Valletta City Guide: Exploring Malta’s Unique History and Culture
This destination guide recounts my trip to Valletta and shows what sights you can see when you visit the capital of Malta.
Trip to Malta
Of all the capitals of smaller European countries, Valletta – the capital of Malta – is probably the one most worth a visit, as it is unlike any other city in terms of its local culture and sights.
Valletta has such a unique cityscape, as well as excellent places to eat and drink, that I can think of many worse places for a city trip.
When the opportunity arose for me to visit Valletta in the form of a €30 Wizz Air flight from Bucharest to Malta, I seized it immediately.
I’ve flown with Wizz Air many times before and have always found them reliable and decent enough to travel with, provided you set your expectations realistically and comply with the usual low-cost airline limitations and rules.
Although the seats might not be the most comfortable and the legroom somewhat limited, at least everything was on time.
Moreover, the brilliant sunset views on departure and the first glimpses of Malta on final approach to this Mediterranean island more than made up for the relative discomfort on board.
From Malta Airport to Valletta
Malta Luqa International Airport doesn’t have jet bridges, so we were all bussed from the plane to the terminal building.
Fortunately, the process was relatively quick, and soon I found myself standing outside the arrivals hall with an iced coffee from Costa in my hand, enjoying the early April sunshine while waiting for the bus to Valletta to arrive.
Public transport in Malta is quite good, and I had no trouble getting from the airport to the centre of Valletta by bus.
The bus dropped me off at the main Valletta bus station, conveniently located next to the large roundabout surrounding Triton’s Fountain and the Valletta City Gate, which gives access to the historic city centre of the Maltese capital.
The entrance gate to the fortified old town opens onto a large square, with ancient columns in the centre and the modern Parliament House, designed by Renzo Piano, to the right.
Exploring Valletta
As I could only check into my hotel in the early afternoon and was carrying just a small rucksack for this weekend trip to Malta, I decided to begin exploring Valletta on foot until check-in time.
My first stop en route was St John’s Co-Cathedral, located on a beautiful rectangular square.
Through a few cosy back alleys, I wandered on to Republic Square, which felt like an Italian piazza with its baroque buildings, porticoes, and open-air cafés.
While walking through Valletta, you will also instantly notice the distinctive Maltese architecture of the old buildings, with their colourful covered balconies in every shade of the rainbow.
A covered Maltese balcony – typically made of wood – is known as a gallarija (plural: gallariji) in Malta, and you will see them all across old Valletta.
Foreign influences
Alongside Italian influences, whether in the baroque architecture or the café culture, there are many other foreign influences you will notice when you visit Valletta.
When you stand at Republic Square, you can already spot a few pointers of what these foreign influences are, such as a statue of Queen Victoria and some iconic red British telephone boxes and post boxes.
Malta was part of the British Empire for over 150 years, and the British left a lasting legacy, particularly in business, government administration, and law.
Just like in the UK, they drive on the left side of the road on the island of Malta too.
I found this to be the most intriguing aspect of Malta: the blend of Italian, British, and North African influences in everything from food to language and culture.
Second breakfast
I stopped at Caffè Cordina, one of the cafés around Republic Square, for a second breakfast – Italian style.
Just like in Italy, you pay more in most cafés if you sit at a table, so many locals have a quick bite and drink while standing at the bar.
That’s exactly what I did, enjoying a quick espresso and croissant in the beautiful surroundings of this historic Valletta café.
Grandmaster’s Palace
Just a stone’s throw from Republic Square, you’ll come across another beautiful Valletta square: St George’s Square.
On this square, you can find the old Grandmaster’s Palace – built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the residence of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller – as well as a historic guardhouse of the Order of St John, as the Knights Hospitaller are officially known.
The military order of the Knights Hospitaller, originally founded in Jerusalem during the Crusades, arrived in Malta in 1530, some seven years after being displaced from their previous base on the island of Rhodes, and would remain to rule the island until 1798.
Pope Clement VII – himself a member of the order – managed to secure Malta for the Knights Hospitaller by negotiating a deal with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and persuading him to hand over control of the island.
Although relations between the Knights Hospitaller and the local population were initially strained, the military order managed to transform Malta into a Mediterranean powerhouse, boosting the local economy and fortifying the island against attacks from the Ottomans and Barbary corsairs.
