One journey, three islands. Turquoise water is just the beginning

Turquoise water in the Blue Lagoon bay on the island of Comino in the Archipelago of Maltese Islands is not only a slogan from a tourist folder. Its bluted green shade literally cuts off from deeper water in a darker color. You can see it from the aircraft window when we are approaching the airport.

But there are other colors to discover in Malta – honey facades of buildings, white salt and marble in baroque churches.

Because even if we were tempted by offers for rest in hotels with a sea view or majestic cliffs, we pass the history of three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. They are relatively small – the first has a number of inhabitants similar to Gdańsk, the second – to Kołobrzeg, and on Comino … one family lives.

When we stop at the viewpoint at the bay of Xwejni Bay na Gozo, we immediately see one of the places most photographed on it – shallow natural “compartments” grooved in the rocks, looking like a chessboard field, i.e. salt pads. Local residents support the tradition of salt extraction that has over three centuries, emerging by evaporation. This is a tourist attraction in which the island’s long past is reflected. Even in the times of ancient Rome, salt was a valuable commodity.

Valletta, a stunning baroque

Salt sea water strikes the rocks of Rocky Beach beach, a fragment of the coast at the foot of Fort St. Elmo in the capital of the island – Valletta. The knights of the Maltese order – present on the island since 1530, after losing his headquarters to Rhodes, they moved their headquarters from the city of Birgu.

Today, Valletta – the smallest capital of Europe located on the peninsula cutting into the sea is a wealth of baroque architecture and 320 monuments.

When we visit the Palace of the Grand Master – a former residence of the great masters of the Order, and today the seat of the President of Malta – from the sunny courtyard of Prince Alfred you can see a team working on the renovation of subsequent building rooms. The local national pride and a compulsory point for militaria lovers is the armory, in which the armor of the great masters and the rich collection of weapons are displayed. The eyes are also caught by details – above all, creating the impression of depth frescoes on the ceilings of the main corridors and other paintings on the walls.

Visiting Valletta, you can’t miss the church – the famous co -cathedral of St. John, who makes it even more fully aware of how large the nun played on the island and how wealth they had. This baroque temple attracts visitors not only because of the work of Caravaggia exhibited in the oratory. Due to the stunning amount of gold and marble, it is not only a temple, but also a tourist attraction today.

The tombstones of the great champions of the Order give the impression of taking them to a pedestal almost like the figures of saints. One is so big that it did not fit into one of the 8 language chapels of Langue – the language groups of the order that competed with each other to the beauty and the splendor of each of them.

At noon I am looking for a place to shelter from the sun’s rays – it is very warm here in May. It is best to go to the Park Dolne Gardens of the Barakka located in the bastion of St. Krzysztof (element of the city fortifications) and relax on one of the many benches directed towards the sea.

From the higher level of the bastion you can see the monument located below-the siege bell and the statue of an unknown soldier in front of him, which commemorates the fallen in World War II in 1940-1943. Malta exhibits his war history at the National Museum of War located in Fort St. Elmo. In several rooms we will see, among others Animation dedicated to the great siege of Malta in 1565 and exhibits from the 20th century, including the British fighter “Faith”, which defended the islands in 1940-1942. We will also get to know the context of Victory Kitchens – social cuisines, where residents could report for food rations. They were necessary, at a time when Germany and Italy sank convoys with ammunition and food reaching the British base in the Mediterranean, and hunger was more and more felt. The restored plate with the designation of such a place is at the intersection of Melita Street and Merchants Street.

Before we know the capital of Malta from its less historic side, but let’s go to the north of the island.

Red tower like a fairy tale about pirates

We stop at the Red Tower (St. Agata Tower) in the north-eastern part of the island. Due to the intense color, it looks a bit like a fairy tale, but in the past she had a significant function – she was one of the observation towers built during the rule of the Grand Master Jean Paul Lascaris. This defense system was designed to protect Malta from the pirate assault from North Africa and the Turks’ attacks. Although they never attacked her, she surrendered to the French Napoleonic army. Today it is an intimate museum, which is looked after by the Non-Profit Din L-Arta organization (the name was taken from the words of the hymn of Malta, “this beautiful country”). And at the same time a great vantage point from which we will see the islands of Gozo and Comino. Admission to the Red Tower costs about PLN 10.

