Malta, Austria

Malta
Postal code		9854
Area code	04733

Malta is a municipality and a village in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia.

Geography

The municipal area, with 262 square kilometres (101 sq mi) the second largest in Carinthia, covers most of the

Formerly an agricultural area, the local economy today largely depends on tourism with about 120,000 overnight stays per year. Attractions include a former provost's cottage (turned into an open-air museum) and the Fallbach Klettersteig, a via ferrata along the Fallbach Waterfal. In 1987 the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern was extended as far as the Ankogel Group and today, some 85.7 square kilometres of the municipal area are part of the national park territory.

History

Already settled in pre-

A first church beneath the castle was mentioned between 1006 and 1039. The Gothic parish church of Maria Hilf Assumptio was built in various stages between the 13th and the 15th centuries. It has a Roman gravestone set into the wall, 15th-century paintings in the vaults, and 14th-century frescoes on the walls of the choir. In the neighbourhood is the Dornbach water castle (originally Gothic, but with alterations added in the 16th century); it is surrounded by a circuit of walls and a moat. The village of Fischertratten is centered on a Protestant church, erected upon the Patent of Toleration in 1787.

Kölnbrein Dam

The Hochalm mountain road up the steep Malta valley leads to the Kölnbrein

Adjacent to the dam is a restaurant and a hotel. The reservoir serves competitive rowers for altitude training while the dam is a popular bungee jumping venue.

Politics

Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2015 local elections:

• Liste für Malta (Independent): 6
• Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ): 5
• Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ): 4
• Greens and Independents: 4

Notable people

• Eva Kary, called Faschaunerin, tortured and executed in 1773

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malta, Carinthia.