12 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.

What appears a rather functional-looking building from the outside is deceiving. Inside, this is one of the world's most lavishly decorated baroque cathedrals. The discrepancy between its exterior and interior reflect the different eras through which it has stood. It was completed in 1578 by the Knights of St. John as their own church. In the 17th century, the order's mounting treasures from the Holy Land and the desire to build a cathedral to rival those of Rome saw it get a spectacular makeover. A floor made up of a patchwork of colored-marble tombstones (the final resting place of some 375 knights and officers of the order) shines beneath a breathtakingly intricate arched ceiling largely decorated by the Calabrian artist and knight Mattia Preti. In the Oratory is Caravaggio's only signed work, the dramatic and unsparing Beheading of John the Baptist (1607), which hangs above the very spot where the rogue artist was defrocked and deknighted following a brawl (he had already fled to Malta to escape punishment for murder). Also hanging here is another of the artist's works, the touchingly frail image of Saint Jerome Writing (1606), which found infamy after it was stolen from the Co-Cathedral in 1984 and held hostage. The cathedral museum is currently being extended to include a special area dedicated to Caravaggio and its collections of silver, tapestries, and vestments (and should fully open in 2025). The entrance fee includes an audio guide. Public access (main ticket office) is on Republic St.  Narrow-heeled shoes such as stilettos are not allowed, but slippers can be purchased at reception; women in short skirts will be given coverings.

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.

This 19th-century market hall was once a bit of an eyesore, but has had a much-needed makeover. Built in 1860, and the first building on the island to be constructed out of metal, it now houses a bustling basement food market heaving with wines, oils, and gourmet tidbits, as well as a ground floor that hosts a wide range of street food stalls (tapas, Japanese, Mexican, pastizzi). Outdoor seating and an upstairs exhibition space complete the picture. Hours are daily until 11 pm.

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.

Malta's largest art museum lies within the UNESCO-listed Auberge d'Italie, a stately 16th-century building that once housed Italian members of the Knights of St. John before becoming Valletta's first public museum in 1924. MUŻA houses some 20,000 works of art, flying the flag for Maltese and Mediterranean art dating back to the 17th century, and telling the story of how expression on the island changed through the influx of artists into Valletta during the heyday of the Knights of St. John and under the rule of the colonial Brits.

The story of St Catherine's Monastery dates back to 1575 when it began as a home for orphaned girls. Its "control rooms," where women considered a threat to the morality of the time were taken, hint at darker stories that go unmentioned, but what is touched on here is mostly the day-to-day lives of the girls and the work they did. The monastery opened its underground complex to visitors for the first time in 2023, and it is still occupied by three nuns, whose living area is off-limits. The site includes a burial chamber, as once entering the monastery, the nuns made a vow never to leave its walls again, even in death—many of their bones still lie in state. Far less gruesome is the monastery's charming courtyard garden, home to terrapins, coy carp, and dozing cats. 

The museum is housed in the Auberge de Provence (the hostel of the Knights from Provence). The building's Gran Salon alone is as breathtaking an example of the baroque style as you'll see in Malta outside of the Co-Cathedral. The museum has an excellent collection of finds from Malta's many prehistoric sites—Tarxien, Haġar Qim, and the Hypogeum at Paola. The intricately carved figurine of the Sleeping Lady, found at the Hypogeum, dates back almost 5,000 years. You'll also find information on the ancient "cart ruts" that you'll see in the northwest, not far from Rabat.

The importance of St. Paul to the Maltese explains the work lavished on this baroque marvel, with its raised central vault, oval dome, and marble columns. The os brachii (arm bone) relic of the saint is housed in a chapel on the right, a splendid gated chapel is on the left, and a baptismal font stands by the entrance.

Here, knights once honed their fencing skills under a covered loggia (now open to the sky). Today, a troupe of stray cats and some greenery occupy this lofty lookout offering the best uninterrupted views of Grand Harbour and the Three Cities across the water. A cannon is fired at noon and 4 pm, daily (except Sunday), at the Saluting Battery following a practice that, from the 1820s on, served to help shipmasters calibrate their onboard chronographers, which were used to help navigate. Once you've soaked up the views, take the elevator 165 feet down to the harbor below.