Valletta. Malta, Pt 1

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A UNESCO World Heritage site, Valletta, Malta's tiny but vibrant capital city, packs a lot into its narrow streets: fabulous Baroque architecture in golden sandstone, gardens where lizards scurry and fountains tinkle, funky bars and restaurants where tables and chairs perched on flights of steps look ready to topple but don't, fascinating museums, a working harbour, and, like most European cities of note, beautiful churches.  

 

There are very few cars as most streets are too steep and narrow for them, so it's a wonderful place to walk around. Practically every street has something to look at including the diverse array of door knockers, enclosed wooden balconies of all colours of the rainbow, marble statues perched on street corners and bars with blaring signs and good music.​

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Top 10 reasons to visit Valletta

1. Valletta's enthralling history is everywhere, from St Johns Co-Cathedral built by the Knights of St John in the 16th century to monuments built in memory of Malta's bravery during World War 2. 

2. It is an open-air museum, with religious statutary and gorgeous churches on nearly every street and some beautiful examples of Baroque architecture. 

3. Art buffs will love Valletta - Caravaggio spent much of his life in Malta. One of his most famous paintings is housed in St John's Co-Cathedral with a religious art museum due to open soon. There's an excellent contemporary art gallery, and other boutique galleries dotted round the city including one devoted to abstract artist Victor Passmore.

4. It's a photographer's paradise, with a wealth of colourful gardens with fountains, the harbour where working cargo ships rub shoulders with massive cruisers, and the winding streets sporting colourful wooden balconies.

5. There is heaps to do - museums include the Museum of Archaeology and the War Museum, walking tours abound or make up your own, there are some superb shops to explore, many containing examples of Malta's lovely blue glassware, and there are bars and restaurants on practically every street for when you need refreshment.

6. Stay in a palace or mansion - many hotels and apartments have been converted from 17th and 18th century homes of the rich and infamous. We stayed in the breathtaking Palazzo Prince d'Orange - watch the video.

7. Valletta makes a great place for exploring the rest of Malta - the bus station and taxi rank are conveniently located on the edge of town within walking distance of most hotels or apartments

8. You can swim in the harbour - the sea is so clean you can even swim off the rocky beaches round the harbour, with better beaches just a short bus ride away. 

9. For foodies, the sky's the limit with Maltese specialities including rabbit stew on sale in many restaurants as well as fresh seafood and other staples of Mediterranean cuisine everywhere.

10. The climate is fantastic - mild most of the year.

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War museum

The stand out sight for us was the War Museum, housed in a number of buildings at Fort St Elmo which the Knights of St John built in the 16th century to defend Malta against the Ottoman Empire. Displays, videos, original war machinery and lively explanatory text reveal the fascinating history of this much-invaded country and tell a series of stories to keep things interesting and engaging. It's a lot of fun and we learnt a lot too.

 

Set aside a full half-day to see this place: we only had two hours and had to rush round the last bit.

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Living the good life

The restaurants and bars in Valletta are vibrant and lively and often have live music. Maltese cuisine is very influenced by the nearby country of Italy so if you like pizza and pasta you're in luck. However, there are also places where fabulous Mediterranean cuisine is served and restaurants serving food from Spain, France, Greece, India, Thailand, China and more.

 

There is a marvellous delicatessen near the cathedral where you can buy delicious cheeses, olives, wine and other yummy things.

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Maltese people are extremely helpful and friendly, they're proud of their city and want you to enjoy it too. Leave the diet and sobriety pact at home and be bacchanalian for a while.

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Getting there

Budget airlines such as Ryan Air fly to Valletta from most European cities, while for Australians and Americans, major airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airlines fly there via their respective gateways of Dubai and Doha.

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Do you have questions or comments about this article? Email maddestinations@gmail.com or leave a comment under the video.

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