5 Best Sights in Valletta, Malta

Built in 1552 by the Knights of St. John to defend the harbor, this fort was completely destroyed during the Great Siege of 1565 by the Ottoman Turks and was rebuilt by succeeding military leaders. It has both fantastic views and is also now home to the excellent National War Museum. Malta's history is one of invasion, and the museum charts this in gripping detail through the ages. It is particularly strong on the reign of the Knights, who, when kicked out of Rhodes in 1522 by the Ottoman Turks, resumed their struggle for religious hegemony in Malta over countless battles, sieges, and raids. It also delves well into the tug-of-war between Napoléon and the British, as well as the island's fate during World War II, offering easily the most comprehensive historical overview of Valletta. Its audio-visual tales are also often nail-biting, particularly the tale of "Operation Pedestal," in which the Allied forces sought to squeeze a supply ship through enemy lines to Malta in 1942 and, in doing so, changed the course of the war. Alongside this are a collection of rare military objects, including President Roosevelt's Jeep, "Husky," and one of the Gloster Sea Gladiator biplanes that defended the island so stoutly.

Back in 1943, this underground tunnel complex arguably decided the course of World War II. It was then that President Eisenhower and the Allied commanders were plotting the invasion of Sicily (known as Operation Husky)—one of the first major assaults to retake Europe from the Axis powers. It was later used by NATO to track Soviet subs up until 1977. The site of this top-secret HQ has been carefully restored to its heyday, and twice-daily guided tours take you through the intricacies of planning such a game-changing operation long before computers were able to plot each movement—complicated military coordination was done with phones, string, and a chalkboard. The entrance is up at the Saluting Battery, with steps leading down from there. Guided tours of the rooms and tunnels are available daily at 10:30 and 1.

After the Great Siege of 1565, the Knights learned from their travails. In building their grand fortress of Valletta, a labyrinth of tunnels was dug beneath the city so that in the event of future attacks, they could be used for troop movement. They also performed more practical functions, including drainage and storage for both grain and water. More than 1,000 cisterns were buried underground, and the bulk of the city's nonpotable water came from these. Centuries later, as World War II rained bombs down on the city, these cisterns and reservoirs were expanded into a series of shelters---you can still see the graffiti from bored citizens on their walls. For many years, these depths were off-limits (many of the tunnels still are and have been turned into private basements), but hour-long tours now guide groups around a small section. Tickets are available from the MUŻA ticket office or online. Tours are hourly between 10 am and 1 pm, with an extra 2 pm tour at weekends; closed-toe shoes are mandatory. 

One of the last of Malta's patrician houses still to be occupied was the first to be opened up to visitors. The ninth Marquis de Piro and his family can trace their lineage back to when the Knights of the Order of St. John fled Rhodes for Malta in 1530, and you can see the family history laid out in their home's decor. The exquisite 16th-century house displays generations' worth of what the family calls "aristocratic bric-a-brac," including stools given to them for attending the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II; a beautiful, 18th-century, portable, baroque chapel used for baptisms; and works by the artist Giuseppi Cali, the Marquis's great-grandfather and painter of the Rotunda at Mosta. Each charts the history of the family, the house, or Valletta itself, while beneath the house lies the remains of a vast World War II bunker, one of around 30 built across the city as the bombs started falling. It was dug from the quarry in which the stone for the house was cut some four centuries earlier. If you pay extra, you can get a personal guided tour by a family member, who can share some rather unique tales of Maltese history.  Casa Rocca Piccola also offers B&B stays, with five rooms set aside for guests (doubles from €180; two-night minimum), offering a taste of aristocratic life. Breakfast is taken in the exquisite courtyard, complete with the family parrot for company.

Before they were famed for their military exploits, the Knights of St. John were a medical order, set up by Pope Gregory in 603 AD to care for sick and injured pilgrims arriving in the Holy Land. When they opened La Sacra Infermeria (The Holy Infirmary) in Valletta in 1574, it was revolutionary, although its amazing results were partly due to the Knights' predilection for serving food on silver plates—the metal has antibacterial qualities that weren't understood at the time; the knights just found them easier to clean. This building (now a conference center) can be seen on tours booked across the road at The Malta Experience, a multimedia presentation on the history of the islands that is given daily on the hour and concludes with a 30-minute visit to La Sacra Infermeria. The latter is also available to see on self-guided AR tours that can be booked on-site, but having a guide is definitely recommended; this is a rather baffling place to explore alone, and visits benefit exponentially from the added color of someone who knows its story.