-"Dream of Europe" is made possible by... -At Regent Seven Seas Cruises, we believe that personal space is essential to the luxury travel experience.

With no more than 732 guests, our ships allow you to explore the world and discover the freedom of having space at sea.

♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Custom privately guided travel.

Kensington.

See the world.

Differently.

♪♪ -I'm Kathy McCabe.

In this series, we'll explore the stunning landscapes, unearth the centuries of history, and discover what makes Europe one of the most captivating continents on Earth.

Join me as we Dream of Europe.

♪♪ ♪♪ Malta.

It's a small Mediterranean jewel you've likely heard of but you might not know much about.

Malta's strategic location, 58 miles south of Sicily and 180 miles from Africa, made it a coveted prize for conquest over the centuries, leading to a unique blend of cultural influences that remain today.

It was the Knights of Malta who, over the years, defended the Holy Land and cared for the sick and poor, who set the stage for this Mediterranean stronghold to become the last frontier to defend Europe against the Ottoman Turks in 1565.

Malta gained independence from British rule in 1964... -Malta, today a British possession, tomorrow independence.

-...and has become a delightful destination for those in the know.

♪♪ -[ Speaking foreign language ] Welcome to Malta.

-Grazie.

I've always dreamed of visiting Malta.

And finally I am here.

-Today we are in Valletta, Malta's beloved capital city.

-What's so special about Valletta?

-Valletta is a planned city.

It's not like other cities in the world.

This was planned in every single detail to become the newly capital of the island, and also the new headquarters of the Knights of Malta, the Knights of Saint John.

They were the sons of the Christian noble Catholic families.

So each nationality, eight in total -- that's why we have an eight-pointed cross.

-I've seen the shape, and it's so beautiful.

-You will see it almost everywhere in Malta.

-What's the most surprising thing people don't know about Malta?

-It's definitely that we have such a rich history.

It's a melting pot of various civilizations due to the fact that we have 7,000 years of history.

-That's a long, long time.

-I agree with you, Kathy.

Malta is the heart of the Mediterranean, and we were mainly conquered because of the strategical positioning of our islands.

From the Phoenicians to the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, Knights of Malta, the French and even the British.

-But now you're an independent country.

-We're independent.

-I know Malta is an island.

There are beautiful cities.

But I hear there are some really nice beaches.

-Yes, there are some very beautiful beaches, especially in the northern part of Malta.

And you cannot miss the sunset.

In fact, at Golden Bay, which is one of the most beautiful beaches that we have in Malta.

-Oh, I love a good sunset.

So tell me some of the highlights of this beautiful city, Valletta.

-This is one of the most beautiful spots that we have here in the city.

Upper Barrakka Gardens, from where we have a beautiful view overlooking the Grand Harbour.

-These gardens are really something.

-Yes, these were actually built by the Italian knights.

-I love some Italians.

-There you go.

An Italian touch in the heart of Valletta.

And also the Auberge de Castille, which was one of the palaces of the Knights of Malta, which nowadays is used as the office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

The ruins of the Royal Opera House.

And last but not least, the Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.

-I had no idea how rich and full of history Malta is, and I can't wait to explore the whole island.

-Consider myself very, very lucky that I'm actually Maltese.

-Well, so far I can see why.

Six days a week at noon and 4:00 p.m., a cannon is fired into the harbor.

Today it is something more for tourists.

But the firings re-create both the maritime signal for midday and the 4:00 p.m. cannon used by ships' captains to calibrate clocks.

[ Soldier shouting in foreign language ] -[ Cannon fires ] -[ Gasps ] [ Laughs ] Whoo!

[ Clapping ] A visit to Valletta isn't complete without seeing one of the local filigree jewelry makers in action.

Matthew Borg is one of the best.

At his store, The Silversmith's Shop, he is continuing his father's legacy of creating intricate pieces with amazing precision and the steadiest of hands.

Why is Malta known for this filigree jewelry?

-Filigree is a technique worked by hands, very intricate, very delicate, but at the same time it's a strong piece.

The filigree technique was invented from the Phoenicians.

-Oh, wow.

-Centuries ago.

-Yes.

-And they spread it out throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, because we had the demand from the nobles and the knights, and we started the work.

We sophisticated more, and we invented our own design, especially the eight-pointed cross.

It is a must when you are in Malta to have a Maltese cross.

-So if I buy a piece of this jewelry, did you really make it?

-Yes, of course.

I do my designs.

We make all the filigree stuff here.

-It's not just mass-produced.

