MALTA
Small Mediterranean Island with a Big History

By Tom Bross

The island of Malta is situated smack-dab in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is certain to have a long history marked by cultural crosscurrents—a centuries-old flow of successive civilizations and their overlapping influences. Which makes Malta more than just another vacationers archipelago blessed with predominantly warm, pleasant weather.

Delving into the turbulent, multi-faceted history should be part of any Maltese travel agenda, not just for scholarly types but sunbathing-swimming-shopping enthusiasts as well. For a stirring intro, presented in capital-city Valletta's Mediterranean Conference Center's theater, there is the 45-minute wide-screen film production entitled The Malta Experience, shown several times daily.

History
Earliest settlement goes way, way back—approximately 7,000 years, beginning with wanderers who ventured southward from Sicily. Archaeologists estimate that at least 40 Neolithic temples were built between 5200 and 2500 B.C. Several of these intriguing complexes, used for sacrificial fertility rituals and consisting of awesomely huge slabs of stone, remain. They're the world's oldest free-standing structures.

Venerable Valetta
One of the world's smallest national capitals is also one of the worldÕs mightiest fortified cities, a densely populated peninsula inside high walls and parapets topped by watch towers. They're constructed of cream-colored limestone and sandstone, quarried throughout the centuries and seen everywhere in towns and the hilly, terraced countryside. The barricades are dramatically floodlit at night. Valetta was built from scratch, intended as a strategic bastion

Activities
Considering the climate, terrain and clear water, Malta and its neighboring islands have much to offer active travelers. Diving and snorkeling, for example, are world-class in such places as Comino's Blue Lagoon—and jeep safaris can be arranged for small groups.

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