Facts About Malta Locals Might Not Know

Malta might be small, but it’s full of interesting history that even us locals might not know.

Starting off with the fact that Malta had a train connecting Valletta to Mdina back in the past.

Between 1883 and 1931, a railway train operated here. The first two steps were underground in Valletta and Floriana.

The rest of the stops passed through Ħamrun, Msida, St Venera, Birkirkara, Balzan, Attard, and then finally, Mdina. The line extended 11.1km, and climbed 150 metres.

Unfortunately, the introduction of busses brought the decline of the Maltese railway, and the line stoped operating on the 31st of March 1931.

Next, the saluting battery nowadays has become a ceremonial event for mostly tourists to watch. But do you know its purpose before modern technology?

Sailors relied on accurate clocks to navigate at sea, so a cannon was fired at a precise time each day to signal the official time.

Ships anchored in the Grand Harbour would watch for the blast or smoke and adjust their chronometers accordingly, helping them maintain accurate navigation.

Finally, everyone knows Malta has a lot of churches…but how many?

A total of 359 churches are scattered across Malta and Gozo, with each locality typically having their own parish church. 313 of these churches are found in Malta, and the remaining 46 are in Gozo.

#MaltaDaily