First time visitors - perhaps taking advantage of last minute holidays to Malta - will be overwhelmed by the volume of activities they can pursue, the colour and vibrancy of local saints' festivals and the stunning architecture and scenery.

But in a place where the tumultuous past casts a long shadow on the present the living traditions of Malta simply cannot be ignored, because history is embedded in every ancient brick and flagstone.

There are too many 'A-list' historic sites to rhyme off in any brief list of 'must-see' (although naturally some of the more famous locations definitely fall into this category), and it's arguably best to concentrate on sites related to some of the earth-shattering events which framed the present.

During the Second World War the island defied the full force of a horrific siege by Nazi Germany, and emerged battered but triumphant - a feat of endurance which led King George V1 to give the entire population a major award in 1942, by making Malta "the George Cross Island".

However for the Maltese the violent trauma of the German blitz was simply a case of history repeating itself.

The capital, Valetta, is named after the Jean de Valette, heroic Grand Master of the Knights of Saint John, who led an epic defence of the island against a massive Turkish invasion force in 1565.

The old city you see today was largely built from the ruins created by that onslaught.

It seemed nothing could stop the Ottoman army, but their desperate assaults foundered on staunchly-held Maltese bastions - and, after suffering terrible losses the survivors sailed home in abject defeat.

Just walking the streets of Valetta and surveying these frowning battlements, where many a desperate combat was waged, is enough to fire the imagination.

There is plenty to thrill in every corner of Malta, of course, not to mention its little neighbour Gozo, but Valetta is the beating heart of the island.

There is the fabulous baroque Co-Cathedral of St John in Valletta, and in it the awesome canvas by Caravaggio of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

Regardless of what the casual visitor thinks about art, religion, or indeed the thoroughly reprobate artist himself, viewing this incredible work must be one of the great aesthetic experiences of the world, and no words can really do it justice.

However on a practical note some official guides to these and other attractions can be a bit pricy and also a bit unnecessary.

If you are on a tour package and you are offered a fixed price excursion it's well worth studying exactly what you're getting for your money.

At least one well-known guide to Malta (available in paperback for a few pounds) has everything from opening times and prices to a complete description of specific exhibitions in every important site of interest, with diagrams.

Apart from an admission price, you may find you are just as happy making your own way around the amazing cityscape of Valetta - and of course there is plenty of reliable information easily available online, from which you might take a few notes.

On the other hand there are a plethora of assorted tours (for example on open top buses) which offer reasonable packages taking in guaranteed interesting sites, which save you the bother of ploughing through guide references - customer reviews will point the way to the better ones.

But unless you have a detailed interest in some specific aspect of Malta's amazing history you may be content to absorb a few general facts about, say, the Great Siege of 1565 (whose winner gave Valetta its name, after all), rather than try to take in dozens of assorted places and impressions.

Sometimes it's the relatively small details which matter most, for example the stairs that are specially widened to accommodate a heavy-armoured soldier as he makes his way to the battlements.

However Malta isn't all about medieval heroism, evocative church architecture and the famous Knights of St John.

For example there's the amazing underground Hypogeum, the oldest prehistoric basement tomb in the world.

At the other extreme one “attraction” that still fascinates is Strait Street in Valetta, once known as The Gut, by repute one of the most notorious maritime fleshpots west of the Orient.

Its heyday was over by about 1960, but in the post war years it was a seething cauldron of seedy jazz clubs, edgy bars and dodgy cabarets, much frequented by the navy personnel of many different nations (whose ships berthed in the Grand Harbour).

Brawls involving different nations or arms of service were routine, along with raids by red-cap MPs, but these days it's an atmospheric relic of its louche and rowdy past.

Meanwhile a bar called simply The Pub in Archbishop Street, Valetta, has become a macabre attraction for tourists who want to see where legendary British actor Oliver Reed died while taking a break during the filming of "Gladiator&".

You do not have to look far in Valetta, or Malta generally, to find sights which fascinate and "draw you in" to their individual stories, and you certainly do not have to troop dutifully around behind a "school teacher" guide intent on reciting a catalogue of pre-selected "points of interest".

A glance at a good guide book and a quick tour of the web are all that's needed to set you off on a trail that can turn what might otherwise be a nice but routine sunshine holiday into a never-forgotten adventure.

There is far too much to take in during a single trip, so it's not a bad idea to have an outline plan of what you most want to see.

The island which broke Suleiman the Magnificents' army - and his heart - has an enduring appeal that just begs to be explored.