My third day in Malta was dedicated to exploring the tiny country’s capital city. At around 9 am this morning, I and my friend Lee, we were getting on that bus in Sliema. Soon later, there we were: downtown Valetta city.
I have been to countless different cities throughout my life and I’m not generally a great fan of them. I never expect to be left open-mouthed upon visiting yet another one. Setting foot in Valetta, though, this time, I couldn’t but gape at the surrounding grandeur engulfed in inspiriting awe.
What a city! What a miracle! What a sublime example of human industry and ingenuity! A tall and narrow, wave-stricken, bare rock turned into a gem of order and beauty!
We spent an excellent morning and afternoon walking around the small city’s narrow pathways, wondering at the elegant limestone-white buildings, the lush hidden gardens, and the astonishing views of the enveloping, agitated Mediterranean Sea.
Here comes a list of some of the most interesting sights worth checking out in the city of Valetta…
Agrotti Botanical Gardens
One very appealing sight that seldom makes a part of a tour in Valetta is the Agrotti Botanical Gardens. In fact, the gardens are not really located in Valetta, but in the adjacent to it town of Floriana. In this case, that was where we got off the bus, right before the capital city’s entrance, so we decided to pay a visit to the nearby gardens.
Apparently, prearrangement is necessary in order to enter these gardens, which are maintained by the University of Malta. We didn’t yet know that. We just spotted a small open side door and in we walked. Eventually, the staff noticed us, let us know that the site is normally not open to the public, and asked us to pay a small contribution since we had already anyway entered. We paid €3 each, which wasn’t something to regret.
It was a very pleasant stroll around these beautiful gardens, many of whose architectural features date back to the 18th century. They keep a really astounding collection of rare flora, which one can spend hours watching and reading about. Some great views may also be seen from the elevated parts of the gardens. Lastly, two interesting churches, known as Sarria Church and Robert Sammut Hall, are located beside the gardens.
Triton Fountain
We continued our walk down the Mall Park-Avenue towards Valetta. Right before the City Gate, we came to that large square hosting the Triton Fountain. This mythology-themed fountain is one of the city’s most renown landmarks. It consists of three rather huge bronze Triton statues jointly holding up a basin whence the water spurts out. The artwork was originally made in the 50s, but subsequently collapsed and was repaired a number of times ever since. It was raised again in its current state at the beginning of 2018.
New Parliament Building
We walked past the City Gate of Valetta, which is the 5th one to be constructed throughout the city’s history, and entered the fortified part of the city. The first thing you see once you pass the gate is the New Parliament of Malta. The building was completed in 2015 and caused quite a controversy amongst the Maltese. Critics reproved the project for being excessively costly, as well as for its hypermodern design not being in harmony with the rest of the city’s classic style. This latter criticism went as far as UNESCO calling into question Valetta’s World Heritage Site status.
St. James Cavalier
Right behind the Parliament, you find a 16th-century cavalier built by the Knight Order of St. John who settled in Malta and ruled it during that period. The fort was restored during Malta’s Millennium Project and is nowadays operating as a cultural centre. At the time of my visit there, we happened on an art exhibition of Maltese artist Patrick J Fenech.
Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria
By the northeastern side of the cavalier, this is where the Knights built their church, too. It is a really pretty 16th-century building.
Upper Barracca Gardens
Having taken care of their housing and Pope-favoring, the Knights needed also a secluded place to hang out and entertain themselves. So they made this beautiful garden, which remained their exclusive privilege to use until the end of the French occupation in 1800, when the garden was opened to the public. This was one of my favorite spots in Valetta. There are some really nice, reminiscent of epical bygone times architecture, and the views from the garden’s terrace down to the Grand Harbour and Malta’s Three Cities are really stunning.
St. John’s Cathedral
Heading towards the centre of the city, we went past the Cathedral of St. John. This is one of Valetta’s most prominent temples. It was also built in the 16th century by the Knights of St. John.
Malta Law Courts
By the left side of St. John’s Cathedral, lie the Law Courts of Malta which are hosted in an elegant neoclassical building.
Republic Square & National Library
This is a little square hidden between the city’s tightly clustered buildings. Malta’s National Library is located there, and the cute cafes on the square make a great spot to have a cup of coffee and chill.
St. George’s Square & Grandmaster’s Palace
St. George’s Square is the very heart of Valetta. It is a rather large square for such a tight city as Valetta. Its middle is occupied by a ground-level fountain and various artworks are found around its area. Here is also located the Grandmaster’s Palace, which is one of the city’s most famous sights. As its name implies, this building used to be the palace of the Grandmaster of the Knights of St. John. It was then used as the residence of the island’s Governor during British rule. And finally, nowadays, it houses the office of the country’s President. In front of it, you can see two silly-dressed blokes ceremonially pacing back and forth along the building’s facade. They are dubbed guards but their actual occupation gets closer to being a living tourist attraction, in what must be the world’s most tedious profession.
Lower Baracca Gardens
This is the lower part of the Barracca Gardens. Some more nice monuments and great views can be seen from here.
Fort St. Elmo & St. Elmo Lighthouse
The tip of the Sciberras Peninsula, on which Valetta is built, is occupied by the Fort of Saint Elmo. The first fortification works on the site took place at the beginning of the 15th century and it acquired most of its present state by the middle of the 16th. It kept being in military employment all the way up to WWII. The fort is currently under restoration and it hosts the National War Museum of Malta.
I didn’t have much time, so instead of going inside the fort, I preferred to take the walk around it instead. This was probably the most scenic and exhilarating walk I got to do in the Maltese capital city: constantly striding along the wave-stricken rocky shore, between the fort’s soaring walls and the wide unsettled Mediterranean. On the very tip of the promontory, there is a large metallic bridge connecting to a long and narrow breakwater leading to St. Elmo Lighthouse: one of the most picturesque places I got to see in the country altogether. Unfortunately, access over the bridge is, for some reason, restricted.
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