From this place, only a short journey by car divides us to the ieirkewwa ferry terminal, from where we will go to the island of Gozo. Along the way, we pass tourists resting on a sandy beach in the bay of Mellieh. Less than half an hour of the cruise and we are greeted by the view of the church in Mġarr, boats in the port and rocks piercing through clean water.

Gozo – more green and less built -up, has an equally rich history, although … I must admit that I succumb to her holiday charm first. After nailing the ferry to the port, feel that the pace is slowing down here.

It is not without reason that many Maltese are buying second houses on this calmer island. Local residents and tourists rest, among others in the fishing village of Marsalforn in the northern part of the island. Until the 16th century, the most important port of Gozo, today has a very tourist profile, and around its bay we will find diving bases – including Poland. Here you can eat in the Il-Cardell family restaurant, located by the sea. In the distance you can see sailboats swaying on the water.

Small Malta Ships

Gozo’s marine history is also carved in stone, including On the wall of the cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the capital of the island – Rabat (Victoria). The photo shows a galler from the 18th century engraved on the wall of the cathedral – a way of thanks to sailors for happily sailing to the island, i.e. winning a fight against a storm or a pirate attack. On Maltese islands we will find hundreds of such “graffiti”. They come mainly from the period from the 17th to the beginning of the 19th century. They are looked after by Malta Ship Graffiti Project, who collects knowledge about them and the circumstances in which they were created.

Also, the sister island of Malta has its fortifications-I am confirmed on the hill, i.e. the Citadel in Rabat. It is a zone excluded from car traffic, so you can take a walk around the city from centuries ago. Older buildings – from the time of the reign of the Aragonian rulers – are located in its northern part.

The Citadel witnessed the dramatic history in the history of Gozo. In 1551, the Ottoman Turks conquered the island and took its inhabitants in a few days. They did not have a difficult task – then the medieval walls of the local citadel were no longer an effective defense. It wasn’t until the end of the 16th century that the Joannites initiated its thorough renovation, as a result of which the older part was included in a modern fortress.

From the hill there is a beautiful view of the newer part of the city, which grew around the fortress and its green surroundings.

In the near future, Gozo will tell his story more fully thanks to the new museum on the outskirts of Rabat. The plan of its construction had to be modified – a few years ago Roman ruins and quarries were found there. They were included in the design of a new place. The opening of the museum is planned for 2026.

Booths that you don’t call anymore

The time of the British rule in Malta (1800-1964) left behind not only the second official language-English. The commemoration from this period are also telephone booths, which have merged into the landscape of golden buildings and intensively pink oleanders. Some, as in Great Britain, were converted into public libraries – e.g. in Gudj. We will find it at Raymonda Caruana Street, opposite the police station.

The smallest capital of Europe is not only museums

While in Malta, we can often have the impression that we are in the south of Italy. Low, stone buildings in its villages and the lowland landscape make us the impression that time has stopped in this place. It is different in Valletta, which is teeming with the rhythm of tourism and organized trips. Old -fashioned signs adapt to the classic architecture of the city. We will eat here in both fashionable restaurants from the Michelin guide and in the IS-SUQ Tal-Belt market hall, which houses a supermarket at the bottom, and a modern gastronomy zone on top. In narrow streets we will be careful of maneuvering vans, and during a walk we will find street fruit stands. We will also find contemporary boutiques – e.g. Designers Boutique Valletta with clothes and handicrafts, at Old Theater Street 14.

When the buzz becomes a little matching, there are always a few steps to the sea from the Old Town … Although on the way back we will go uphill. The peninsula that the Joannites chose for their headquarters is hilly. In the capital, it’s best to catch your breath on a rocky coast, to which we will go down the stairs from Triq-Im Mediterran. This is a beautiful and not very crowded place – you will almost certainly meet a lizard that will slip between the rocks. From the stairs you can go left to the rocky “beach” Rocky Beach and bypass Fort St. Elmo on foot.

When the evening falls, the main walk of Republic Street Street, without crowds, is much more pleasant. Tourists then move to St. Lucias Street, where there are cafes and restaurants. And the illuminated Triton fountain located near the city gate looks much more moody. Yes, her style refers to a well -known Roman fountain … But Malta, so small, and at the same time full of coastal nooks and crannies has her separate story to tell.

A Maltese tourist organization invited us to the trip. The organizer did not interfere in the content of the text. Thank you for consulting Vincent Zammit, a guide and lecturers in Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta.