Valletta, the European Union’s smallest capital city, packs a punch. Hugely walkable, at less than a kilometre square, it is packed with history to the point that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We were desperately searching for a holiday destination which would allow us to get some sun on our skin last February, and Valletta showed up in our searches as the sunniest city in Europe. Geographically speaking this isn’t surprising, since it’s also the southernmost capital in Europe (Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is further south, and while culturally and politically usually considered part of Europe, it’s geographically part of Asia).
While I was researching this trip, I found mixed reviews about Valletta. However, as someone who is a sucker for Baroque architecture, faded grandeur, and places rich in history, Valletta was right up my street. In this post, I’m focusing on the paid museums and attractions we visited in Valletta. In my next post, I’ll cover my favourite free(ish) photography hotspots. You can find all my Valletta posts here.
You can buy a 10-day Malta Discount Card for 34.99 EUR, which offers discounts at some of these attractions (and others). It wasn’t worth it for us, but you might get more use out of it during a longer stay.
Maltese History in Valletta
Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum
Make this your first fort of call! We visited Fort St Elmo on our final afternoon because we had some time to kill before our flight – what a mistake! While it has a military focus, The National War Museum offers so much more than the name suggests and it’s a great way to orient yourself in the history of Malta, from the bronze ages to the Second World War. We gained useful context which would have helped before exploring some of the other attractions. What is the Order of Saint John? Was Malta part of the British Empire?
Each period is represented in a different room, but even the walks between them provide an opportunity to soak up the scenery of the fort itself.
Prices: Adults 10 EUR / Concessions (including Students) 7.50 EUR / Children (6-11) 5.50 EUR / Children (1-5) free / Heritage Malta Members or Passport Holders free / 50% discount with Malta Discount Card
Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 daily
Lascaris War Rooms
This museum offers a chance to visit the site of Britain’s War HQ in Malta, and the restoration undertaken is impressive. Given my limited knowledge of Maltese history, I would have got more out of this visit if I’d been to Fort St Elmo beforehand. However, it was still very interesting. The way it’s been restored reminded me of Bletchley Park, another of my favourite museums.
The entrance to Lascaris War Rooms was quite hard to find – we paid at the Saluting Battery entrance in Upper Barrakka Gardens, and then walked through some car parks, and under the gardens, then through the tunnels until we reached the entrance to the museum. It is signposted from the exit from the Saluting Battery but the place it’s marked on Google Maps isn’t the most logical when you’re trying to find it.
Prices: Adults 14 EUR / Seniors 12 EUR / Children (5-15) 7 EUR / Family (2 adults and 3 children) 28 EUR
Opening Hours: 10:00-16:30 Monday to Saturday
Malta Postal Museum
A lot of the history in Malta is told through a military lens. The Malta Postal Museum takes a different approach and tells the story of the island through its postal service. I found this really interesting – especially the section on the plague, as I’d just submitted an assignment about plague responses in Europe during the early modern period. The collection of every Maltese stamp issued was also surprisingly interesting to browse – I enjoyed spotting trends in design over time.
This museum is also an arts hub, and they were between exhibitions when we visited, so we received a discount on the ticket price, which was appreciated.
Prices: Adult 7 EUR / Concessions (not students) 6 EUR
Opening Hours: 10:00-16:00 Monday to Friday, 10:00-14:00 Saturday
Religious Sites in Valletta
St John’s Co-Cathedral (and Belfry Tour)
The Co-Cathedral is thus called because it shares its status with the older Cathedral of Saint Paul in Mdina. It was completed in 1577, and similarly to the Grand Master’s Palace, the Mannerist exterior hides a completely different interior style. If you thought the Grand Master’s Palace was grand, the co-cathedral will blow your mind. I’m no stranger to a church, but this is a baroque masterpiece on another level.
This is another one of the main attractions of Valletta, so if you want to avoid the crowds, visiting first thing may help. While it doesn’t look that busy in these photographs, it felt crowded. We visited mid-morning and I think our visit might have coincided with some tour groups.
There isn’t a fixed route around the church, and you can pick and choose which sections of the audio guide to listen to. The highlights for me were the incredible skeletons on the marble floor, Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist, and the belfry tour. This small group tour takes you to a balcony inside the church where you can see the roof in more detail. You then head up to the clock tower and can enjoy far-reaching views. The tour guide also gave us more information about the history of the church and I thought it was worth the additional fee.
