Malta’s position in the Mediterranean was of enormous Allied strategic importance during the Second World War. Always high on the enemy’s agenda, the islands were never invaded but subjected to extensive bombing campaigns and blockade between Italy’s entry into the war in June 1940 and the Axis defeat of El Alamein in November 1942.
On this Remembrance Tour we explore how during World War Two the small British bastion refused to surrender before an Axis aerial onslaught, the turning point of the Siege of Malta known as Operation Pedestal, and how with Malta and the Mediterranean secured, the Allies were able to use them as bases to launch amphibious landings in North Africa, Sicily and mainland Italy. Visits to historic sites, museums and cemeteries provide a poignant insight into extraordinary events and why at the end of the war the Maltese people had the distinction of being the only entire population to be awarded the George Cross.
Overlooking Marsamxett harbour and Manoel Island, the much-acclaimed Grand Hotel Excelsior promises 5-star views and 5-star hospitality. The eco-friendly hotel is fully non-smoking and all of its 428 spacious guest rooms are served by a lift. It sits amidst beautifully landscaped gardens and has its own small, sandy beach. On the fringes of the capital, the Grand Hotel Excelsior is perfectly placed for exploring the old city – a Unesco World Heritage Site.