Top Malta hotels
Grand Master's Palace Valletta
28 Reviews The palace was built in 1571 and was used by all the Grand Masters. In 1800 it became the official residence of the British governors. The palace is now the Presidential Office and Malta's Parliament...
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Walls, gateways & gardens Valletta
43 Reviews The upper Barakka Gardens is set high above the Grand Harbour behind the ramparts and fortifications; It was created in 1661 by an Italian Knight called Flaminio Balbiani as a retreat for the knights....
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Co-Cathedral Valletta
41 Reviews This Baroque masterpiece was built between 1573 and 1577. It was commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere as the conventual church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John. Outside...
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Streets and squares Valletta
28 Reviews The City Gate is at the end of Republic Street & in front of Freedom Square. It was originally known as the Gate of St George & was the main entrance through the bastions to the city. Later it became...
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Churches Valletta
25 Reviews St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral is the other cathedral of La Valletta and it is also the first Protestant church built in Malta. It took 6 years and the suicide of one of the architects to build this...
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Grand Harbour Valletta
21 Reviews Grand Harbour in Maltese: Il-Port il-Kbir is the natural harbour of Valletta and Mata. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times. The natural harbour has been greatly improved with...
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Fort St Elmo Valletta
15 Reviews On most Sundays there is a re enactment of the inspection of the troups called 'Il Guardia'. It starts at 11 but be sure to be early to get the best seats. We arrived at 10:30 and the best seats were...
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Auberges of the Knights Valletta
13 Reviews The Auberge de Castille et Leon was the official seat of the Knights of the Langue of Castille, Leon and Portugal. There were several such auberges in town – inns they would be in English. They were...
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Malta Experience Valletta
8 Reviews Visit the Malta Experience. It's an ideal break during a hot weather visit to Malta. Just relax for a hour in the cool underground movie theater and let 3000 years Malta history pass by. Shows...
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Bus terminus Valletta
8 Reviews Valletta's bus station is certainlythe hub for bus transport on Malta. Although called Valletta's bus station, the bus station is located just outside of the City Gate and so is actually located in...
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National Museum of Archaeology Valletta
5 Reviews All the famous sculptures and many other things. Interesting museum. Notice the roof when going in to the museum, it´s painted all over. We had a great luck, because one of our favourite artists,...
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Markets & shopping Valletta
5 Reviews We went to Valletta on Sunday specifically to see the market but I wouldn't bother again. I've never seen a bigger load of worthless junk for sale anywhere, and on Sunday the things that you'd REALLY...
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National Museum of Fine Arts Valletta
1 Review MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS This museum used to be the palace of a French knight in the 16th century and was later on the official residence of the Admiral Commander-in-Cheif of the British Mediterranean...
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The interior of St John's Cathedral is amazing. On either side of the nave are chapels dedicated to the different leagues of the Knights of St John, based on nationality. It has highly decorated pillars and walls, an amazingly decorated marble floor, a large altar area, and is overall an impressive place to wander. Don' t miss the Beheading of St John the Baptist, by Caravaggio.
The inside of St John's Cathedral is one of the most beautiful that I've seen, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the outside. It was built in the 1570's to be the church of the Knights of St John. It took on the co-cathedral name, in the early 1800's, when the pope gave it equal status with St Pauls Cathedral in Mdina. The Cathedral was designed by Gerolamo Cassar, and Mattia Preti designed the stone walls and painted the vaulted ceiling. This is one place that is a must stop while you are in Valletta.
Mdina is located in the center of the island and is called the silent city, as the city is very quiet during the post tourist times, with a popluation of less then 300. It is the oldest city in Malta, and dates back to the time of the Phoenicians. There are some great views from the viewing platform, opposite the main gate, and it also has some cafes and bars in the area. Mdina was the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Knights of St John, who were more comfortable near the coast. It is a great town to just walk and get lost in the maze of streets and alleys, and imagine the history of the city.
Valletta was laid out in a grid pattern after the great siege 1565. After the Knights of St John defeated the Turkish Ottomans, the inflow of money from Europe helped build the walled city of Valletta. It was one of Europe's first planned cities. The only way to really absorb the city is by walking the narrow streets and alleys. There are things to see at every turn, although some of the streets can be pretty steep, so be prepared for a work out. The other way to see the city, which is a little less streneous is by horse carriage. Most of the main attractions are along the main street, so you can walk that street, and experience the rest by carriage.
I went on a sea kayak trip with Clark from Rugged Coast Adventures (seakayakmalta.com). And dont worry it doesnt have to be rugged. I had done a bit of kayaking before but he can take complete novices out and they have sit on top kayaks as well as proper sea kayaks. It was a great trip and I highly recommend it, he does a range of tours depending on how long you want go out and your experience.
The area beside Grand Master's Palace in the city of Valletta has a wonderful and lovely garden. Feel free to visit the amazing garden after your visit to the Grand Master's Palace. Admission to the garden is free. Please flip through our photographs on the right to see the beautiful garden of Grand Master's Palace! We believe many visitors and tourists miss the garden.
Valletta has some interesting city streets especially its back streets. Pay attention to some of the balconies of the buildings along the narrow streets. Some of them are really eye-catching! One part of the city streets even resembles that of the streets in San Francisco, USA! Nevertheless walking along the city streets instead of taking local buses, is one way of spending your precious time on your vacation! We have thoroughly enjoyed walking along these narrow streets by taking the sights, smells and sounds!
The Mdina Experience shall not be missed by any local and foreign touists visitng Mdina! This is a sophisticated audio visual presentation of the history of Mdina which dates back to more than 3,000 years ago! Mdina is the oldest town in the Republic of Malta and it was once the capital of Malta until the 16th century when Valletta was established. A souvenir shop and a café are also located inside the Mdina Experience for the convenience of the visitors.Admission fees to Mdina Experience cost LM 1.60 per adult and LM 0.80 per child. Opening hours are between 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. between Monday and Friday and between 10.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and public holidays.
Try one of these gallows when you are at Mdina Dungeons for your sight-seeing tour. The gallows is located just outside Mdina Dungeons. So it is free to try and have your photographs taken for remembrance for your visit to Mdina. Nevertheless we thought it was fun to be condemned for hanging like kids for once, at least in the picture! It seems the man in the picture is still smiling even before his "execution"!
St. John's Co-Cathedral was constructed in the 16th century and was designed by the famous architect Gerdamo Cassar. It is undoubtedly one of the most famous cathedrals in Malta. Entrance fee is approximately 6.00 euros per adult with chuildren under the age of 12 free-of-charge. Opening hours are between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and public holidays.
Hotel Phoenicia Malta Valletta
6 Reviews and 726 Opinions We stayed at the Phoenicia for 7 nights and I was happy we did. It is ideally located just outside...
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Kempinski San Lawrenz Resort & Spa Gozo
2 Reviews and 264 Opinions Good room, huge bed. Booked direct with hotel and beat best Internet prices! Am writing this from my...
The Xara Palace Mdina
5 Reviews and 81 Opinions I did not stay in this hotel, but I passed by it, when walking through the old town of Mdina. b.t.w....
Reviews and photos of Malta attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Malta sightseeing.
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Q: Hello, A question on Xlendi for those who know it. Looking at photos, I get the impression that you need to climb the steps set...
A: Xlendi is a village in Gozo. There is a beach and a rock you can climb if you like to see the sea from afar. You can avoid to do thins thing. I liked this little...
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