You're doing it with your hands.

-With hands.

-Wonderful.

-To make the filigree, there are two types of different wires that you need.

-Okay.

-For the frame that will be a 925 sterling piece of silver.

And for the filigree, the filigree is the filling that you use to fill the design.

That will be another type of wire and that will be 100% pure silver only.

-That's good to know because you want to wear your jewelry for years and years.

-That's it.

-And hand it down.

-Exactly.

♪♪ -Wow.

I need a Malta cross.

It might be time for a new bracelet.

And look at all the detail.

I could spend all my money here.

♪♪ Oh, wow.

So we're going on an adventure.

Malta Rural Tours, which focuses on slow travel, partners with local farmers to give visitors some truly off-the-beaten-path experiences.

Today they have brought me to Tan-Nixxiegha Farm near the town of Mgarr, about 30 minutes across the island from Valletta.

This farm was once a forgotten patch of land until Charlie Vella breathed new life into it.

The farm stands as a testament to his dedication and vision, blossoming into a thriving oasis bustling with ducks, peacocks, dogs, fish, beehives and beautiful olive and fruit trees.

Wow, I love olives.

I love olive trees.

And are they starting to bud a little?

-As you are seeing, they are already blooming.

-You planted all of these trees yourself.

-It's been 24 years ago now.

These are going to be all trees next year.

-So you're repopulating the trees of Malta.

-Yes.

-That's very good.

-I make a lot of them.

I made over 200 this year.

-Really?

-The more you make trees, the better for the environment.

-This is very true.

-Because if you live in a good environment, a healthy environment, you'll be stronger and happier and everything.

-Charlie, what a beautiful, beautiful place you have here.

It must make you happy.

-I am happy.

-Yes.

-I don't need anything.

-Yeah.

-Just nature.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Nature is a great healer.

-Yes, yes, yes.

♪♪ -So tell me.

I know you have guests who come here.

And I love this because they get to experience the real Malta.

-Yes, yes.

We have guests from all over the world here and they are interested in nature.

I adore it.

-What do you like about welcoming people from other countries here to this spot?

-For them, it is a good thing to experience.

I think it is a dream of everybody, almost, but not everybody can do it.

-All of this is you?

-Yes.

Everything.

One by one and two by two and two by two.

And that's what we have.

-Incredible.

When visitors tour the busy farm, they are treated to one of Malta's traditional dishes, pastizzi, or savory pastries.

Look at you go.

Thank goodness Charlie knows one of the premier pastizzi makers in all of Malta.

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -Gulinu Scicluna, who has been making these delicious creations for more than 63 years since the age of 12.

Look at that.

Wow.

♪♪ -You can see the layers.

-I do.

So we're taking each one and we're flattening them out?

You use your thumbs.

-You are doing good.

-I am?

-Just press from the outside to make it thinner.

-Like this way.

-You did well.

-Thank you.

Now, what are we putting inside?

Peas.

And what else is in there?

It smells like onions.

-Onions and curry and spice for a flavor, you know.

-Yeah.

-Just seal.

Very good.

Press.

-So like a ravioli?

-You are doing better than me.

-No, you're just saying that.

-[ Laughs ] We'll make the cheese one.

-I love cheese.

Oh, it looks almost like a pierogi.

How many do you make a day?

-40 tres.

-40 tres.

How many in a tray?

-On Sundays only.

20?

-30, 30.

-30?

So over a thousand of these on a Sunday.

-And we start from 4:00 in the morning.

And at 10:00, we'll sell them all.

♪♪ ♪♪ We're going to put them in a wood-burning fire.

-[ Gasps ] They're gonna taste really good.

It's heavy.

-It is.

-You must have muscles doing this every day.

-I think so.

-Whoa!

Oh, my God!

Wait, wait!

Holy cow!

-Okay?

-The biceps on this man.

-Because you need.

♪♪ -It smells good.

-Really.

-So how do you say, like, bon appétit?

-[ Speaking foreign language ] -[ Speaking foreign language ] -[ Speaking foreign language ] There are so many little layers of dough.

Mmm.

Tastes like a little bit of Europe.

A little bit of the Middle East, Africa.

-Because it's got curry in it.

-Mm-hmm.

-That's why.

Taste of Malta.

-Oh.

Cheers.

-Cheers.

♪♪ From the bounty of the land to the bounty of the Mediterranean Sea.

Every Sunday morning, the Marsaxlokk Fish Market is where the local fishermen sell their fresh catches to locals, tourists and nearby restaurants.

