37 Sights in Valletta, Malta (with Map and Images)
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Explore interesting sights in Valletta, Malta. Click on a marker on the map to view details about it. Underneath is an overview of the sights with images. A total of 37 sights are available in Valletta, Malta.
Sightseeing Tours in VallettaActivities in Valletta1. The Phoenicia
Book Ticket*The Phoenicia Malta, formerly called the Le Méridien Phoenicia, is a 5-star hotel in Floriana, Malta. The Art Deco hotel was built in the 1930s, and was opened in November 1947. It is regarded as one of the top hotels in Malta. The hotel had one of the earliest restaurants of good standards in Malta in the 1950s. It had three floors originally, but further floors were built along the years.
2. Casa Rocca Piccola
Book Ticket*Casa Rocca Piccola is a 16th-century palace in Malta, and home of the noble Maltese family de Piro. It is situated in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. There are daily tours from 10am till 5pm. The palace includes a restaurant called La Giara Restaurant.
3. St. Paul
Book Ticket*St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, officially The Pro-Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Paul, is an Anglican pro-cathedral of the Diocese in Europe situated in Independence Square, Valletta, Malta. A "pro-cathedral" is a church with cathedral status though not being the main cathedral. It is one of three cathedrals of the Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.
4. St. John's Co-Cathedral
St John's Co-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Conventual Church of Saint John.
5. Church of Saint James
The Church of St James is a Roman Catholic church in Valletta, Malta. A previous Mannerist church was built on site in the early 17th century and demolished in the early 18th century to build the present baroque church. Built on the designs of Romano Carrapecchia, the church served for religious service to the Langue of Castille. It remain an active church, found in Merchants Street, and it is a scheduled cultural building in a World Heritage Site. The church has a number of artistic features, including its imposing façade and paintings, one drawn by Filippo Paladini and another dating back than the present church itself. Nowadays the church is also used for services by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
6. Knisja tal-Ġiżwiti
The Church of the Circumcision of Our Lord, also known as the Church of the Jesuits or the Church of the University, is one of the oldest and largest churches in Valletta, Malta. It was originally built between 1593 and 1609 by the Jesuit order, and it is located adjacent to the Old University Building, which originally housed a Jesuit college known as the Collegium Melitense. The church was rebuilt in the Baroque style by Francesco Buonamici after suffering extensive damage in an explosion in 1634. The church remained in use after the Jesuits were expelled from Malta in 1768, and it is also used for Masters and Doctoral graduation ceremonies of the University of Malta, the successor to the Collegium.
7. Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House, also known as the Royal Theatre, was an opera house and performing arts venue in Valletta, Malta. It was designed by the English architect Edward Middleton Barry and was erected in 1866. In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged by fire but was eventually restored by 1877. The theatre received a direct hit from aerial bombing in 1942 during World War II. Prior to its destruction, it was one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in Valletta. After several abandoned plans to rebuild the theatre, the ruins were redesigned by the Italian architect Renzo Piano and in 2013 it once again started functioning as a performance venue, called Pjazza Teatru Rjal.
8. Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows is a Roman Catholic church in Pietà, Malta. It was established in the late 16th or early 17th century near a cemetery in which victims of the 1592–1593 Malta plague epidemic were buried. It was originally dedicated to Saint Roch, but after a convent was built next to it in the early 17th century it was rededicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. The church later gave its name to the town of Pietà which developed nearby, and the present building dates back to the mid-18th century when it was reconstructed. Both the church and the convent are currently in the hands of a Catholic youth ministry.
9. Main Guard
The Main Guard, originally called the Guardia della Piazza, is a building in Valletta, Malta, located in the square facing the Grandmaster's Palace in the city centre. It was originally built as a guardhouse in 1603 by the Order of St. John, and it remained in use after the British took over Malta in 1800. A Neoclassical portico was added in 1814, and a British coat of arms and a commemorative inscription were installed later on above the portico. These have become one of the main symbols of British rule in Malta. The building used to house the Office of the Attorney General.
