Malta - Valletta The Beautiful

chebelladonna
Sep 2, 2024
4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

With my youngest kiddo living in Malta I have had the opportunity to visit the Island twice. Valletta, the capital city, and a UNESCO world heritage site, is gorgeous.

Here are my favourite things (so far) in the city.

Aimless Wandering - I think the best part about Valletta is simply wandering around. The city rests on a hill, leaving pedestrians often walking up, or down. Good shoes are imperative and you will earn your supper. The stone architecture with it's narrow streets, many that are pedestrian only street-wide staircases are enhanced by brightly colours doors and balconies - blue, red, green and yellow. It's striking. There are endless nooks and crannies to get lost in time. Every once in a while a door is left open and you can peak into the past, viewing old tile floors from a different era. A sea view is never far away. We stayed on the side of the Grand Harbour with a view overlooking the Three Cities, which was an amazing way to wake up in the morning.

The main entrance of the city is also pretty spectacular. There is an enormous fountain which leads one through the walled fortress of the City Gates. It's gigantic. Once inside the walls, one of the first buildings is the old opera house which was bombed in WWII but never restored. It gives a healthy appreciation for what Malta, and Europe, endured. Republic Street or Triq Republic is the main thoroughfare through town which houses a lot of elements geared to tourists including restaurants, and shops but is also hosts judicial and legislative functions for Malta.

In between the endless walking you'll need to sit down and find refreshments occasionally. There is a lively open air restaurant that overlooks the St. John's cathedral. It is a lovely spot to sit and people watch, particularly at happy hour. The pistachio pesto pasta with burrata was a dream. Other refreshments are never far away no matter the need ... whether that is a pastizzi (the national dish, a savoury pastry filled with ricotta or peas), coffee, gelato or an evening cocktail. Many bars and restaurants reside on these pedestrian staircases that feed off Republic Street. It's fun to hop around and explore.

Gardens - There are two gardens the upper and the lower Barrakka Gardens. Both gardens have a superb view of the Grand Harbour and the neighbouring three cities, which lay across the harbour. The view at sunrise or sunset is unbelievable. If this view doesn't give you goosebumps ... I don't know what will. It also provides a place to be amongst more flora than in many other parts of Malta, which is quite desert like. Go and admire the view while drinking in the the colour contrast with the various trees and flowers to the stone, and the ocean below. It's a sight to behold.

St. John's Co-Cathedral - This church in the centre of town was built by the Knights of St. John and was completed in 1577. If you are only going to see one church in Malta, and there are a lot of them, this would be it. The Baroque cathedral contains nine chapels. The floor is made of marble and entombs about 400 Knights of the Order. The whole structure is dripping in gold, and drama. It's beautiful and intricate, in a dark, heavy way. The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Caravaggio from 1608 is the most famous piece of art. https://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/

Lascaris War Rooms - I didn't realize, until I visited, how badly bombed the Island was in WWII. All over the Island people dug underground bomb shelters in their houses and businesses. In fact in 1942 the whole county of Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George, for their struggle to survive the many attacks they faced during the war. Located between Sicily and North Africa, Malta was a highly strategic location in the Mediterranean and in 1940 the Lascaris War Rooms were opened as Britain's War HQ - in underground tunnels below the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The facility was ultra secret and highly guarded. By 1943 General Eisenhower also used the war rooms. The War Rooms were used until 1997 in various capacities, including 10 years by NATO. https://www.lascariswarrooms.com/

Casa Rocca Piccola - This is a privately owned palace of the de Piro family that is partially open to the public, giving a glimpse into the life of Maltese nobility. If you are looking to get out of the sun and head indoors this is an interesting place for a wander. In addition seeing the beautiful palace and its furniture and artefacts, entry also allows guests to go down into the air raid shelters that were built during the war. https://www.casaroccapiccola.com/

Places of note but yet to visit: Fort St. Elmo, GrandMaster's Palace, a performance at the Teatru Manoel.

And this is just Valetta - the rest of Malta awaits!