Idyllic

It's easy to see why so many different countries have fought to claim Malta through the years, writes Sian Matheson in the South Wales Echo:

..Because of this rich, varied history there is a feeling of dual nationality – the island’s official languages are Maltese and English but ask the locals which national football side they support (apart from Malta) and most will say England or Italy...Even Malta’s education and legislation system is based on that of the English and it was only in January this year that the island adopted the Euro as its currency.

By night, across the water from Valletta, the city of Vittoriosa is transformed. Once just a stretch of undesirable warehouses, the area has been rejuvenated and developed into trendy restaurants overlooking the waterside.

For a contrasting taste of the traditional Malta we ventured to the fishing village of M’Xlokk...The sight of its colourful fishing boats provided the setting for next year’s Hollywood blockbuster Agora – star Rachel Weisz herself stayed at the Le Meridien this summer. Many Hollywood blockbusters have been filmed on the island, including Troy and Gladiator. In fact, Valletta’s The Pub has a sign outside saying ‘Ollie’s last pub’ in memory of acting legend Oliver Reed, who died there while indulging in his favourite pastime whilst filming Gladiator.

To experience the true history of Malta, a tourist hotspot is M’dina, which was the island’s first capital city during the time of the Knights of Malta. It was also a colonial settlement of Imperial Rome. Even today the city, nicknamed the Silent City, is housed within the walls and is a maze of bewitching alleyways and little backstreets.