vilhena)
   • St. Paul’s Cathedral (Il-Katidral Metropolitan ta’ San Pawl)
   • Mesquita Square (Pjazza Mesquita)
   • Casa Gourgion (Casa Gourgion)
6. Mellieħa
   • The Parish Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Knisja Parrokjali tat-Twelid tal-Vergni Marija)
   • Cave Dwellings (Għerien tat-Trogloditi)
   • Popeye Village (Popeye Village)

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇲🇹 AIDAN (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇲🇹 Mike Spiteri (singer). Genre: retro-pop
• 🇲🇹 Fabrizio Faniello (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇲🇹 Ira Losco (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Gianluca Bezzina (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Chiara Siracusa (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Emma Muscat (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Olivia Lewis (singer). Genre: pop

🥘 Local food & drinks:

• Ġbejna Cheese (Ġbejna Friski)
• Pastizzi (Pastizzi)
  • Pastizzi with Curried Peas (Pastizzi tal-Piżelli)
  • Pastizzi with Ricotta (Pastizzi tal-Ħaxu)
  • Pastizzi with Chicken (Pastizzi tat-Tigieg)
• Ftira (Ftira)
• Aljotta (Aljotta)
• Maltese Rabbit Stew (Stuffat tal-Fenek)
• Braġjoli (Braġjoli)
• Imqaret (Imqaret)
• Figolla (Figolla)
• Maltese Bitterwseet Soda (Brand: “Kinnie”)

🎬 Local movies:

• Luzzu (Luzzu). Year: 2021. Genre: drama

🪔 Authentic artifacts:

• Maltese Village Festa (Festa)
• Għana Folk Singing (Għana)
• Luzzu Boats (Luzzu)
• Maltese Megalithic Temples (Tempji Megalitiċi)
• Maltese Traditional Balconies (Gallariji Tradizzjonali Maltin)
• Il-Passju Game (Il-Passju)
• The Heritage of the Hospitaller Malta (Żmien il-Kavallieri / Status Monasticus Ordinis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani)

💐 National flower: Maltese Centaury (Widnet il-Baħar)

🦉 Local wisdom: “Bil-flus tagħmel triq fil-baħar iżda ma tixtrix il-ġenna” / “With money you can make a path in the sea, but you cannot buy a place in heaven.” — Maltese proverb

👨‍🎓 The oldest university: The University of Malta (L-Università ta’ Malta), Msida, est. 1592.