Valletta

Having a history as long and chequered as Malta’s you’d expect something a bit special from its capital city, wouldn’t you? Well, you won’t be disappointed! Proud Valletta is as impressive as any country’s premier city should be but it has the added advantage of being incredibly compact too!

When you walk into this city expect an explosion of activity, colour, noise and confusion. Valletta is the commercial and political centre and is filled with hundreds of shops as well as a vast daily market. For the more discerning visitor there is plenty of history and culture to get your teeth stuck into too.

But what Valletta also has that sets it apart from most is the sea and you can see it peeking over the horizon in virtually any direction you choose to look. Or, to be more precise, what it also has is an absolutely enormous deep-water harbour that is capable of taking the world’s biggest ships ... and it frequently does.

The harbour welcomes cruise traffic on ocean-going liners and thanks to a fairly recent development it also now has the perfect place to welcome tourists and from which to watch the passing water traffic go by in the form of the stunning Valletta Waterfront area.

The project to revamp these 19 historical 250-year-old baroque warehouses where the Knights of St John and European merchants would unload their cargo has resulted in an excellent new facility. It is now packed with bars and restaurants and leisure facilities – perfect for welcoming the half million cruise passengers who land here each year.

Valletta is one of Europe’s most historically important cities. Built over 500 years ago it is often described as a city ‘built by gentlemen, for gentlemen’ and has recently been made a World Heritage Site to cement its cultural importance more solidly.

The city is teeming with museums, galleries, palaces and other places of extreme interest – most of which are very much worth visiting. But, more importantly than all of that, it is the people who make Valletta a truly beautiful place to visit.


Whether you are walking down the main road – Republic Street – or off down one of the many, many side streets, you will find a wide variety of people - all with a story to tell.

Don’t limit yourself to the beaten track either. Under the fortifications and around the bastions, there are plenty of interesting little places to look at, bars to sit in and while away the time and, of course, people to chat to.

We are not for one second suggesting you miss out on attractions like St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Armoury or Museum of Fine Arts. That would be wrong. But we do suggest you take the time to discover the real heart of Valletta.

Unlike some other capital cities in Europe, there are no parts of Valletta that are out of bounds and best avoided - everywhere is safe. So dig a little deeper and find out what really makes this historic town tick. We think you will enjoy it.

Getting there is simple. As the capital city Valletta is extremely well signposted from most places on Malta. Alternatively, you can get on a bus! Valletta is the premier hub of public transport so you'll find there are many bus routes start or end in the city. Ask any of the locals at the bus stop which one will get you there and they'll be happy to help you out.