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…
Must-see attractions in Valletta
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…
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…
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…
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…
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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…
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
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...
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Valletta
A mechanically ventilated underground tunnel complex that lies 40m beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens, this housed Britain's top-secret command in Malta…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Valletta
Sandwiched between a pub and restaurants on Triq l-Arċisqof is this compact but interesting museum. Highlights of the permanent exhibition include the…
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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…
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Entrance to Fort St Elmo & National War Museum
Valletta
The entrance to Fort St Elmo, named after the patron saint of mariners. The fort contains the stunning National War Museum. Note it is not possible to…
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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…
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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…
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Valletta
This 16th-century fortification has been transformed into a dazzling arts centre encompassing galleries, theatre and a cinema. Recent exhibitions have…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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Valletta
Now housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this mansion built in the 1740s combines neoclassical and baroque influences, and was the residence of…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Valletta
This compact harbourfront park contains a Doric temple commemorating Sir Alexander Ball, the British naval captain who successfully captured Malta from…
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Valletta
A glossy, entertaining 35-minute sweep through Malta's eventful history (available in eight languages).
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Valletta
Circular slabs stud the paved surface of Pjazza San Publiju; they're the lids of underground granaries.
