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Sunseekers, history buffs and those inclined to explore on two feet will thrive on a city break to one of Europe’s smallest capitals, Valletta.
Protruding from Malta’s main island, Valletta, once an enclave for the Knights of St John, blends Baroque with a modern elegance.
Balmy Gozo and Comino, two of 21 islands in the Maltese archipelago, may have the beaches, lagoons and scuba diving that attract holidaymakers to the sparkling Mediterranean, but walled Valletta’s heritage and landmarks are at the heart of the island nation.
The Maltese capital is known as “The Fortress City” for good reason with a host of harbourside history in its ornate churches, war museums and 17th century fortifications that link the Unesco World Heritage Centre to the Order of St John of Jerusalem and both world wars.
From touring the golden corridors of St John’s Co-Cathedral to cruising the Grand Harbour and embracing Maltese cuisine, here’s our guide to the best sightseeing, dining and activities to do during a sun-drenched stay in Valletta.
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Tour St John’s Co-Cathedral
Going to church is not the usual affair at St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its gilded Baroque interiors, an excess of marble and paintings by Caravaggio the setting for a full Latin Mass on Sundays at 9.15am. Built by the Order of St John, the architectural masterpiece is a lavish display of the knights’ wealth with nine ornate chapels, a series of tombs and a crypt.
Head up and down the Upper Barrakka lifts
A day at the Upper Barrakka Gardens guarantees views over the azure Grand Harbour and Fort St Angelo. A panoramic glass lift, 58 metres tall, connects the gardens to Valletta’s waterfront for sea-level ferry access – a round trip costs just €1 to ride. In the lush gardens themselves, you’ll find fountains, monuments and a neoclassical shrine alongside some of the finest skyline scenes in the city; it’s the ideal place to picnic with a loaf of Malta’s staple sourdough.
Explore Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum
Malta’s oldest fort, the star-shaped fortress of stone that is Fort St Elmo on the tip of the peninsula, guards the entrance to Valletta’s Grand Harbour. Fort St Elmo houses a chapel, the resting place of knights lost to battle, and the National War Museum, with displays of military armour, the George Cross and a First World War memorial to offer an educational insight into 7,000 years of Maltese history.
Cruise the Grand Harbour
East of the city, the cerulean Grand Harbour, a passage to the “Three Cities” of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua that both predate and neighbour Valletta, has been an active seaport since the Phoenician times. Traditional Maltese harbour boats, the colourful wooden dghajsa, ferry holidaymakers onto the water for a sea view of Malta’s imposing fortifications as the sailors would have seen it, but with all the romance of a Venetian gondola.
Watch the cannon fire at the Saluting Battery
Catch the crackle and smoke plumes of cannon fire every day at noon from the 16th-century Saluting Battery that overlooks Fort St Angelo and Valletta’s Grand Harbour. The ode to past salutes of visiting naval vessels carries on the tradition of ceremonial artillery firings and dignitary gun salutes present in the city since its origin in 1566, and adult tickets to the smoke show at midday cost just €3.
Sample traditional street food on a walking tour
Culinary delights pepper the streets of the ex-European Capital of Culture, but back street bites give the best taste of Malta’s fusion of unfussy cuisines. Traditional rabbit stew stuffat tal-fenek (the national dish) and pastizzi pea-filled pastries meet seasonal fresh swordfish and timpana pastry-style lasagnas on Valletta’s side streets, while cultural walking tours offer the chance to sample the local antipasti and lagers as you stroll. It’s a feast for the eyes and the stomach on the historic walkways.
Take in the Tritons’ Fountain
At the entrance of Valletta’s City Gate, the Tritons’ Fountain’s iconic three bronze Tritons balance a basin in a structural spectacle of water jets and mist. Maltese sculptor Vincent Apap constructed the landmark, first turned on in 1959, and the grand fountain has since been restored as a sparkling welcome to the European city. Better still, the fountain’s impromptu sprays are sure to cool you down on one of Malta’s scorching summer days.
Navigate the Lascaris War Rooms
To brush up on your history and discover the role that Malta played in the Second World War, visit the underground yet completely intact Lascaris War Rooms via a complex of tunnels and chambers carved under the capital. Here, generals planned famous invasions such as that of Sicily in 1943, and the Allies’ critical operations headquarters in the Mediterranean remain kitted with the faded maps and bombing schedules that were instrumental to WWII planning.
Stroll Republic Street
Valletta’s 1km-long backbone, Republic Street, is where you will find most of the walled city's main sights. Running from the city gates to Fort St Elmo on the tip of the peninsula, artisan sellers of silver filigree and lace, handsome old lunch spots such as Caffe Cordina and the National Museum of Archaeology line the main pedestrian thoroughfare. It’s well worth a stroll to get under the skin of Malta’s capital.
Eat streetside at San Paolo Naufrago
St Lucia’s Street’s step-side San Paolo Naufrago pizzeria has opened every morning bar Sunday at 10am since 1938 to delight islanders’ appetites with fresh parma pizzas, charcuterie platters and glasses of vino from inside the cosy wine bar. Multicoloured chairs line the steps for al fresco meals under the glow of fairy lights in the centre of Valletta, and orders of sought-after dough at the family-run joint will set diners back just €8.
Catch a sunset at The Rooftop Restaurant, The Embassy
If you’re looking to soak up the city from above alongside sips of signature cocktails, The Embassy’s Rooftop Restaurant is the place to be come nightfall. Offering panoramic views of the Grand Harbour, Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the distant Mediterranean, as well as sunset scenes of orange and a menu of seasonal culinary delights, The Rooftop is a great place to kick back after a long day of sightseeing.
Read more: The best hotels in Malta: From Valletta to countryside hideaways
