Offbeat Malta: Cool and Unusual Sights

According to the Atlas Obscura website, there are 32 “cool and unusual things” to do or see in Malta. Here are a few of their picks:

St. Paul’s Catacombs

Paris and Rome have their famous catacombs, so why now the town of Rabat in Malta? Starting in the 3^rd century AD, the Romans buried their dead in a warren of underground tunnels later used by the island’s first Christians.

Popeye Village

Created for the 1980 movie starring Robin Williams as Popeye and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, this seaport village contains dozens of full-scale buildings now occupied by a bar and restaurant, winery, souvenir shops, and a small cinema showing a documentary about how the village was made. There’s also a beach area and boat tours.

Ġgantija Temples

In the highlands of Gozo island, these megalithic shrines were constructed more than 5,200 years ago and are even older than Egypt’s great pyramids. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the world’s oldest manmade religious structures.

Miracle Church of Mosta

Modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, the legendary “Rotunda of Mosta” is covered by a giant dome that took 28 years to construct. During a 1942 German aerial attack on Malta, the Luftwaffe dropped three bombs on the enormous building, occupied by hundreds of worshippers at the time. All three failed to detonate. Locals attribute divine intervention.

When MiMalta designs your perfect holiday itinerary, simply ask them to include some of the island nation’s more offbeat and unusual sights.

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