I got interested in Malta after playing GeoGuessr. I got the impression that Malta is a unique blend of cultures and my trip confirmed it. I came here by flying from Tallinn with Ryanair for €35 one-way. I planned the whole trip 10 days in advance.

Sliema

Typical street in Sliema. Streets in Malta are much cleaner than in other places in the Europe.

Malta is a place where you encounter churches and various historical monuments wherever you go.

The coast is rocky.

The main symbol of Malta is the Maltese cross. It’s seen everywhere.

You can go to the capital city Valletta by ferry. A single is €1.50.

On my last day the ferry wasn’t running due to the weather and I decided to walk there.

On my way I admired Maltese architecture.

This slim building looks like a Maltese equivalent of a skyscraper.

Valletta is a fortress city. What I didn’t realize this entails is that you can enter only through the gates, so the walk lasted longer than expected. The journey by ferry was more enjoyable.

Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta, but not the biggest city. The streets are filled with character.

Enclosed balconies are typical for Malta.

They are often painted green.

But can come in different colours.

Most of the green you see here below the balconies are plants in pots. Few trees.

One of the main streets.

A train for tourists.

Almost all buildings are made from limestone. Yellowish-grey is Malta’s colour.

Valletta’s fortifications.

Shortly after taking this photo, I felt an earthquake.

The canons at the Upper Barrakka Gardens fire every evening at 4 PM.

A dinosaur for some reason.

After all those yellow buildings you start appreciating any contrasting details you find.

Mdina

The buses are great in Malta. They can take you anywhere on the small island. A ticket costs €2 and you can change buses during 2 hours.

Mdina is a fortified city. It’s located near the center of the island and used to be the capital.

You encounter lots of churches and other religious symbols.

Almost at every corner.

Outside of the fortess is another town. Malta is a mix of cultures.

British telephone box

Old Maltese bus

St Julians

Why are there chickens walking on the streets?

Apparently they have cats and hedgehogs in the cities too.

The cats come out at night. What about the hedgehogs? Where are they? I want to see them.

You encounter familiar British elements, such as post boxes, British road markings and street signs. And also left-hand driving and big chunky power plugs, which are the worst of them all.

The empire also left English, which is an official language and widely spoken. I didn’t encounter any language barrier here. In fact, the only barrier I encountered was when I walked to Valletta and had to walk around a fortress wall to enter the city.

The Maltese language sounds like a mix of Arabic and Italian. It’s amazing that such different languages can blend in so profoundly.

The main Maltese beer brand is called Cisk. Nice beer and nice country.

Malta is a place full of cars and construction sites. I think it feels chaotic in the summer. I spent a day on another island in Malta called Gozo, which is less urbanized.