Malta & Gozo

The oldest surviving freestanding structures in the world are located, not in Egypt, but on the diminutive islands of Malta. With a story that spans 6000 years, these small islands just south of Sicily have been a focal point within the Mediterranean throughout our known time. Amazingly, they manifest a mixture of influences beginning with pre-historic megalithic temple builders, followed by a succession of conquests: the Phoenicians, the Romans for hundreds of years surrounding the birth of Christ, Arab conquest, the Normans, the era of the Knights of St. John, a brief stint with the French, and then 150 years as a British Territory, before gaining its independence in 1964. Today it is 100% Maltese, it is the smallest state in the European Union, and it has layers of history that give it's stunning beauty, and beautiful people, a truly unique depth of character.