Valletta

Overview

Valletta is the smallest capital city in the European Union — just 0.8 square kilometres — and one of the most densely historic. Built from scratch by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565, it was designed as a fortified city of extraordinary ambition: a grid of streets on a narrow peninsula, every building constructed in the warm golden limestone that gives the city its distinctive glow, baroque churches and palaces crammed into a space barely larger than a large city park. It was named a European Capital of Culture in 2018, and the attention that brought has accelerated a revival that was already well underway — excellent restaurants, boutique hotels in converted palaces, and a cultural scene that punches enormously above the city's size. Two days is enough to cover Valletta thoroughly; most visitors combine it with the wider island.

Best Time to Visit

March to June is ideal — warm (18–26°C), the island green from winter rain, and the sea beginning to warm for swimming by May. September to November are equally excellent — the summer heat softens (from 35°C to a more comfortable 25°C), the tourist numbers drop significantly, and the sea is at its warmest (26°C in September). July and August are very hot and very crowded — cruise ships fill the Grand Harbour daily and the narrow streets can feel overwhelmed. Winter (December–February) is mild by European standards (14–18°C), quiet, and cheap — with the occasional spectacular stormy day when the Mediterranean throws itself against the bastions.

Key events: Carnival (February — colourful street parades and costumes), Good Friday Procession (Easter — deeply traditional, with life-size statues carried through the streets), Malta International Arts Festival (June–July), Isle of MTV (July — a free outdoor music concert), Notte Bianca (October — a night of free cultural events across Valletta).

Top Things to Do

St John's Co-Cathedral

The exterior is understated — a plain facade on a narrow street. The interior is one of the most overwhelming baroque spaces in Europe: every surface of the nave covered in gilded carvings, the floor a mosaic of 400 marble tombstones of Knights, and two Caravaggio masterpieces in the oratory — including The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, his only signed work and considered one of the greatest paintings of the 17th century. Book tickets in advance; entry is timed.

Grand Master's Palace & Armoury

The former seat of the Knights of St John — a vast baroque palace on Republic Street housing the Maltese parliament and, in the staterooms, an extraordinary collection of tapestries, portraits, and armour. The adjacent Armoury holds one of the finest collections of Renaissance and baroque armour in Europe — over 5,000 pieces including full suits for horse and rider. One of the most underrated attractions in Malta.

Upper Barrakka Gardens

The public gardens on the southern bastions of Valletta — a shaded terrace of fountain and flower beds with the most dramatic view in Malta: the Grand Harbour below, the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua) across the water, and the Fort St Angelo at the harbour entrance. The Saluting Battery fires a cannon at noon daily. Go at sunset when the limestone glows gold and the harbour turns silver.

Valletta Waterfront & Grand Harbour

The Grand Harbour is one of the finest natural harbours in the Mediterranean — and one of the most historically significant, having sheltered Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Norman, Crusader, Ottoman, and British fleets over the centuries. A boat tour of the harbour (departing from the waterfront) gives the best perspective on the scale of the fortifications and the beauty of the Three Cities across the water.

MUŻA — National Museum of Art

The national art museum in the Auberge d'Italie — one of the finest baroque buildings in Valletta, restored and reopened as a gallery. The collection traces Maltese art from the medieval period to the 20th century, with outstanding baroque religious art and a strong contemporary section. Often uncrowded; an excellent two hours.

Lascaris War Rooms

The underground network of tunnels carved into the rock beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens — the Allied command centre for the Mediterranean during WWII, from which the invasion of Sicily was coordinated. The guided tour is excellent and atmospheric; the history is extraordinary. A hidden gem that most visitors overlook.

Walking the Bastions

Valletta is surrounded on three sides by water and on the fourth by the massive ditch and bastions of the City Gate entrance. Walking the full perimeter of the city walls — along the waterfront, around the bastions, and across the bridge over the dry moat — takes about 90 minutes and gives a completely different perspective on the city's extraordinary defensive architecture.

The Three Cities

Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta — Vittoriosa (Birgu), Senglea, and Cospicua are the three fortified cities where the Knights first settled before building Valletta. Older than Valletta, less touristy, and in many ways more atmospheric. Take the ferry (dghajsa water taxi) from the Valletta waterfront — a 10-minute crossing — and walk the narrow streets of Vittoriosa to the Inquisitor's Palace and Fort St Angelo.

Neighbourhoods Guide

Republic Street / Old Town — The spine of Valletta — the main street running the full length of the city. Tourist-heavy but essential. Most hotels, restaurants, and museums are within a few minutes' walk.

Merchants Street — Parallel to Republic Street. More local, with traditional shops, bakeries, and the covered market (Is-Suq tal-Belt), restored to a beautiful food hall.

