Dolmen Hotel

Malta has always been strategically important in the Mediterranean and was part of the British Empire for over 150 years. With over 7,000 years of history the list of places to visit is endless. Start in the island’s capital, Valletta, with its superb natural harbour where you’ll come across shops and cafes with British names. Visitors are always delighted to see red-painted British letter and telephone boxes not to mention old British cars like the Morris Minor, Ford Prefect and Triumph Herald some of which are still in daily use! We’d recommend though that you hire something a little more up to date to explore the island – driving here is still on the left! The 16th century Grandmasters’ Palace, the “Sacra Infermeria”, must be high on your list followed by the megalithic temples which were built around 4,000 BC, beating Stonehenge by almost a thousand years. The ‘silent city’ of Mdina is a must see and although its history goes back thousands of years, these days it’s a popular stop on the Game of Thrones tour where some of the places you can stop by include Maegor’s Holdfast, a fortress used during the filming of the Battle of the Blackwater and Shadow Cliffs, and the desert-like terrain of Red Waste. You must allow one day to visit Malta’s sister island, Gozo, which is easily reached by ferry. Sadly, the famous natural wonder of the Azure Window is no longer since it was destroyed in a storm but you’ll still be captivated by the history and charm of this tiny island. If you enjoy a local festival, barely a week goes by in summer without one being held somewhere on both Malta and Gozo, usually accompanied by an impressive firework display.