What is popular this Sunday?

-The sea bream.

-Sea bream?

-Yes.

-Amidst the colorful boats bobbing in the harbor, I'm here to do a little shopping and to learn about the centuries-old fishing culture from fisherman Jason Carabott.

So it's been here for so long.

It's an institution.

It's a part of Malta.

And was your father, grandfather, were they fishermen?

-Uh-huh.

Your grandfather, great-grandfather.

You have to tell me about the eye that's on the boat.

What does it mean?

And they're full of colors.

Beautiful colors.

Okay.

Okay.

And do you repaint it every year?

What kind of fish do you catch?

So how do you catch octopus?

What's the process?

Well, some things are still slow in the world.

You have to have patience to be a fisherman.

I think in Malta you have a very good life.

♪♪ I'm entering into the world of Maltese fashion with designers Charles and Ron at their Valletta boutique and fashion café.

This dynamic duo blends Mediterranean charm with international flair.

The pair has captivated the fashion world with their signature style inspired by Malta's rich heritage.

Their designs have graced runways from New York to Milan and everywhere in between.

I knew when I came to Malta I had to come to Charles & Ron because it's quite a mix of very stylish, sophisticated, elegant and a little Mediterranean.

-That's right.

-Charles, did you ever dream such a dream?

-Not really, but when I met Ron, I wanted to make a good impression.

And I told him that I'm a very famous fashion designer, which I wasn't.

I told him, "You should come to Malta and model for me."

-Stop it!

Stop!

-I was lying.

-Charles.

-I was making all this -- -Boy, did he work you over.

How long till you figured out he wasn't a famous fashion designer?

-I think I figured it out pretty quickly.

-Oh, but you liked him already.

-But I was impressed with his talent.

-I used to sew when I met Ron, but very casually.

And when I met him, he told me, "You have to take this as a profession."

And I said, "No, no, it's not really my thing."

I just wanted it as a hobby.

But when he moved to Malta, he put me in the business.

-[ Laughs ] You had no choice.

-I had no choice.

-From when we first started, it just clicked.

And I think both of us, we brought something out in each other that I think if we were on our own would have never happened.

-Do you use a lot of the history and the symbols from around the island?

-Yes, we do.

Our aesthetic is inspired by Malta and the Mediterranean, and that is very, very important for our collections.

-The Malta cross, do you use that a lot?

-Yeah, we do.

Yes.

People like it.

-We always try to create something that's beautiful visually, but then once you start looking you can see a lot of references and interesting things.

This particular collection was inspired by a friend of ours who used to send letters.

And then because of these letters, we created stamps.

But all these stamps have elements of Malta and of things that were important for Charles and Ron.

-So the lobster?

-The lobster is obviously Mediterranean.

A cat, which is, you see all over the island.

-You do.

Is that an octopus?

-Yeah.

An octopus and a ship.

-I saw many of those yesterday.

-And the Maltese balcony.

-Yes.

These are famous through Valletta.

You see that.

-Yes, yes.

-Is that a spaceship?

Were there aliens on Malta?

-[ Laughs ] -Come on, Ron.

-There are some theories.

-I know, tell me.

-And there are some interesting documentaries on Netflix... -That's what I hear.

-...about these theories.

-You have fun.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Fashion should be fun.

It should remain fun.

We shouldn't take fashion too serious, which sometimes people do.

-We shouldn't take anything too seriously.

-That's right.

-Fashion is an escape, I think.

-Yeah.

-It has to be.

And it has to remain that way.

-From modern fashion to ancient sites, Malta truly offers something for everyone.

In 1839, archaeologists unearthed a group of 5,000-year-old temples built by the people of the Stone Age.

Carbon dating shows them to be even older than the pyramids and Stonehenge.

Hagar Qim is exceptionally well-preserved, and I have the privilege of a private tour with astroarchaeologist Tore Lomsdalen.

What does the name mean?

-Hagar Qim means "standing stones."

That's a translation... -Very simple.

-from Maltese, "standing stones."

And what do we see here?

Standing stones.

-Standing stones.

How many temples are there here on the island of Malta?

-Seven.

-That's a lot for a country.

-It is.

And what is so amazing about these temples -- that they are the oldest freestanding megalithic structures in the world.

The structure of it is exactly today what it was 5,000 years ago.

-There's few things you can say that about.

-Yes.

Exactly.

-What can we learn looking at these structures, analyzing them?

-Well, today, most archaeologists, they agree that they are temples.

