Must-see attractions in Valletta

  • The Grand Master's Palace.

    Grand Master's Palace

    Valletta

    The stern exterior of the 16th-century Grand Master's Palace conceals a sumptuous interior. This was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the…

  • St John's Co-Cathedral, Valetta, Malta

    St John's Co-Cathedral

    Valletta

    St John's Co-Cathedral, Malta's most impressive church, was designed by the architect Gerolamo Cassar. It was built between 1573 and 1578, taking over…

  • Aerial view of Valletta and St. Elmo Fort, Manoel Island, and Dragutt Point on the right, Malta, Mediterranean, Europe

    Fort St Elmo & National War Museum

    Valletta

    Guarding Marsamxett and Grand Harbours is Fort St Elmo, named after the patron saint of mariners. The fort was built by the Knights in 1552 in just four…

  • Sleeping lady statue, Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, Malta.

    National Museum of Archaeology

    Valletta

    The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence. Exhibits include delicate stone tools dating from 5200 BC, Phoenician…

  • Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, Malta

    Upper Barrakka Gardens

    Valletta

    These colonnaded gardens perched high above Grand Harbour were created in the late 16th century as a relaxing haven for the Knights from the nearby…

  • Modern stone and glass Parliament building near Valletta City Gate at entrance to Valletta, Malta.  Designed by architect Renzo Piano of Renzo Piano Building Workshop and completed in 2014.

    Parliament Building

    Valletta

    Renzo Piano's breathtaking Parliament Building was completed in 2014. Its design includes two massive volumes of stone that look suspended in air, but are…

  • Valletta, Malta - January 9, 2020: Shot from cannon at noon in Saluting Battery at Upper Barrakka Gardens, with Birgu on the background, Valletta, Malta.

    Saluting Battery

    Valletta

    The Saluting Battery is where a cannon once fired salutes to visiting naval vessels. The battery has been restored, and a cannon is fired Monday through...

  • Lascaris War Rooms

    Valletta

    A mechanically ventilated underground tunnel complex that lies 40m beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens, this housed Britain's top-secret command in Malta…

  • City Gate

    Valletta

    The Renzo Piano–designed City Gate forms part of the architect's dramatic and harmonious development. It echoes the dimensions of the original 1633…

  • Church of St Paul's Shipwreck

    Valletta

    In AD 60 St Paul was shipwrecked on Malta and brought Christianity to the population. This church has a 19th-century facade, but the interior dates from…

  • Upper Barrakka Lift

    Valletta

    There was a lift between the Grand Harbour and the Upper Barrakka Gardens from 1905 to 1973. In 2012, this was finally replaced by the marvellous…

  • Malta Experience

    Valletta

    A whip through 7000 years of history, this 45-minute show also highlights Malta's scenic attractions. It's screened in the basement of the Mediterranean…

  • Carmelite Basilica

    Valletta

    Originally built in 1570 and expanded in the mid-19th century, the Carmelite Basilica (formerly known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Mt Carmel) was…

  • Valletta Contemporary

    Valletta

    Emblematic of Valletta's cultural development during the city's 2018 stint as a European Capital of Culture is this modern gallery with an ever-changing…

  • Royal Opera House

    Valletta

    Built in the 1860s, the once imperious Opera House was destroyed during a German air raid in 1942. Its gutted shell was left as a reminder of the war, and…

  • MUŻA

    Valletta

    MUŻA is a 2018 incarnation of Malta's Museum of Fine Arts, which closed in a previous location in 2016. Sited in the Auberge d'Italie, a 16th-century…

  • Palazzo Castellania

    Valletta

    Restored for Valletta's stint as the European Capital of Culture in 2018, Palazzo Castellania originally housed Valletta's law courts and prison. The…

  • Manoel Theatre

    Valletta

    Malta's national theatre was built in 1731 and is one of the oldest theatres in Europe. The building is being slowly restored, but is still in use for…

  • Sacra Infermeria

    Valletta

    In the impressive former Sacra Infermeria, a 16th-century hospital of the Order of St John, this exhibition brings the sometimes alarming achievements of…

  • Auberge de Castille

    Valletta

    On Pjazza Kastilja, pause to admire the facade of the Auberge de Castille, designed by the architect Andrea Belli in 1741. It adorns a 16th-century…

  • Valletta Waterfront (Pinto Wharf)

    Valletta

    The Valletta Waterfront was once a rundown dockside area, now renovated and lined with waterside restaurants. Most of its services, including shops,…

  • Casa Rocca Piccola

    Valletta

    The 16th-century palazzo Casa Rocca Piccola is the family home of the 9th Marquis de Piro, who still lives here and has opened part of the palazzo to the…

  • Malta Postal Museum

    Valletta

    Sandwiched between a pub and restaurants on Triq l-Arċisqof is this compact but interesting museum. Highlights of the permanent exhibition include the…

  • Prospettiva

    Valletta

    This installation was designed by Maltese architect Chris Briffa to celebrate V18 (Valletta as European City of Culture in 2018). The work merges the city…

  • Malta Contemporary Art

    Valletta

    After a few years of exhibiting at various pop-up venues around Valletta, Malta Contemporary Art (MCA) now has its own dedicated space tucked away in a…

  • Siege Bell Memorial

    Valletta

    Erected in 1992, this memorial commemorates those who lost their lives during the wartime convoys of 1940 to 1943. The Latin inscription of the bell…

  • Palazzo Parisio

    Valletta

    Now housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this mansion built in the 1740s combines neoclassical and baroque influences, and was the residence of…

  • War HQ Tunnels

    Valletta

    Twice-daily one-hour tours negotiate the wartime tunnels under Valletta and focus on Maltese history from WWII to the Cold War. Good walking shoes are…

  • Blitz

    Valletta

    This innovative gallery and performance space has various pop-up exhibitions and events and hosts resident artists throughout the year. There are no set…

  • Toy Museum

    Valletta

    This doll-sized museum houses an impressive private collection of model toys, such as tin cars from 1950s Japan, tin toys from 1912 Germany, as well as…

  • Triton Fountain

    Valletta

    Sculpted by Maltese sculptor Vincent Apap in 1959, this grand fountain has been restored to perfection and reopened in early 2018 in time for Valletta's…

  • Armoury

    Valletta

    Of the original 25,000 16th- to 18th-century Knights of St John suits of armour, around 5000 remain at the Armoury, which is housed in the Grand Master's…

  • St James' Cavalier

    Valletta

    This 16th-century fortification has been transformed into a dazzling arts centre encompassing galleries, theatre and a cinema. Recent exhibitions have…

  • National Library

    Valletta

    This grand classical edifice was the last building erected by the Knights. It's worth popping in to admire the book-lined stacks, and there are occasional…

  • Pjazza de Valette

    Valletta

    This square was inaugurated in 2012 on the site of the former police station. It's dedicated to Grand Master Valette, and dominated by a 2.5m-high statue…

  • Malta 5D

    Valletta

    The most multisensory of Valletta's audiovisual evocations of the past, this 20-minute show enlivens Malta's history with 3D effects, aromas, gusts of air…

  • Lower Barrakka Gardens

    Valletta

    This compact harbourfront park contains a Doric temple commemorating Sir Alexander Ball, the British naval captain who successfully captured Malta from…

  • Granaries

    Valletta

    Circular slabs stud the paved surface of Pjazza San Publiju; they're the lids of underground granaries.

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