The city of Valletta
Malta is an island on the Mediterranean Sea. It has a population of about half a million people, most of which are living in the capital area. The city centre is a big fort, with rich military history and of cultural significance. In its entirety it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Transportation
Malta has a great internet connection on the entire island, no matter how remote it may seem. This definitely encourages social media activity, and on the fly route searching. Google maps shows every bus route. Additional QR codes can be scanned at the bus stop for live schedule.
Bus tickets can be bought in two ways - either inside a bus for a 2€ flat rate per ticket, or using a dedicated Tallinja Card. The second way is cheaper, more flexible and everybody uses it.
St John Co-Cathedral
The name co-cathedral, a very strange one implies another cathedral in the vicinity of the one you will soon see images of below. The official seat (cathedra) of the Archdiocese of Malta is shared with the older St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, which I loosely describe in one of the next posts.
This is a masterpiece of baroque art, it looks almost too rich to be authentic. A more rational interior is to be found on Gozo, where they simply decided to copy the altar from the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City.
Tourism Sector
Malta is a renowned tourist destination for those seeking the views, culture and lifestyle of the southerners.
Tourism sector works like a well-oiled machine, with each branch working tirelessly towards
the greater good. This is the first time I’ve seen a government do such a good job at ensuring seamless
integration of various branches - airport, taxis, public transportation, hotels, museums and other activities,
they all were deeply thought through.
Economy of Malta - Wikipedia states that tourism generates 15% of Malta’s GDP
Military Traditions
The capital of Malta is one of the few remaining ports with functioning defense walls and the system of forts. The peninsula is enclosed by two other enormous forts, which made the city almost impenetrable in previous eras.
Valetta supports the remembrance of the fellow military traditions. For example, twice a day (12.00 and 16.00) they perform a rehearsed cannon shooting for the people to enjoy. I’ve recorded the most important fifteen seconds myself and uploaded it for you to enjoy.
There is a shared similarity between Prague, the capital of Czechia, and Valetta. The first city ordered an american company to create a scenario for a ward change near its palace at Mala Strana.
Street-level Architecture
If I had to provide the city, which shares the most similarities with Valetta it would have definitely resided somewhere in the basin of the Mediterranean Sea. To ensure also the experiences match, not only architecture, I would have been left with Rome, the eternal city.
The most famous piece of elevation has to be these wooden balconies, often spanning across half the width of the building.
Exquisite Interiors
The interiors are also very detailed and present a whole different style in itself. It is an amalgamate of many greek and roman influences. The entrances to many buildings already show how rich and inviting they are.
Nighttime Cityscape
The most well-lit building of the night cityscape is the dome of the cathedral.
The city walls from the beginning of the peninsula are the most attractive for a romantic walk.
Tourism Survey
The government of Malta takes a lot of effort to ensure that everybody leaves with a great impression. At the airport, I received a survey from the ministry, which openly asked about my demographics and the quality of my stay. It was seven pages long, and some of the questions were really surprising. They consider various experiences and most interesting ones were agricultural and LGBT-friendliness. Poland could learn a lot from their mentality.