Valletta, the capital city of Malta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a hub for lovers of culture, history, and swoony architecture. Situated on the northeastern coast of the island, Valletta is renowned for its well-preserved Baroque architecture, rich history, and strategic location overlooking the Grand Harbour.
We spent a week in Malta as a “work-cation” to get away from the gloomy winter in Amsterdam (a yearly pilgrimage for us that has also allowed us to discover Athens, the Cyclades, and Málaga and Córdoba so far.) Since we were working remotely during our stay, we would do little pockets of Valletta in combination during our lunch breaks and evenings, but all told we’d recommend a weekend here– not just 1 day.
We found the city to be ultra-walkable and easy to explore, and we enjoyed staying here because it’s so easy to continue to visit what we wanted to see in combination with other places. We’ve also prepared a post on a few can’t-miss day trips from Valletta that we encourage you to check out.
The Knights of St. John, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, were a military order “granted” the island of Malta by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. (“Granted” in quotations because people already lived here, so a bit odd to be gifted an inhabited island… but we digress.)
Formally known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, the Knights were a medieval Catholic military order founded in the 11th century, tracing their origins to a hospital established in Jerusalem. Originally founded to care for sick and injured pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, it evolved into a military order as the Crusades intensified.
After the loss of Jerusalem in 1187, the order moved its base to the island of Rhodes. The Knights successfully defended Rhodes until 1522, when after a prolonged siege, they were forced to surrender to the Ottomans.
Subsequently, the order moved to Malta in 1530. They rapidly set out to create a fortified city that would serve as their headquarters and protect against potential invasions from the Ottomans. With that aim, they founded Valletta in 1566.
The city played a crucial role in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, successfully repelling the Ottoman forces– considered a pivotal moment in the order’s history. While their influence waned in the 17th and 18th centuries (particularly due to Malta being seized by Napoleon in 1798) their legacy endures through charitable works and the recognition of their contributions to medicine and enduring dedication to the sick and wounded.
Today, the “Sovereign Military Order of Malta” remains a sovereign entity, and while it no longer possesses territorial holdings, it remains a prominent religious institution.
On that note, the influence of the Knights of St. John cannot be understated, even today– particularly in terms of the architectural influence, which can be observed throughout Valletta and is quite a treat to behold. While there, keep an eye out for the fortifications, street construction, and Baroque-style buildings and grand structures built by the Knights.
- Fortifications: The Knights realized the strategic importance of Malta and aimed to make it as impregnable as they could. They built massive fortifications– including bastions, walls, and moats– to surround the entire city. The fortifications served a defensive purpose, but also showcased the military prowess of the order. Even Valletta’s grid street plan, with straight streets intersecting at right angles, was a deliberate design choice by the Knights. This layout facilitated ease of movement and defensive strategies.
- Auberges: The Knights were organized into different langues or national groups. Each of these had their own auberge (an inn, or residence). These auberges were sumptuous structures, typically built around a courtyard, and also served as lodgings for the knights. The Auberge de Castille is a notable example. Each langue of the Knights also had its own chapel within the stunning St. John’s Co-Cathedral, which was constructed between 1573 and 1578 and adorned with carvings, paintings, and sculptures. Don’t miss the Caravaggio!
- Speaking of grandiose architecture, the Grand Master’s Palace served as the official residence of the Grand Master of the order.
2 Days in Valletta
Day 1
Upper Barrakka Gardens, St. John’s Co-Cathedral, and Historic City Center of Valletta
Start your day at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, enjoying panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. The gardens are adorned with sculptures, monuments, and vibrant flowers and are a nice place to chill and relax for a bit. A short walk from Upper Barrakka Gardens, check out the Saluting Battery. Be sure to arrive near noon to witness the traditional noontime gun salute (costs 2€).
Next, walk over St. John’s Co-Cathedral to marvel at Baroque art and Caravaggio’s masterpieces. Despite being an operational Catholic church, it does unfortunately cost 15€ to enter.
After grabbing a bite to eat, head over to the Grand Master’s Palace and State Rooms, which are quite opulent and well-worth a visit, though priced a bit steep for the amount of things to do at 12€. There is a super cool armory (one of the largest collections in Europe) and some beautifully painted frescoes in the hallways.
