Traveling to Lose the Misery

Nestled in one of the few fertile plains of the Malta Plateau is the country town of Mosta. With its 12 500 inhabitants is one of the largest settlements in central Malta. Moreover, Mosta is without doubt one of the oldest areas of the Mediterranean island, where people settled. Archaeological finds have a settlement out since prehistoric times. Later down Mosta developed into an agricultural center and served in pirate attacks as a refuge.
The village is dominated by the Rotunda Mostas St. Marija Asuunta. The parish church, which has the fourth largest dome in the world, was in the 19th Century by the population, which had passed through the agricultural cultivation to prosperity financed. It was built between the years 1833 1871, designed by French architect George Grognet de Vasse.
The interior of the church is decorated entirely in blue, white and gold. One enters the Rotunda through a portal, which is based on the Pantheon in Rome. The dome, built from funds without scaffolding, has a diameter of 39 meters. The interior of the sacred building offers 12 000 worshipers. The Second World War was God’s house, unhurt miraculously almost. Although Mosta was target of air attacks often, the dome was never met. Finally, when a bomb struck yet again by the vault, not ordnance exploded and none of those present at that time 300 people attending church has been violated.

Once a part of the Roman city of Melita is Rabat today, with about 12 000 inhabitants the largest city in the western mountain plateaus. As a traditional trading and market place have been here many shops and craftsmen established. At the same time the center of Rabat, Malta St. Paul’s worship.
The Rabat’s Roman roots can be traced in the Roman Museum at the Museum Esplanade. It is housed in the only remaining building from the Roman era on the island. The foundations of the once luxurious villas reflect a clear picture of the former interior layout of the atrium house with porch, reception and dining room. All three rooms are designed with elaborate mosaic floors, are also finds from the late-Punic, Roman and early Christian periods are displayed.
The St. Paul’s Street runs right into the heart of Rabat to St. Paul’s Square. Here a large statue of the apostle reminds them that Rabat is the center of the Pauline Cult in Malta. The saint is said to have been once in the grotto of St. Paul, on the stands today, the St. Paul’s Church, has been imprisoned, according to tradition. The church itself was donated by the Spanish nobleman Giovanni Baneguas in the 17 Century allows, but later reformed through several grandmasters.
Below Rabat is a wide network extending to catacombs, whose origins go back already to the Punic period that were in the early Christian years, however, used massive and extended. The largest system belongs to the St. Paul’s Catacombs, which started at St. Agatha Street, is the most beautiful frescoes of these underground tombs passages, one finds in St. Agatha’s catacombs, where shall one day the holy Agatha hid.

Valletta, Malta’s capital and the city of the Knights Templar, presented to the visitors an imposing fortress stronghold full of huge buildings, which line the straight streets of the metropolis. On a strategic promontory, between the bays Marsamxett Harbour in the Northwest and Grand Harbour in the southeast, it was Francesco Laparelli, planned the largest military architect of his time and under Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Vallette realized from 1566th planned on the drawing board, it is one of the most major European cities, which can in spite of her, come up for Maltese relations very young age, with a number of remarkable sights.
Valletta’s Republic Street is the lifeline, which also marked the main commercial street of the capital and into the evening hours, a popular shopping district. It begins just behind the city gate, which in turn by the two fortress bastions St. John’s and St. James Cavalier is’ lined Cavalier. To the Republic Street bordering some of the biggest attractions of Valletta, as the Archaeological Museum, which deals extensively with his rich early history of the Malta Archipelago and the St John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta’s second cathedral, whose simple exterior of the rich interiors of time deceptive. (more…)

Island with four people and a lagoon
Those who love solitude and nature, should come in the spring to Comino. The smallest of the Maltese Islands has only four residents, a hotel and a lagoon. A village shops or one searches in vain. And yet, the island offers much more than it seems at first glance. The loneliness when entering the island is almost tangible. Softly the waves slap against the rocks and a light wind blows – otherwise, no sound is heard. It smells of sea and flowers. Fields of yellow sorrel bloom from stone walls, the island is dotted with bushes of flowering spurge. Yellow is the color of spring on Comino.
In the channel Il Fliegu between Gozo and Malta, Comino, the smallest of the three islands of the Maltese archipelago, only 2,000 feet long and 1,700 feet wide. But the tiny island attracts tourists from across its two larger siblings. come over during the summer, especially sun lovers and water sports enthusiasts who appreciate nature lovers, hikers and photographers, especially the peace and solitude of the island in the spring months.
Cominos attraction is the Blue Lagoon. Between rocks and caves their crystalline water magically lights in all shades of blue the color spectrum. In the summer months it attracts hundreds of day visitors to Comino – for diving, snorkeling and swimming. Who has not a picnic here, can be supplied by the hawkers in their boats with drinks and snacks.
Who wants to stay longer on the island can rent a room in the only hotel on the island. From 1 April to 31 October, the in the 60′s built four-star hotel room for 300 guests. Besides tennis sailing, windsurfing, water skiing and speed boating are offered. (more…)

Fungus Rock
The Fungus Rock, which is called in Maltese II-blower also tal-General, is a small rocky island and is located in the northwest near the Dwejra Bay off Gozo, the second largest island of Malta. The Fungus Rock is a limestone block with a height of about 65 meters. The uninhabited rock got its English name to the growing on the rock plant, which was mistakenly regarded as the beginning of mushroom. The Maltese name from the rocky island of the discoverer of this plant, it was a member of the Order of Malta. When the plant is the Maltese sponge or Cynomorium coccineum. It is the only place in Malta in which the parasitic plant grows. The plant was used by the Order of Malta for hemostasis and in the 17th Century was an aphrodisiac made ​​from the extracts and sold to royal houses. Today it is known that the plant has no medicinal qualities. Only members of the Order of Malta had access to the island and monitoring was a guard tower in the Bay Dwejra used.
Since 1992, the Fungus Rock, a nature reserve. Tourists may not enter the island. Fungus Rock can be climbed only for scientific purposes or for teaching purposes. Near the Fungus Rock are the Blue Hole and Inland Sea, which are popular with divers.

Azure Window: The Azure Window, Blue Window “or the locals’ It-Tiega” or “Zerkator”, is a created by nature door or window, a listed monument and rock formation on the west coast of Gozo, a huge rock of 100 m long and 20 m height, undermined by the force of the sea.
On the hill you have a view of the azure sea and feel about space and freedom. If you’re running down the small path to the little fishing village Dwerja, you come to a turquoise blue lake, where the fishermen bring their boats from the open sea in safety. The friendly fisherman to give you the opportunity to make a small boat ride on the open sea, which is an experience every time. For the transit is through a small narrow cave, a small gap.
You do not believe that this fits a boat through, but the fishermen know the exact path and the locations and navigate you out to sea and show you from the boat the most beautiful coral courts, as well as funny rock formations, such as the crocodile on the rock or is a face in the rocks. And once you have – this time with slight rocking of waves – the feeling of freedom and infinity of life. (more…)