Over 6000 years of settlement, many power struggles on this strategically important island and the influence of many nations and cultures have left their marks on Malta. In addition to the fantastic sailing conditions, the miniature EU Member State also offers many historical treasures with three World Heritage sites.
Who wants to discover the sailing area around these rocky islands, enjoys the perfect combination of holidays on a boat and on the beach, cultural attractions and a mixture of Italian and English cuisine.
In recent centuries, there have been many fights for Malta due to its strategic location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Those who won were able to control the maritime traffic in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and were valid as the guardian of the European land off the coast of Africa.
The Phoenicians, who named the island "Malet", left their mark here, followed by Greeks, Romans, Vandals and Ostrogoths. In the Middle Ages, Spain and Aragon shared power over the island and donated it as fiefs to the crusaders of the Knights of Saint John, who were able to fend an awful attack in a battle against the Ottomans in the sixteenth century. Since the victory over the attackers from the east, members of the order are called Maltese. After a few months of siege, in just five years, the invincible fortress "La Valletta" was built, which today is still the name of the old town and it is also recognized as a World Heritage by UNESCO.
The unique Maltese cuisine was created mainly from English, Italian, Arabic and African influences. In many restaurants on the island, you can eat good and cheap food. From the English the Maltese people have taken over the love for pubs and rustic small restaurants.
Every year in October the prestigious Rolex Middle Sea Race takes place starting from Malta, which is an about 600 miles long route. During this race the Italian island of Sicily with its sometimes smoking Stromboli and the small islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa are circumnavigated in a counter-clockwise direction. The finishing straight is located in front of the Grand Harbor in Valletta, where many local people support each participant and - characteristic for this country - also firecrackers can be heard the whole day long, showing an exuberant atmosphere to the seafarers.
