There’s something magical about hoping into a time machine and travelling back to the days of old, and diving into the beautiful history our islands have left behind. Here are eight incredible shots of different areas around the Maltese Islands that show how times have changed completely.

1. Triton Fountain, Valletta

What was once the main bus terminus and bustling with people running across the fountain to catch their next ride, wooshing between hulks of moving metal, is now a restored pedestrian walkway before the gates to the city.

2. Tower Road, Sliema

Tower Road back in the day was a peaceful road in the heart of Sliema, with beautiful architecture and traditional houses. Nowadays, it’s one of the busiest roads connecting St Julian’s and Sliema via Exiles, with high-rise apartments overlooking the sea.

3. Msida

This part of town included a wide area for buses to pass by the shore, with a green area in the middle. The gardens still stand, and this part of Msida has become a crucial connector to Valletta.

4. Royal Opera House, Valletta

This gem of architecture was built during the British regime but wasn’t so lucky to survive into the modern era. It was damaged by a fire in 1873, just seven years after it opened, and in 1942 it was left in ruins by an air raid. Now, it has been restored as an open-air theatre now known as Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

5. Alhambra Theatre, Sliema

The Alhambra Theatre was a prominent go-to spot for cinema lovers in the central town of Sliema. Nowadays, instead of the theatre, you’ll find the Zara complex right in the corner.

6. Pjazza Regina, Valletta

The Pjazza Regina we know today with cafes surrounding Queen Victoria’s statue just in front of the National Bibliotheca, isn’t how it was back in the 1870s. This area was formerly the gardens of the Grand Master’s Palace which were sealed off with iron gates.

7. Marsa

Marsa was one of those areas that has always been bursting with life. Nowadays, instead of trucks carrying wheat loads, and old Maltese buses, you’ll see countless cars travelling along this route.

8. Tower Road (near the former Magic Kiosk)

At the bottom of Tower Road, people used to park their cars on the side and head over to Magic Kiosk (or Bonello Kiosk back in the day) for a drink in St Anne’s Square. Nowadays there’s no space to park your car in this part of Tower Road, and unfortunately, the kiosk no longer stands.

Do you remember any of these places?