Seaside walk
The old town centre of Valletta is built on a rocky peninsula, and no matter which direction you walk, you are likely to reach the seashore very quickly.
I walked to the nearby Fort Saint Elmo, an impressive star-shaped fortress built by the Knights Hospitaller on the outermost tip of the peninsula, integrated into the city walls and fortifications of Valletta.
Nowadays, Fort St Elmo houses the National War Museum of Malta, which is certainly worth a visit.
After visiting the museum, I wandered further around the streets at the northern tip of the Valletta peninsula.
Wherever you walk, you encounter charming vistas and beautiful churches and buildings showcasing stunning Maltese architecture.
Lower Barrakka Gardens
The next sightseeing stop on my tour of Valletta was the Lower Barrakka Gardens, which overlook Valletta Harbour and feature a neoclassical temple dedicated as a monument to British Admiral Sir Alexander Ball.
As the name Lower Barrakka Gardens implies, there is also an Upper Barrakka Gardens located a short distance away, higher up on the rocky peninsula.
Walking between the two gardens, you get excellent views of the old fortifications of Valletta.
When you take a moment to look over the rocky terrain and see the sheltered natural harbours and Valletta’s unique geographic location, you quickly realise why the city – and Malta as a whole – was so difficult for would-be invaders to conquer, whether it was the Ottomans during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 or the Nazis in more recent history.
Directly opposite the narrow bay from Valletta lies the city of Birgu, whose fortifications, including Fort St Angelo, could provide covering fire in support of the Valletta forts against anyone foolish enough to enter the Grand Harbour.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
The entrance to the Upper Barrakka Gardens is located at charming Castille Place.
On the square stands a beautiful baroque palace, originally built to accommodate those who came to Malta from the old Kingdom of Castile, in what is now Spain, to join the Order of the Knights Hospitaller.
Nowadays, the Auberge de Castille – as the palace is known – houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.
The Upper Barrakka Gardens are very pleasant, providing a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Valletta.
They also offer some stunning views of the city, its fortifications, and the Grand Harbour.
Lascaris War Rooms
If you have even the slightest interest in World War II history, then the Lascaris War Rooms are among the must-visit sights in Valletta.
The Lascaris War Rooms are an underground complex of rooms and tunnels carved into the rock beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens by the British during World War II.
The Lascaris War Rooms served as a communication centre for the British across the Mediterranean and was the focal point for the defence of Malta during a massive onslaught by the Luftwaffe in the early years of the war and a looming Nazi invasion.
Both the British and Nazi Germany viewed Malta as a kind of unsinkable aircraft carrier.
For the Nazis, capturing it was key to securing their hold on North Africa, while for the British it was absolutely vital for all their operations across the Mediterranean and for maintaining access to Egypt and India via the Suez Canal.
The Nazis tried desperately to blockade Malta and bomb the island into oblivion.
Although the siege of Malta lasted for years and the local population faced near-starvation and massive difficulties getting resupplied with weapons and ammunition, the Allied forces ultimately succeeded in holding the island.
Exploring the Lascaris War Rooms
Entrance to the Lascaris War Rooms includes a guided tour of the complex, which is an absolute must, as the tour is excellent and there are otherwise no signs to explain the story behind this tunnel and bunker complex carved out of the rock.
Simply by walking through the tunnel carved into the rock leading to the museum entrance, you can begin to understand why the Nazis were never able to disrupt British communications or strike the nerve centre of Allied operations in the Mediterranean, as the War Rooms are located deep beneath the rock.
During World War II, large maps were placed throughout the War Rooms, on which the flight paths of Nazi bombers from Sicily were displayed and the immediate RAF responses plotted.
Most people have probably seen such maps and boards in war movies, with soldiers moving pawns representing friendly and enemy aircraft, ships, and convoys.
It is fascinating to learn how such War Rooms actually functioned in real time and how the operational planning of air defences and military operations was carried out.
When the tides turned against the Nazis and Rommel and his Afrika Korps were driven out of North Africa, the Lascaris War Rooms shifted from defensive to offensive operations, as Allied commanders used them to coordinate the invasion of Sicily.
There are many more fascinating things to explore in the Lascaris War Rooms, including old British switchboards, enormously complex machines with thousands of wires.
These old World War II switchboards were used for communication throughout the Cold War and even into the late 20th century, as they were almost impossible for the enemy to intercept or disrupt.
