13 Things You Never Knew About Malta

13 Things you didn't know about ALTA "cultural Capital" Malta's capital Valletta has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2018. To celebrate this accolade, the city is hosting numerous events this year, from interactive seminars to live opera. 66 "Island living" Although Malta is commonly thought to be an island, it's in fact an archipelago consisting of three islands - Malta, Gozo and Comino. "Beautiful ruins" Malta is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the city of Valletta, Megalithic temples which date back to 5000 BC, and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum underground temple complex. "Unique flavours" As with every country, Malta has its own unique food varieties. Most famed is 'pastizzi', a filo pastry parcel filled with ricotta cheese and mushy peas, and can be washed down with a glass of Kinnie, a juice drink made from bitter blood oranges. "Home from home" British influences are apparent throughout the country, owing to Malta's status as a base during wwa - by far the quirkiest are its bright red postboxes! "Local traditions" Malta's many churches all feature two clocks above their main entrance, one showing the correct time and one which is wrong. The purpose of this is to confuse Satan when he is in town! "Watching the waves" Wherever you are in Malta, one of the country's iconic, colourful fishing boats is likely to be moored up nearby. Each has eyes painted on the front, which are said to keep demons away from the fishermen at sea. "Mythical vistas" In Homer's Odyssey, Gozo was the home of Calypso, the nymph who imprisoned Odysseus. You can visit Calypso Cave on the island. "A diver's paradise" For divers, Malta is Mecca. The country is home to countless incredible dive-sites, including the Blue Hole and Marsamxett Harbour, where sub-aquatic explorers can swim through a ww2 shipwreck. "Smaller than you think!" Malta is the smallest country in the EU, and would fit into London five times over. "Cinematic landscapes" I Fans of Game of Thrones will delight in Malta's status as the backdrop for much of the series. The islands have also played host to the film crews of Troy, Captain Phillips and World War Z to name a few. Tours of al1 are available! "Unspoilt paradise" The island of Comino is the smallest of the three, and has only four permanent residents. Tourists are still welcome however, with the island acting as a popular site for day trips and even boasting two hotels. "New music scene" Malta is fast establishing itself as the newest hotspot for summer festivals. Its first ever Lost and Found festival took place this summer, hosted by Annie Mac and drew a 7000-strong crowd of revelers. dealcheckercouk we search, you save A EO Sources huffingtonpost.com, momondo.co.uk, buzzfeed.com, pinterest.com, tenfactsabout.co.uk, crestadivecentre.com Image Credit Pastizzi - Flickr - Pastizzi Café - Pastizzi