Valetta Walking Tours

Valetta (actually spelt Valletta) is an old city steeped in the rich history that is evident throughout Europe. Home to many battles, Valletta was walled after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. It is a city so rich in historic buildings that it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fortunately, it is not that big, making it ideal for a walking tour to take in the sites. The city is only a couple of kilometers in length!

And there are certainly plenty of Valetta walking tours available.

In fact, some of the best of them combine modern technology - the ipod - so that you can have your own walking tour entirely at your leisure. These inexpensive walking tours can be downloaded from the internet, and give you a history of the place as you walk.

Valetta walking tours cover the most important tourist sites in Valletta, including:

The Site of the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is in a state of disrepair, having not been fixed since it was bombed in WW2. It was once a thriving cultural center in Valletta.

St. John's Cathedral

St. John's Cathedral is rather boring looking on the outside, but richly decorated inside. The knights from each of the langues (see below for an explanation, in the Auberge de Castille section), had a chapel. And they tried to outdo each other in opulence when decorating them. If you don't like walking on people's graves, you might be unnerved to discover that the floor is composed of the Knights' graves, inlaid in marble of different colors. The ceiling is a single fresco by the artist Mattia Preti.

The Palace of the Grand Masters

Named no doubt from it's genesis as the central governing location of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Masters was also used by the British, and the Government there today. It is closed to the public when Parliament sits, but is otherwise open. It is decorated with tapestries made in France for one of the 'Grand Master', and there are many other art objects, armor, and coats of arms inside.

St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral

St Paul's was the first Protestant church built in Malta, at the behest of Queen Adelaide in 1838, who contributed 10,000 pounds to the construction of the project. It was built on a site that used to have the Auberge, or inn, of Germany (see the Auberge de Castille for an explanation). Completed in 1844, it includes a Gothic spire and 8 ionic columns.

The Manoel Theater

The Manoel Theater is used these days for many classical music performances, as well as plays and operas. It was built in the 17th century, and has been maintained in its' original state. It was built to provide leisure activities for the Knights, and has internationally recognized acoustics.

Auberge de Castille

The Auberge de Castille is not open to the public as it is now the home of the Prime Minister of Malta. The facade of the Auberge de Castille is a great example of 18th century Baroque architecture, and was designed by the architect Andrea Belli in 1741. It was created on a building built in the 16th century that reflects the varied history of Valletta under the 'Knights of St John'.

This Auberge, or inn, was one of seven built for each of their languages, or nationalities (langue). (There were actually 8 langues, but only 7 built). The auberges were to be homes for the knights who didn't have their own home in Malta, though they were also used to extend hospitality to those travelers of note who visited Malta.

And the Auberge de Castille was the home to those knights from Castille, Leon, and Portugal. These knights were responsible for the defence of part of the fortifications of Valletta, and were quite powerful in the Order.

The Upper Barrakka gardens

There are actually Upper and Lower Barrakka gardens. Both have excellent views of the Grand Harbor. From the Lower Barrakka gardens you can also see Fort Ricasoli, Bighi Palace, Fort St. Angelo and the creeks of Vittoriosa and Kalkara.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens also provide panoramic views of the Three Cities, and is a place many go to in order to relax. It was once a private garden of the Knights, and is near the Prime Minister's offices at the Auberge de Castille.

Both gardens have monuments of various historical figures.

Fort St. Elmo

The Fort St Elmo played an important part in the Dragut Raid in 1551. It was defended to the death by the Knights when the Turks were invading, giving valuable time to the other Knights to prepare a defence. When they were wounded, they continued fighting in chairs until they couldn't raise their arms any more.

You may find your Valetta walking tour a little tiring, as the city os located on hills that can be quite steepn in parts. But fortunately there are plenty of restaurants and bars along the way to break the tour!