Valletta, Malta

Few European cities capture the imagination quite like Valletta, the evocative golden capital of Malta. Only 1 kilometre by 600 metres, it packs in so much history and culture that when it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO described it as ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’. Set on a striking peninsula overlooking Malta’s Grand Harbour, each of Valletta’s palazzi-lined streets ends at the Mediterranean Sea.

With its dusty golden hues, Valletta seems like it’s been there for eternity. In fact, it is one of Malta’s younger cities – constructed in the 16th century, a relative newcomer. Until the arrival of the Knights of St. John in Malta in the 16th century, the islands’ population centre had been the walled city of Mdina and the adjoining town of Rabat.

The Knights wanted an ultra-modern city in order to project their newfound power over Malta. And so they commissioned one of Europe’s first planned cities. Valletta’s planner, Francesco Laparelli, ignored the traditions of previous Maltese cities, and designed Valletta on a rectangular grid, with wide, linear, streets. Each street was lined with buildings of a certain height, to provide protection from the sun, and designed to let in cooling sea breezes. Fearing Turkish invasion, the Knights quickly built fortified walls around the city.

Even today, Valletta’s buildings are primarily Baroque, with streets lined by grand palazzi and evocative statues. The city is an ideal place to explore by a walking tour. Highlights include the magnificent St John’s Co-Cathedral – so-called because it shares, along with the similarly baroque St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, the official seat of the Archbishop of Malta. St John’s is home to Caravaggio’s biggest and only signed painting, The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Other must-see sights include the Grand Master’s Palace, the sumptuous residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St. John, and the National Museum of Archaeology, which has an extensive collection of prehistoric sculpture. Panoramic views of the city can be found at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a colonnaded garden overlooking the Grand Harbour. For another angle on the city, take a ferry or boat trip around the beautiful Grand Harbour.

While Valletta long had a reputation for being rather sleepy, the city has been reborn in recent years. The Italian architect Renzo Piano – famously co-designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris – has reshaped the cityscape through his redesigned City Gate, the new Parliament Building and the open-air theatre in the ruins of the Royal Opera House. Though Piano’s dramatic, modern designs are built in golden local limestone to pay homage to Valletta’s historic architecture, the projects have proven divisive.

Valletta was European Capital of Culture in 2018, which further revitalised the city. Bars, cafes and restaurants now fill 17th and 18th century palazzi, making the city a lively base for a visit to Malta.

You can explore virtually all of Malta from Valletta. Take a day tour of the charming fishing village of Marsaxlokk, or take the ferry to Gozo for the cliffs at Dwejra and their views of the Mediterranean Sea. For more history, the underground Hal Saflieni Hypogeum (or necropolis) is easily accessed by bus; visitor numbers are strictly limited, so book tickets well ahead. Our Malta itinerary suggests how to fit Valletta, Mdina and Gozo into one visit.

Valletta is Day 3 on both our 25-day Mediterranean Islands of Malta, Sicily, Sardinia & Corsica tour and our 12-day Malta & Sicily – Mediterranean Islands small group tour. The day is spent in the capital: the Upper Barrakka Gardens, the Grand Master’s Palace, St John’s Co-Cathedral and the National Museum of Archaeology, then the Malta Experience, an audio-visual show overlooking the Grand Harbour. Groups are up to 16 travellers, and solo travellers are welcome. Our Mediterranean islands itinerary follows the whole 25-day route from Malta to Corsica.

Articles about Malta published by Odyssey Traveller:

• Mediterranean Islands: Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica
• About Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica
• Malta: Megalithic temples, ‘fat ladies’, and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
• Piecing together the life of Caravaggio
• Learning About Caravaggio’s Paintings
• Gozo, Malta

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Malta:

• Malta Tourism Authority
• Valletta on view: Malta’s capital shows off its cultural side
• Caravaggio’s dark heart in Malta
• 48 Hours in Valletta
• The top things to do and see in Valletta