Lunch
After the fascinating visit to the Lascaris War Rooms, it was time to find a spot for lunch somewhere in the old town of Valletta.
I chose a pleasant outdoor terrace on the square in front of St John’s Cathedral, where I enjoyed a delicious pasta with clams and a cold pint of Malta’s Cisk beer, which was most welcome on this surprisingly warm April day.
Across the bay to Sliema
After the tasty lunch, I headed back towards the opposite side of the peninsula on which Valletta is built to catch the ferry across the bay to the town of Sliema.
Instead of staying in the old town, I had booked a hotel in Sliema, which is essentially part of the greater Valletta urban area.
The entire coastline around Valletta is heavily built up, and it all feels like one vast city, although each part has its own character and is a distinct municipality.
Sliema and neighbouring St Julian’s are where most tourists stay when visiting Malta, with Sliema being more family-oriented, while St Julian’s offers more upscale hotels and also serves as the main hub of nightlife on the island.
Although Valletta is bustling during the day, as it has plenty of sights and – being the national capital – naturally sees many Maltese commuting there for work, it feels much more deserted at night, when workers return home and most tourists head back to their hotels elsewhere.
Because of this, and the far greater choice of accommodation in Sliema and St Julian’s, it can make sense to stay in these towns when you go to Malta and just visit Valletta during the day.
Frequent buses depart from the station just outside the Valletta City Gate to Sliema and St Julian’s, while from morning until early evening, you can also take the Valletta-Sliema ferry across the bay.
Valletta to Sliema ferry
The bay to the north-west of Valletta is known as Marsamxett Harbour, and unlike the Grand Harbour on the other side of the peninsula, it is mainly used by yachts rather than freighters and other cargo ships.
When you take the ferry from Valletta to Sliema, you get great views across Marsamxett Harbour, and looking back provides even better views of Valletta’s cityscape and its fortifications.
The Valletta to Sliema ferry departs every 30 minutes and takes around 15 minutes to cross the bay, with a one-way ticket costing €2.50 and a return ticket €4.
Malta accommodation
During my stay in Malta, I had booked an apartment at Blubay Apartments, which was perfectly adequate for a weekend trip and met my expectations.
All apartments at Blubay are self-catering and include a small kitchen, although many basic utensils were oddly missing.
Not that it bothered me much, as I planned to eat out throughout my stay and mainly chose Blubay for its price (€60 per night), location, and generally positive reviews.
The apartment offered a view over the sprawling town of Sliema, and on the narrow rooftop there was a small swimming pool with some loungers.
Exploring Sliema
Sliema has a look and vibe similar to the resort towns of the Spanish Costas, and therefore feels like a world apart from the historic charm of Valletta.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as one advantage is that Sliema has plenty of lively bars and restaurants, many catering to both locals and tourists.
I walked along the boulevard in Sliema, admiring the fine views over the blue waters of the Mediterranean and the yachts in the harbour.
When I spotted a large, friendly ginger cat sitting on a bench along the waterside promenade, I decided to sit down for a while, pet the cat, and enjoy the views.
There isn’t much else to see in Sliema in terms of sights, as the town is mostly made up of high-rise apartment buildings and hotels.
However, if you walk a little inland from the Sliema waterfront, you will soon come across typical Maltese architecture in more low-key historic buildings.
Aperitivo hour
After my walk through Sliema, I decided to head back to Valletta to spend the remainder of the day in the Maltese capital.
However, before I returned to the ferry pier, I first had an Aperol Spritz overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Sliema.
After all, part of the reason of travelling to Malta was simply to enjoy some early spring sunshine, and what better way to do this than with a drink right next to the sea?
Back in Valletta
Once back in Valletta, I decided to wander aimlessly around for a while, which is always a favourite pastime when I’m travelling, as you never know what you might stumble across off the well-trodden main paths when you simply follow your instincts.
In Valletta, this is definitely a worthwhile activity, as the city is small enough not to get lost, yet large enough to offer something new around every corner.
The best thing about Valletta is that no matter which street you walk down, you will always come across fabulous old buildings with their iconic traditional covered balconies and stunning views of the sea.
After a while, I arrived back at lovely Republic Square, where I sat down to enjoy another Aperol Spritz.
Dinner at Legligin
While wandering around Valletta in search of a nice place to eat, I came across a small but immensely charming-looking restaurant called Legligin.
