There are places you pass through and places that stay with you – Malta is firmly in the latter camp.
This sun-bleached crossroads, sitting proudly in the middle of the Mediterranean, offers more than history. Here, the past is not a museum piece – it’s a living, breathing companion.
Militarily speaking, Malta has never been quiet. A speck in the sea, yes, but a stubborn, significant one. It’s been coveted, besieged, blockaded and bombed since long before gunpowder. Victory Day here is celebrated on September 8, marking the end of multiple historic sieges.
On this island with layers of resistance baked into its stone, it is the Second World War that left the deepest impression. A former British colony, Malta endured more than 3,000 air raids in two years – a brutal battering that earned the entire population the George Cross.