Prices: Adults 15 EUR / concessions 12 EUR / Children (under 12) free (I think there is an additional charge for the belfry tour)
Opening hours: 09:00-16:45 (last admission 16:15) Monday to Saturday
Mysterium Fidei
Meaning ‘Mystery of Faith’, Mysterium Fidei is a self-guided tour of a section of a convent in the centre of Valletta. There are signs up, but you can also download an app for more information on each area. It is a very peaceful experience, and the central garden is a beautiful oasis, and home to several animals. A small group of nuns still live on the upper levels of the building, and I hope they get to enjoy the garden when the visitors leave. I appreciated that the tour doesn’t shy away from the hardships of convent life, especially for those who did not make their own choice to take their vows.
It’s fair to say that I have a soft spot for nuns, so I loved this experience. Ben was less keen on the religious side of things, but we both appreciated the tranquillity of the garden.
Prices: Adults 8 EUR / Children (5-11) 4 EUR / Children (under 5) free
Opening Hours: 09:30-16:30 Monday to Saturday, 09:30-16:00 Sunday
Palaces of Valletta
Grand Master’s Palace
The recently renovated Grand Master’s Palace is magnificent. It’s also very popular, so if you want to wander at leisure, take photos of long empty corridors, or pretend you are a Grand Master, I’d recommend getting there when it opens at 10 am so you have the place somewhat to yourself.
The palace was constructed by the Order of St John between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Mannerist exterior hides additions in a variety of styles made by subsequent Grand Masters and other rulers over the years. Nowadays, it’s the home of the Office of the President of Malta.
There are several sections of the palace to explore – we started in the courtyard, followed by the armoury, and finally the extensive staterooms.
Prices: Adults 12 EUR / Concessions (excluding Students) 10 EUR / Children (6-11) 8 EUR / Children (1-5) free / Heritage Malta Members or Passport Holders free / 50% discount with Malta Discount Card
Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 daily
Casa Rocca Piccola
Of everything we did in Valletta, Casa Rocca Piccola was my favourite. It’s a sixteenth-century palace which is still home to a Maltese noble family (and Kiku the parrot). The house is beautifully decorated and laid out with a mix of older and more modern art. It feels like a home. While it’s nothing like Farleys, it had a similar homely vibe.
Climbing down into the well to see the air raid shelter used by the local community during the Second World War was a fun surprise, too!
As we headed into the courtyard, we got chatting with the Marquis, and that was a really lovely opportunity to find out more about the history of his family, and how they came to have a huge air raid shelter in their well. He asked us where we were from and when I said Sussex, he looked thoughtful, so I began my usual explanation of where Sussex is. No need – it turns out he went to school in Sussex, ten minutes from the village where I grew up. It’s a small world, even when you move in very different circles!
There is also a B&B in another part of Casa Rocca Piccola, and I am very interested in staying when we inevitably return to Malta.
Prices: Adults 9.50 EUR / Students 6 EUR / Children (under 15) free (you can also take a guided tour or book a private tour by the Marquis and Marchioness de Piro)
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 Monday to Saturday
Art in Valletta
MUZA: The Maltese National Community Art Museum
I was surprised at how large this museum was. It’s a little confusing to get into – you pay in the shop, then have to walk round the entire ground floor, which is empty, to reach the entrance gate. There are three rooms downstairs, and at first I was worried that I hadn’t got much art for my entrance fee, but then I realised there was an upstairs.
There’s an underlying connection to Malta in the artworks on display. This was my first exposure to Maltese art, and it was interesting to see how ideas and influences spread across the Mediterranean. The artworks are grouped primarily by theme, though this does tend to include a certain element of chronology as well (for example the Mediterranean section is mostly Medieval and Renaissance). It’s slightly confusing that you start with the theme of ‘The Artist’, which explores works from the late 19th century onwards, before heading upstairs to later periods.
I find that I often want to revisit art museums after having read more about the artists and what the curators were setting out to achieve, and that is definitely the case with MUZA.
Prices: Adults 12 EUR / Concessions (excluding Students) 10 EUR / Children (6-11) 8 EUR / Children (1-5) free / Heritage Malta Members or Passport Holders free / 50% discount with Malta Discount Card
Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 daily
Final Thoughts…
Valletta is definitely a city I could return to – it’s clearly aligned with my interests in history and art. While this is a list of my favourite paid attractions, there weren’t any others which I didn’t enjoy – they all added value to my trip. Even after having ticked these off, there are so many more places just outside the city which I would return to visit.
If you’re not that into history or art, my next post, about my favourite free photo spots will provide you with some more inspiration for your trip to Malta.
Is Valletta on your travel wishlist?
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