A sign on the wall advertised an authentic Maltese seven-course meal, which sounded intriguing.
As the restaurant had excellent online reviews, I decided to venture inside.
The friendly waitress explained that even though a reservation is normally required, they could accommodate me as they had just opened for dinner and most guests would only arrive later.
To start, I was served a soup along with a couple of Maltese tapas, including some extremely delicious homemade pâté, sausages in a sort of tomato sauce, cheese, olives, and a kind of red pesto-like spread.
The third course was a crab croquette with bulgur, followed by a fourth course of seafood, including white fish and octopus, and a fifth course of mussels.
After the delicious sixth course – a quail salad – and two different types of Maltese white wine I had enjoyed up to that point, I switched to a red wine, which was also good, though somewhat less impressive than the whites.
It turned out that the menu included even more courses than the sign outside suggested: course seven was mashed potatoes with stewed meat, while course eight, the final one of this culinary feast, was a rabbit stew.
Although not part of the tasting menu, I decided to order some tiramisu and homemade limoncello to finish the meal – as after all, I’m on holiday!
The final bill came to just over €60, which was excellent value for money.
I can’t emphasise enough how wonderful the entire dining experience at Legligin was, and I can’t recommend this place enough if you happen to visit Valletta, as I had a fantastic time enjoying high-quality Maltese food and wines.
Besides the excellent food, the staff at Legligin were incredibly friendly, attentive, and eager to share more about the cuisine and wines, providing a wonderful insight into Maltese food culture.
Back to Sliema
With a full stomach, I walked out of the old town through the main city gate of Valletta and headed to the local bus station to catch the next bus back to Sliema, as unfortunately the ferry does not operate in the evening.
I was glad to have managed even a standing spot on the bus, as it was a chaotic scramble of hundreds of tourists trying desperately to board the same bus to return to their hotels in Sliema and St Julian’s after a day of sightseeing in Valletta.
Although I quite liked the location of my hotel, the crowded buses between Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s are probably the biggest downside of staying there rather than in Valletta’s old town itself.
Public transport in Malta is inexpensive and takes you everywhere on the island, but you should keep in mind that it can be overcrowded and you may have to wait for the next departure if a bus on a popular route is full.
Valletta day trip
Valletta makes for a great base for day trips across Malta, as from the city’s bus station you can reach every corner of the island, and even hop on the bus that takes you on the ferry to the neighbouring island of Gozo.
On my day trip from Valletta, I decided to combine a visit to the walled city of Mdina with a trip to the ancient archaeological site of Ħaġar Qim.
Mdina, known as the Silent City, was once the main religious and cultural centre of the island and even served as the capital of Malta and the seat of the local nobility until the arrival of the Knights Hospitaller, which brought a shift of power to Valletta.
Ħaġar Qim, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is a megalithic temple complex dating back to between 3600 and 3200 BC, making it one of the oldest religious structures ever discovered.
Both Mdina and Ħaġar Qim are fascinating places to visit and rank among the top sights in Malta, so even if you stay in Valletta, I highly recommend making the effort to go there on a day trip.
Conclusion
Valletta, the capital of Malta, is a fascinating city to visit and makes for a unique travel destination, partly thanks to its multi-layered history with cultural influences from across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Malta’s culture, language, and cuisine have been influenced by neighbouring Italy and North Africa, while the British also left a lasting mark on the island – all of which can be experienced while walking through Valletta.
As you will have read in this guide, there are plenty of interesting sights to include on your visit to Valletta, ranging from the palaces and fortifications built by the Knights Hospitaller, who turned Malta into their personal fiefdom, to the old buildings with their wonderful gallariji (traditional Maltese wooden covered balconies), and World War II attractions such as the excellent Lascaris War Rooms.
There is also some excellent food and drink to enjoy in Valletta, and you’ll find plenty of appealing cafés, bars, and restaurants both in the capital and in the neighbouring towns across the bay, such as Sliema and St Julian’s, where many tourists choose to stay during their Maltese holiday.
I particularly enjoyed my dinner at Legligin, which offers a delicious tasting menu that introduces you to Malta’s national cuisine.
As the hub of Malta’s extensive bus network, Valletta is also an excellent base for day trips across the island, with destinations such as Mdina and Ħaġar Qim among the obvious choices.
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