Malta

Discovering Valletta

Looking for a destination for our summer holidays, we came across Malta (capital, Valletta) which really tempted us!

28 August 2019

Looking for a destination for our summer holidays, we came across Malta (capital, Valletta) which really tempted us! We had heard that it was a rock, in the middle of the Mediterranean, but doing a bit of research, we realised that there was more to see than stones…

Getting to Valletta from Paris

So we left for Malta from 21 to 28 August with Air Malta, for 175€ per person. You should know that the airline only serves Paris Orly airport, and not Charles-de-Gaulle. We had chosen an outbound flight in the evening and so flew over the island at night. Straight away, what surprised us was Malta’s urban density: we did not think it would be so built up and inhabited!

We chose not to hire a car and to get around the island by bus. At the airport, we therefore got hold of the magic key to public transport, namely the Explore Card: 21€ for unlimited journeys all over the island for 7 days! More info on this website. From the airport, to get to the centre of Valletta, you have to take the X4 line (watch out for the timetable, there is only one every 30 minutes). The stop is right opposite the arrivals exit.

What to see in Valletta

Valletta is a city where it feels good to stroll and wander through the streets, with your head up to discover the façades adorned with Maltese balconies. So we have no itinerary to recommend, only a few unmissable things during your visit to the capital!

Openwork stone facade of a contemporary building under the blue sky

Modern building in golden stone with irregular openings

Stone arches and ramparts at the foot of the old town

Vast paved esplanade in front of a long palace of golden stone

Baroque church and golden facades around a busy square

Palace with green balconies and a stone column on the square

From the Triton fountain, we went through the city gates and ramparts and turned right to go to Castille Place. Coming back down towards the old town, we passed a very lovely spot (type Bridge Bar into Google Maps), perfect for taking a few typical photos!

Woman near a red telephone box at the top of a staircase

Column and carved coat of arms seen from below between the facades

Lane passing under an arch, ornate balconies and a green tree

Red telephone box at the foot of a facade with stone balconies

From St Paul Street, the streets start climbing again to reach the heart of Valletta. Each street has its own character and deserves some time…

Narrow sloping street lined with wooden balconies

Row of colourful balconies on a facade of golden stone

Street running down to the fort between two tall facades

Green and turquoise wooden balconies packed side by side

Blue balconies and ironwork behind a gnarled trunk

Street sloping down to the harbour, a stone cross in the foreground

Heritage side
Triton Fountain
Fort Saint Elmo
St John’s Co-Cathedral
Grand Master’s Palace
Siege Bell War Memorial

Nature side
Upper Barrakka Gardens
Lower Barrakka Gardens
Hasting Gardens

Triton Fountain

It is the first thing we saw when we got off the bus arriving from the airport on the first evening. And it has to be said the fountain is impressive, especially in the evening when it is lit up! You see it as soon as you are on the city ramparts, majestic right in front of the gates of Valletta.

Fountain and esplanade seen from the city ramparts

Bronze tritons carrying the basin of the fountain

Jets of the fountain blown by the wind in front of the city

Circular basin of the fountain and passers by on the esplanade

Fort Saint Elmo (National War Museum)

We chose to visit Fort Saint Elmo to enjoy its incredible views over the sea and over the Three Cities facing it. Entry for students costs 7.50€ (good to know: the fort is included in the Heritage Pass Malta). Allow at least two hours to visit the whole fort and its museum, which retraces the history of Malta and Valletta from Prehistory, with a very interesting military and strategic angle.

The view from the fort

Breakwater and harbour entrance seen from the ramparts

Red supply ship passing in front of the fortifications

Stone fort guarding the entrance to the Grand Harbour

The outside of the fort

Columned gallery and inner courtyard of Fort Saint Elmo

Red footbridge and jetty closing the harbour, lighthouse at the end

Stone buildings with green shutters inside the fort walls

Empty courtyard between the high stone walls

Gravel esplanade and bastion under a cloudless sky

Outer works of the fort facing the sea and the city

The fort museum

Visitor in front of the red panels of the museum exhibition

Baroque facade in golden stone of the museum building

Military jeep on display under the Allied flags

St John’s Co-Cathedral

Fairly plain from the outside, St John’s Co-Cathedral is one of the most ornate religious monuments we have seen in our lives! We went there around 1.30pm and there was no queue at all. Entry costs 7.50€ for students, with an audio guide in French. If you are wearing light summer clothes, you will be given a skirt and a cape at the entrance to slip on to cover your shoulders (watch out for the look!).
Inside, do not miss the stairs near the exit which let you climb a few dozen steps for a view from above. In the oratory, you also discover a work by Caravaggio, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

Side chapel covered in gilded carvings and marble

High altar beneath the chandelier and the painted vaults

Nave seen from above, painted vault and funerary slabs

Large painting framed in gold beneath an oval dome

The cathedral seen from the outside

Plain facade with two bell towers and the cathedral clock

Clock with three faces on the stone bell tower

Gilded Maltese cross at the top of a street lamp

Grand Master’s Palace

We did not visit the inside of the Palace but it is possible to go into the courtyard to discover the gardens (a bit of shade does not hurt with the heat!).

