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 now acts as a framework for the Renzo Piano–designed open-air performance space, where bottle-green seating is raised above the ruins. It's a wonderful place to catch a concert, which are most frequent during the Arts Festival.
Royal Opera House
Valletta
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.15 MILES
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…
1.87 MILES
The Hypogeum (from the Greek, meaning 'underground') is a subterranean necropolis, discovered during building work in 1902. To visit is to step into a…
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0.25 MILES
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…
4.25 MILES
The reason to head to Birżebbuġa is to see the Għar Dalam Cave & Museum, 500m north on the main road from Valletta. Għar Dalam (aar-da-lam; the name means…
National Museum of Archaeology
0.09 MILES
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence. Exhibits include delicate stone tools dating from 5200 BC, Phoenician…
6 MILES
The cathedral is said to be built on the site of the villa belonging to Publius, the Roman governor of Malta who welcomed St Paul in AD 60.
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17.05 MILES
Perched on the crest of the hill to the south of Xagħra, the awe-inspiring megalithic Ġgantija Temples command soaring views over most of southern Gozo…
Nearby Valletta attractions
0.03 MILES
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…
0.04 MILES
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…
0.04 MILES
This 16th-century fortification has been transformed into a dazzling arts centre encompassing galleries, theatre and a cinema. Recent exhibitions have…
0.05 MILES
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…
0.06 MILES
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…
0.07 MILES
Now housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this mansion built in the 1740s combines neoclassical and baroque influences, and was the residence of…
0.09 MILES
The Renzo Piano–designed City Gate forms part of the architect's dramatic and harmonious development. It echoes the dimensions of the original 1633…
8. National Museum of Archaeology
0.09 MILES
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence. Exhibits include delicate stone tools dating from 5200 BC, Phoenician…