15 must do’s in Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta and is the European Capital of Culture (2018). The whole city is a UNESCO Heritage Site and was the inspiration for Game of Thrones. Valletta itself is only 1km long and 600m wide, one of Europe’s teeniest capitals. Handy to easily explore the city in a couple of days! Here are some of the must things to do in Valletta, Malta.
1) Republic Street
Republic Street is the main street of Valletta. It stretches from the City Gate down to Fort St Elmo on the waterfront. Try to spot the yellow-coloured buildings, shops, buildings, and restaurants when you walk down it. It can get crowdy here but once you take a side street you may find yourself all alone.
Don’t forget to look up and enjoy the beautiful balconies of traditional Maltese buildings.
Fun Fact: Try doing a free walking tour in the city like you can with a free walking tour from Colour My Travel.
City gate and old wall
2) Saint John’s Co-Cathedral
The outside won’t give it away but the architecture on the inside is just marvelous. The interior is full-on marble and gold, aside from the many artworks painted by Grand Masters and knights themselves. Saint John’s Co-Cathedral is also home to the original paintings of Caravaggio.
Fun Fact: First off, it’s called the Co-Cathedral because it shares its duties with St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina.
P.S. Don’t forget to cover your knees and shoulders!
3) Do a Grand Harbour tour or cruise
Valletta has been culturally influenced by Italy and Tunisia. There were also a lot of wars on the waters which you can easily conclude from the many fortresses in the city. Take a tour on a harbor cruise to see the grand harbor of Valletta.
4) Lord Byron & stairs
Valletta is a city of stairs and the Romantic Poet Lord Byron hated it. Lord Byron had a limp which made it even harder to walk around the city. He wrote a poem about his time in Malta: ‘Adieu, ye cursed street of stairs, how surely he who mounts you swears’.
5) Victoria’s Gate
The gate is the main entrance to the city from the Grand Harbor area, which was once the busiest part of the city. It is also the oldest gate in Valletta.
6) The Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens
Both gardens are small and can be seen in less than 5 minutes. The gardens overlook the water and fort. Don’t be alarmed, at 12 pm and 4 pm a cannon shot can be heard from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
P.S. These gardens are not located next to each other!
7) Casa Rocca Piccola
Casa Rocca Piccola is a palace from the 16th century. It is now a museum to show how the Maltese nobility lived at that time. The Piro family still owns and lives in the palace. Don’t forget to take a look at the courtyard garden and WW2 bomb shelter.
8) Manoel Theatre
The Manoel Theatre is one of Europe’s oldest working theatres. The Grand Masters built it to provide entertainment for both the knights and the locals.
9) Colorful houses in Valletta
The Knights once ordered that every street corner street should be decorated with shrines, statues, and/or balconies. Don’t forget to take some photos!
Sad Fact: Dress warmly in the evening, Valletta was built in a grid system on which wind tunnels are created.
10) The Church of Our Lady of Victory
This church was the first church to be built in Valletta (1566). It marks the Knights’ victory over the Turks.
11) The Grand Master’s Palace
The Grand Master’s Palace is where the Grand Master of the Order of St. John held residence. The Palace currently houses the Office of the President of Malta. You can visit a few rooms and the armory where you can see a collection of knights’ outfits.
12) Valletta’s waterfront
Valletta’s waterfront is a row of baroque warehouses that were originally used as stores for the Grand Masters. Now they are all restaurants, bars, and shops. It has a nice view over the Three Cities.
13) Visit the Lascaris War Rooms and Valletta’s secret tunnels
Visit the Lascaris War Rooms and discover the labyrinth of rooms and tunnels used to defend Malta against German and Italian air forces in WW2.
14) Carnival in Valletta
We were lucky to visit Valletta when the carnival weekend took place. Parades in the day, dancers in the evening, with a big party to close it all up!
15) Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
16) Fort St. Elmo
Want to enjoy magnificent views of the Grand Harbour? Fort St Elmo is the place to be. This fort was built in 4 months (1552) and withheld the Ottoman’s arms during the Great Siege of Malta.
17) The Three Cities
You have seen them from the Upper Barraka Garden, but you can also visit them!
To go there, take the lift down from the garden (going down is free, and going back up is also free if you show your Three Cities boat ticket), cross the street, and continue on your left. You will arrive at the boat departure location. A round trip to the three Cities costs 2.80€ and takes about 10 minutes one way with the ferry.
The ferry will take you to Vittoriosa (~ Birgu in Maltese), one of the Three Cities. From there you can walk to the other two cities: Senglea and Cospicua. We only did Vittoriosa but you can see the cities from the Upper and Lower gardens.
Vittoriosa
Fort St. Angelo, the Inquisitor’s palace, the maritime museum, and the Collegiate Church of Saint Lawrence
Senglea
Walk around the Safe Heaven gardens, located at the tip of the city.
A Cospicua
A city filled with small beautiful streets.
Fun fact: the Three Cities have two names each. Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua are also Il-Birgu, L-Isla and Bormla.
18) Kalkara
Kalkara lies just beyond the more popular Three Cities.
Things to do in Valletta, Malta: useful information
Where to stay in Valletta?
We stayed at The Embassy Valletta Hotel. I can highly recommend this hotel. It has a swimming pool to freshen up, a rooftop bar, restaurant, … It’s located near Triq Ir-Repubblika street, close to many highlights, and restaurants.
How to get around Valletta
Everything is very walkable in Valletta. You do need public transport (water taxi) to reach the Three Cities. The water taxis are cheap.
When to go to Valletta
I went to Malta in May, not too many tourists and warm temperatures already! A good combination! Like with many places in Europe, spring and autumn usually tend to be ideal for visiting. Avoid in the height of summer as it can get heaving and far too hot to be able to explore comfortably.
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