Inner courtyard planted with trees and flower beds

Long facade of the palace and its black balconies on the square

Second patio of the palace, flower beds and palm trees

Siege Bell War Memorial

Located between the Lower Barrakka gardens and Fort Saint Elmo, this memorial makes you think of a small Greek temple with its columns facing the sea. It is possible to walk around it, but watch your ears around midday because a huge bell rings out at that hour! The view there is still very beautiful, especially at sunset…

Woman climbing the stairs of the memorial bell tower

Bronze bell seen from below beneath the dome

Stone staircase climbing towards the memorial

Couple posing in front of the harbour at sunset

Bell tower of the memorial overlooking the ramparts and the harbour

Upper Barrakka gardens

These gardens are among the most visited places in Valletta and we understood why. Flower-filled gardens (with shade!) overlook the sea, with a stunning view over the Three Cities. At their feet, the saluting battery fires cannon shots twice a day, which draws a crowd! We advise you to go by during the day but also at sunset to enjoy the beautiful light.

Stone arcades and mosaic floor of the terraced garden

Woman leaning on the balustrade facing the fort opposite

Bronze statue and flower beds beneath the arcades

Turquoise pool reflecting the trees in front of a neoclassical temple

Woman sitting on a bench in the shade of the arcades

Cannons lined up on the battery above the Grand Harbour

Lower Barrakka gardens

These gardens are a little further “north”, towards Fort Saint Elmo. There are fewer people than at the Upper Barrakka gardens, which gives a more intimate and romantic feel. They give a different viewpoint over the city, in particular over the Siege Bell War Memorial.

Neoclassical temple surrounded by palm trees and oleanders

The harbour at dusk seen over the parapet of the garden

Long stone arcade open onto the sea at the end of the day

Hastings gardens

To reach these gardens, you have to take the big staircase on the right as you go into the fortified city. We were there for the sunset and the show was grandiose! The park sits on the ramparts and looks out over the sea as well as the towns facing Valletta. The rampart walls are impressive in their width, about ten metres thick to protect the city. The chance to take lovely photos…

Neoclassical monument surrounded by a railing and tall trees

Massive ramparts and stone ditch seen from the garden

Woman sitting on the rampart facing the setting sun

Couple posing on the tree lined esplanade of the garden

Our accommodation in Valletta

We had booked a very lovely room on Airbnb, in the heart of the centre of Valletta (St Paul Street). The room (with a lounge and a private bathroom) was in a typical old building, with the kitchen on the terrace (very handy for eating “like at home”!). From the rooftop, we had a stunning view over the Three Cities and the sea! For 470€ for 7 nights, the value for money is unbeatable for such a place!

Blue table and chairs on the terrace facing the harbour

Green and blue chairs in front of the city's bell towers

Lane sloping down to the water between two stone walls

Our favourite places to eat in Valletta

Sotto : an excellent pizzeria with a wide choice and fair prices! The restaurant is in a vaulted cellar with a lot of charm.
Theobroma Cacao Collective : on Old Theatre street, a little stall that offers vegan pastries and above all, a delicious iced tea (2.50€) and chocolate milkshake (3.50€)!
Taproom : a very good Italian restaurant in a beautiful stone room; the prices are rather high, close to 15€ for pasta for example.
Venchi: delicious Italian ice creams (3.50€ for two flavours), in the city’s covered market.
Food market: it is in the basement of this market that you find an upmarket supermarket where we did our shopping for a week. Local, quality products!

What we thought of Valletta

Valletta is a city that enchanted us, by day as by night, with its ochre walls and its balconies that are so typical. We will surely come back, in another season!
So we can only recommend that you spend a few days in Valletta and its surroundings to enjoy its exceptional architecture and its many sea views!

In the middle of organising a trip to Malta? Read our articles about this beautiful island.

Closing Valletta banner in front of the ramparts at sunset

Thank you for your comment! Marie & Romain

Be the first to leave a comment.