Fort St Elmo
Fort St Elmo sits at the tip of the Valletta peninsula, the fortress that bore the brunt of the Great Siege of 1565. Entry is paid at a modest price.
City in Malta
Valletta
8 things to see
Valletta packs an entire UNESCO-listed capital into a walled grid you can cross on foot in under an hour, so the city itself is the main free attraction. Start at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where entry is free and the terrace looks straight down onto the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities across the water. Time it for noon or 4pm and you can watch the Saluting Battery fire its cannons from the bastion below, also free to watch from the gardens above. Wandering the honey-coloured limestone streets, the grand square in front of St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the open stretches of the city’s 16th-century bastion walls costs nothing, and a cheap public ferry crosses to Sliema or the Three Cities for harbour views from the other side. Mdina, the silent walled old capital inland, makes an easy low-cost day trip by public bus. For the lowest prices, travel in winter, when accommodation can drop sharply, while spring and autumn give warmer days with thinner crowds.
What to see
Things to do in Valletta
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
Lower Barrakka Gardens
The Lower Barrakka Gardens are a quieter public garden on the eastern bastion of Valletta, with views over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. Free.
National Museum of Archaeology Malta
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the Auberge de Provence (the former headquarters of the Provencal Knights), displaying Malta's prehistoric temple treasures including the Sleeping Lady figurine and artifacts from the megalithic temples that predate the Egyptian pyramids. Entry is paid at a modest price.
St John's Co-Cathedral
St John's Co-Cathedral is a plain-fronted church that hides one of the most ornate baroque interiors in Europe. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Strait Street
Strait Street (Strada Stretta) is Valletta's former red-light district and sailors' entertainment strip, now a narrow lane of bars, cafes, and live music venues. Free to walk.
Teatru Manoel
Teatru Manoel is one of the oldest working theaters in Europe, built in 1732 by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. Guided tours are paid at a modest price.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
The Upper Barrakka Gardens are a public garden on the highest point of Valletta's fortifications, overlooking the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities across the water. Free.
Valletta Waterfront
The Valletta Waterfront is a row of restored 18th-century baroque warehouses along the Grand Harbour, converted into restaurants, bars, and shops. Free to walk.
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