A short walk from the Grand Master’s Palace, check out the Auberge of Castille, which once served as the residence for the langue of Castille. Next, walk along Merchant Street Market for souvenirs and traditional crafts.
If you’re ready for a bite to eat, check out the sandwiches at Grano nearby.
Recommended Reading
Day 2
Fort St. Elmo, Valletta Waterfront, and Gardens
Start your day at Fort St. Elmo, exploring the National War Museum and the fort’s historic significance. Then, walk over to the Lower Barrakka Gardens (not to be confused with yesterday’s Upper Barrakka Gardens!) to enjoy the views of the harbor and the Breakwater Bridge. It’s such a treat that these gardens are free to enter– we went in and out many times over the course of our stay.
Next, you can meander over to the Valletta Waterfront for a stroll. Nearby, history enthusiasts will of course be drawn to the Lascaris War Rooms, comprising the underground war rooms and tunnels used by the British and American command during World War II, but everyone should go see it.
Indeed, we cannot recommend this place enough– it was the highlight of our visit and a fantastic way to learn about the Maltese contribution to World War II, whose importance cannot be understated. We were disappointed that we didn’t learn about this in school, as Malta was one of the most bombed places in the war and the bravery and suffering of the Maltese people is definitely something worthy of honor and remembrance. The Lascaris War Rooms are unbelievably packed with information– so much so that there’s no way you’ll absorb it all. Still furnished the way they were at the time, it’s a really astonishing experience and one we really recommend.
If you’re more of a historic house fan, you should also visit the Casa Rocca Piccola– a 16th-century palace with historic furniture, paintings, and gardens. The family still lives there (along with their pet parrot and turtle!) and the guided tour on the hour is included with the price of admission. The family is (literally) Maltese royalty, boasting quite a lineage including priests, cardinals, Knights, and more. The memorabilia in the house is quite neat, including genealogy tomes, invitations to the last few English coronations, chess sets, and quite an art collection. One of the highlights of the tour is the underground bomb shelter, previously a well converted into a shelter during World War II.
For dinner, check out some Italian fare at N’duja Osteria (pasta) or Pizzeria Casa Sotto (pizza!)
Where to Eat in Valletta
We’ve mentioned this a bit already… but let’s take a minute to talk about food!
Malta in general is a foodie heaven, with everything from street food to Michelin stars. We had a great time eating out here, and the prices are fairly reasonable, which enabled us to eat out a bit more than we usually do!
Note that, similar to other islands, the grocery prices are a bit eye-popping here, so be prepared to spend a bit more on groceries than you’re accustomed to. And this goes to an extent for restaurants as well, but it’s still cheaper for us than back home. So, do with that information what you will!
As mentioned above, we really enjoyed the pizza at Sotto Valletta, pasta at N’duja, sandwiches at Grano, and traditional Maltese (Michelin-mentioned) at Aaron’s Kitchen. There’s loads of Italian food here, as well as Maltese, Asian fusion, and more.
While here, be sure to try Maltese wine! We really enjoyed sampling the cabernet sauvignon and merlot from local vineyards, available starting at around 7€ per bottle at the supermarket.
Another tip: the supermarkets have delicious fresh cheese, meats, and dips. We loved having these with a glass (or two) of wine on the roof terrace of our Airbnb.
Bonus: Day Trips from Valletta
If you have a few more days (which we really hope you do!) there are several great day trips from Valletta to check out. Since the island is so small, it’s eminently easy to explore– even without a car. We didn’t have one, and had a perfectly wonderful time using local buses and ferries to get around.
On that note, we saw a lot of blogs urging visitors to rent a car (and including affiliate links to car rental services…) To be honest, we don’t think it’s necessary. There’s plenty of public transit, even in the off season, and the distances truly aren’t that long. Some places, like Sliema, St. Julian’s, and the Three Cities, are literally a stone’s throw away, and the traffic even on weekdays was horrendous due to how narrow the roads are.
For our guide to day trips, including Sliema, St. Julian’s, Mdina, Marsaxlokk, Gozo, and more, check out our day trips from Valletta guide.
Be sure to pin our guides for later by clicking on the photos below!