10. Msida Bastion Cemetery
The Msida Bastion Historic Garden, also Msida Bastion Cemetery or Msida Bastion Garden of Rest is a former Protestant cemetery in Floriana, Malta, in use from 1806 till 1856. It was restored and reopened as a garden in 2002. It is listed in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands under number 52, as a Grade 1 Monument. Currently, Din l-Art Ħelwa are the caretakers of the Msida Bastions with a team of over 25 volunteers coordinated by the garden's Warden, all aiding in the general upkeep and research of the site.
11. Palace Armoury
The Palace Armoury is an arms collection housed at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta, Malta. It was the main armoury of the Order of St. John in the 17th and 18th centuries, and as such it was the last arsenal established by a crusader military order. Although today only a part of the original armoury still survives, it is still one of the world's largest collections of arms and armour still housed in its original building. The Palace Armoury has been open to the public as a museum since 1860.
12. Auberge d'Italie
The Auberge d'Italie is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built at various stages in the late 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Italy, and it originally had a Mannerist design by Girolamo Cassar and several other architects. The building continued to be modified throughout the course of the 17th century, with the last major renovation being carried out in the 1680s during the magistracy of Gregorio Carafa, giving the building a Baroque character.
13. Church of Saint Nicholas
The Church of Saint Nicholas, also known as the Church of All Souls, is a Greek Catholic church in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Originally built as a Greek Orthodox church in 1569, it was conceded to the Confraternity of the Souls in Purgatory in 1639, who rebuilt the church in the Baroque style in 1652. The church was passed back to the Greek Catholic congregation in 2014 however the church is used from Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
14. Malta Memorial
The Malta Memorial is a war memorial monument to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives in the various Second World War air battles and engagements around the Mediterranean, whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
15. Hastings Garden
Hastings Gardens is a public garden in Valletta, Malta. It is located on top of St. John's Bastion and St. Michael's Bastion, on the west side of the City Gate. The garden offers views of Floriana, Msida, Sliema, and Manoel Island. Inside the garden is a monument placed by the Hastings family in honor of Francis, Marquis of Hastings, who was a governor of Malta. Lord Hastings died in 1826 and is buried in the garden.
16. Basilica of Our Lady of Carmel
The Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Carmelite Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located in Valletta, Malta. It is one of the major churches of Valletta, and it forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes the entire city. The present church was constructed between 1958 and 1981 on the site of a late 16th century church which was destroyed during World War II.
Wikipedia: Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta (EN)
17. Manoel Theatre
Teatru Manoel is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fra António Manoel de Vilhena, who ordered its construction in 1731. The theatre is reputed to be Europe's third-oldest working theatre, and the oldest theatre still in operation in the Commonwealth of Nations.
18. Lift to Valletta
The Barrakka Lift is a lift in Valletta, Malta which was constructed in 2012, on the site of a previous lift which had operated from 1905 to 1973 and which was demolished in 1983. It is located inside the ditch of the fortifications of Valletta, and it links Lascaris Wharf to St. Peter and Paul Bastion and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It therefore allows access from the Grand Harbour to the city.
19. Our Lady of Victory Church
The Our Lady of Victory Church, formerly known as the Saint Anthony the Abbot Church, was the first church and building completed in Valletta, Malta. In 1566, following the Great Siege of Malta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette and his Order showed interest to build a church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin as a form of thanksgiving; the construction was funded by De Valette.
20. Church of the Madonna of Liesse
The Church of Our Lady of Liesse is a church in Valletta, Malta. The church was built in 1740 on the site of a 17th-century church. The cupola was built to the designs of the Maltese architect Francesco Zammit. The church is located near the shores of the Grand Harbour, close to Lascaris Battery and the site of the fish market. It is especially venerated by the people of the port area.
21. Sacra Infermeria & Mediterranian Conference Center
The Mediterranean Conference Centre is a conference centre in Valletta, Malta. The building was built as a hospital in the 16th century by the Order of St. John, and it was known as the Sacra Infermeria or the Holy Infirmary. It was known as the Grand Hôspital during the French occupation of Malta and during the British period was named as the Station Hospital.