Strait Street — The legendary entertainment street of Valletta — once the red-light district for sailors and British troops, now an atmospheric strip of bars, restaurants, and jazz clubs. The most interesting nightlife street in the city.

Waterfront (Pinto Wharf) — The converted 18th-century warehouses below the city walls. Restaurants, bars, and the cruise terminal. More tourist-oriented than the upper city.

Food & Drink

Maltese cuisine is a fascinating blend of Italian, North African, and British influences, shaped by centuries of Mediterranean trade:

• Pastizzi — Flaky diamond-shaped pastry parcels filled with ricotta or mushy peas. The national snack, eaten at any time of day from a pastizzeria for €0.30–0.50 each. Crispy, cheap, and everywhere. Crystal Palace in Rabat makes the most famous version on the island; every pastizzeria in Valletta does a good one.
• Fenkata (rabbit stew) — The national dish of Malta — rabbit braised in wine, garlic, and herbs, served with crusty bread or pasta. Eaten on Sundays and feast days. Restaurants in the old town do excellent versions; Rubino is the benchmark.
• Hobz biz-zejt — Crusty Maltese bread rubbed with tomato, drizzled with olive oil, topped with tuna, capers, and olives. The traditional Maltese snack, essentially a bruschetta with North African influences. Eaten at the market or any traditional café.
• Kinnie — Malta's unique non-alcoholic drink — a bittersweet carbonated beverage made from bitter oranges and wormwood. Tastes unlike anything else and is deeply Maltese. Try it once.
• Maltese wine — The Maltese wine industry has improved dramatically — Meridiana and Marsovin produce serious reds from indigenous Gellewza and Ġellewża grapes. The volcanic soil produces wines with a distinctive mineral character.

Budget tip: Pastizzi at €0.30–0.50 are among the cheapest and most satisfying snacks in Europe. The Is-Suq tal-Belt covered market has excellent affordable lunches. A three-course dinner at a good Valletta restaurant costs €25–35 per person — reasonable by Western European standards.

Getting Around

Walking is the only sensible way to explore Valletta — the entire city is 15 minutes end to end on foot, and most streets are pedestrianised or too narrow for convenient driving.

Buses connect Valletta to the rest of Malta — the main bus terminus is just outside the City Gate. The network covers the whole island; a single journey costs €1.50 (€2 in summer). A day pass is €3.

Water taxis (dghajsa) cross the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities — a traditional and atmospheric way to make the crossing.

Ferries connect Malta to Gozo (Malta's quieter sister island, 25 minutes) from Ċirkewwa in the north — essential for an island day trip.

From Malta Airport: Bus X4 or X7 runs directly to Valletta (30–40 minutes, €1.50–2). Taxis cost €20–25.

Budget Guide

Day Trips

• Gozo — Malta's quieter sister island — the Azure Window (now collapsed but the coastline remains dramatic), the Citadella fortress in Victoria, and some of the best diving in the Mediterranean. 25 minutes by ferry from Ċirkewwa.
• Mdina — The ancient walled capital of Malta, perched on a hill in the centre of the island — a silent city of baroque palaces and Norman architecture. 30 minutes by bus. Go in the early morning before the day-trippers arrive.
• Blue Lagoon (Comino) — The impossibly turquoise lagoon between Malta and Gozo, reachable by ferry from Ċirkewwa or boat trips from Valletta. Crowded in summer; stunning regardless.
• Marsaxlokk — A traditional fishing village on the south coast, with colourful luzzu fishing boats in the harbour and the best Sunday fish market in Malta. 30 minutes by bus.
• Hagar Qim & Mnajdra — Neolithic temples on the south coast, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids — among the oldest free-standing structures on earth. 40 minutes by bus.

Practical Info

• Currency: Euro (€). Cards widely accepted; smaller pastizzerias and market stalls are cash only.
• Language: Maltese (a Semitic language with heavy Italian and English influence) and English — both are official languages. English is universally spoken; Malta was a British colony until 1964 and the British influence remains strong.
• Tipping: 10% at restaurants is appreciated. Not expected at cafés or bars.
• Safety: Malta and Valletta are extremely safe — among the lowest crime rates in Europe.
• Size: Valletta is genuinely tiny. Two full days covers the city thoroughly; most visitors combine it with the rest of the island (Mdina, Gozo, the beaches of the north coast) for a 4–7 day trip.
• Heat: July and August temperatures regularly exceed 35°C. The narrow streets of Valletta offer shade but little airflow. Start early, rest in the afternoon, and revive in the evening when the city cools and the restaurants fill up.