So a temple that is connected on a worldview, a belief system, a cosmology.

-And what is that?

What is that worldview, that the sun and the moon control everything?

-Yes.

I think today we have lost the attraction towards the sky.

But imagine what that meant for the people living 5,000, 6,000 years ago.

-Everything.

-It meant everything.

Looking around there, you see the specific features like altars, and you have rooms that you had to go two, three steps higher and they could be locked.

So not everybody can come in.

-So kind of a class type system of...?

-So let's say the priestly class.

They will summon them.

So the congregation would come here for the equinox, and they would then call them here for their social gatherings, religious or not.

But there must have been a kind of a belief system that tracked them all together.

-And the social gatherings were really tied to the solstice, the equinox.

-Most of the temple, they are aligned to the winter solstice.

-I see.

-So I think the winter solstice was probably more important than the summer solstice because Malta, the harvest is in the winter time.

It's a calendar as well, probably the oldest freestanding calendar.

So you could stand inside the temple and you could know which day of the year... -Wow!

-...period of the year it was.

And another thing I want to say is that the temple-period people, there are no indication that they killed each other.

They're very sort of friendly people there.

And it must have been like a society.

They wanted to do the best for the -- for everybody because there is no skeletons found which has a kind of destruction of their bones.

So it's been a tremendously peaceful society.

-Mm.

Something to aspire to today.

-Absolutely, absolutely.

♪♪ -There are a number of blue grottoes in the world, but none compares to the one here in Malta.

Sunlight dances on crystal-clear waters, revealing hidden caves and majestic arches.

Carved by centuries of tidal forces, this labyrinth of sea caves dazzle with radiant use of greens and blues.

The interplay of light and shadow transforms the grottoes' limestone walls into an ever-changing canvas.

This is the way to see Malta, on a boat.

Malta tour guide Clive Cortis and his friend, boat captain Alexander D'Amato, are taking me out to see for myself.

-We are raised by the water all the time and all our lives.

So when I'm next to the water, I'm comfortable.

-You're at home.

-And I'm home.

-Yeah.

There's a scuba diver.

-Here, it's very popular for scuba diving.

-I know.

-Because you can reach the shipwreck from shore.

-Oh!

-No need to go by boat.

-Wow!

-So you can go and see the caves, reefs, fish and the shipwreck, you know, all in one dive.

-Right.

I think I read Malta is one of the sunniest places in Europe.

-We have 300 days of this.

-The sun.

-That's right.

How do you say sun in Maltese?

-Xemx.

-Xemx.

-So these are all small caves before we reach the actual Blue Grotto.

-So, do they film a lot of movies in here?

-Oh, they did.

Yeah.

Malta, it's very popular with movies.

-I feel like I'm in a movie.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Look at that blue, the turquoise.

Teal.

I love a good teal.

It is beautiful.

-Yeah, yeah.

So now we reached the Blue Grotto.

Right now we're just passing underneath the main arch.

-Wow.

Look at those colors.

-Malta has got one of the cleanest waters.

So here in Malta, when they start scuba diving, at 30 meters, the visibility, it's almost 100%.

-Look at that!

Look at the pattern.

-The seabed here, it's all sand.

-I've never seen such colors.

I mean, such a variety.

The green, the teal.

Purple.

The water in Malta is electric.

Electric blue.

Turquoise.

Neon.

Wow.

It just goes on and on forever.

-On the left.

-Yeah.

It's an elephant foot.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have to say anything like that is good luck.

-Yeah.

[ Laughs ] -And sure enough, right after that, I get a special treat.

So my friend Alexander the Great doesn't know me very well and is letting me drive the boat.

Which way should I go?

That way?

♪♪ Whoa!

-[ Laughing ] -Do we have insurance?

[ Engine revs ] -Whoa!

[ Laughs ] -I'm living the dream!

♪♪ -With inviting blue waters... Oh!

...lovely and welcoming locals and captivating ancient cities, Malta is a welcome respite from everyday life.

Malta may be tiny, but she is mighty.

♪♪ -"Dream of Europe" is made possible by... -At Regent Seven Seas Cruises, we believe that personal space is essential to the luxury travel experience.

With no more than 732 guests, our ships allow you to explore the world and discover the freedom of having space at sea.

♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Custom privately guided travel.

Kensington.

See the world.

Differently.

-For more about visiting Europe, additional videos, and a companion travel guide, visit dreamofeurope.com/tv.

Follow "Dream of Europe" on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

♪♪ ♪♪