22. Auberge de Bavière
The Auberge de Bavière is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built as Palazzo Carneiro in 1696, and it was the residence of Grand Master Marc'Antonio Zondadari in the early 18th century. In 1784, it was converted into the auberge for the Anglo-Bavarian langue of the Order of Saint John, and it remained so until the French occupation of Malta in 1798.
23. The Fortress Builders - Fortifications Interpretation Centre
The Fortress Builders – Fortification Interpretation Centre (FIC) is an interpretation centre about the fortifications of Malta. It is housed in a late 16th-century warehouse located near the St. Andrew's Bastion in Valletta, Malta. The centre was opened in 2013, and it aims at communicating Malta's military architecture in an interactive way.
Wikipedia: Fortifications Interpretation Centre (EN), Website
24. HMS Maori
HMS Maori was a Tribal-class destroyer named after the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand. She served with the United Kingdom Mediterranean Fleet during World War II until she was bombed and sunk by German aircraft while at Malta in 1942. Her wreck was later raised and scuttled outside the Grand Harbour. The wreck is now a dive site.
25. Alexandro Ioan Ball EQ. Bar.
The Monument to Sir Alexander Ball is a neoclassical monument in the Lower Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1810 as a memorial to Sir Alexander Ball, a British admiral who was the first Civil Commissioner of Malta. Attributed to the architect Giorgio Pullicino, the monument is in the form of an ancient Greek temple.
26. Knisja tal-Madalena
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is a Roman Catholic church building in Valletta, Malta. The church, named after Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, was part of the Magdalene asylum situated adjacent to the church. The church was deconsecrated in the mid 20th century and was blessed again by Bishop Charles Scicluna on 25 February 2015.
27. National War Museum
The National War Museum is a museum in Fort Saint Elmo in the city of Valletta, Malta. It is one of the most popular museums in Malta. From 1975 to 2014, its collection mainly focused on World War I and World War II. It was refurbished in 2015, and its collections now include exhibits ranging from the Bronze Age to 2004.
28. Church of Our Lady of Pilar
The Church of Our Lady of the Pillar is a 17th-century church located in Valletta, Malta. The church was built as the church of the Aragonese knights and modeled according to the plans of the architect Romano Carapecchia. The church is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.
29. Auberge d'Aragon
The Auberge d'Aragon is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1571 to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia. It is the only surviving auberge in Valletta which retains its original Mannerist design by the architect Girolamo Cassar.
30. St. Anne's Chapel
The Church of St Anne is a former Roman Catholic church located in Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the 1720s and it was deconsecrated while the fort was controlled by the British military. The building has been restored and it is now known as the Memorial Building.
31. Lascaris War Rooms
The Lascaris War Rooms are an underground complex of tunnels and chambers in Valletta, Malta that housed the War Headquarters from where the defence of the island was conducted during the Second World War. The rooms were later used by NATO and are now open to the public as a museum.
32. Lion Fountain
The Lion Fountain, also known as the Vilhena Fountain, is a Baroque fountain located in St Anne Square in Floriana, Malta. It was installed in 1728 by Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, and it was relocated a few metres from its original location in the 1950s.
33. Church of St Catherine of Alexandria
The Church of St Catherine of Alexandria, commonly known as the Church of St Catherine of Italy is a Roman Catholic church in Valletta, Malta. It was built by the Hospitaller Langue of Italy and it serves as the parish church of the Italian community of Malta.
Wikipedia: Church of Saint Catherine of Italy, Valletta (EN)
34. Malta Law Courts
The Courts of Justice building is a courthouse located in Republic Street, Valletta, Malta. It was built in the neoclassical style between 1965 and 1971 on the site of Auberge d'Auvergne, which had been destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II.
35. Church of the Madonna of Fair Havens and Saint Dominic
The Basilica of St Dominic or also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St Dominic is one of the three parish churches of Valletta, Malta. It is administered by the Dominican Order whose convent is located behind the church.
36. St. Lucia Church
The Church of St Lucy is a small Roman Catholic church situated in Valletta, Malta. The church was built in 1570 and features a titular painting above the high altar and the corpse of St Lucian, the martyr.
37. St. Paul's Shipwreck
The Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, also known as simply the Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Valletta, Malta. It is one of Valletta's oldest churches.
Wikipedia: Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck (EN)
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