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Valletta has been the capital city of
Malta from 1565, just after the Great siege by the Ottoman
Turks. The Grand Master, de la Valette, planned the city and
it is this planning that has resulted in a city that is
functional but lacks character or charm.
During the day the locals carry out their
business in the capital city with steady streams of tourists
visiting the attractions. At night, the city closes with the
businesses and tourist sites, it literally dies. If you must
choose between Valletta and Mdina, choose Mdina. If you have
time to visit Valletta though, use our guide below to get
the most out of this city. Saint Pauls Cathedral will
astonish you, the Barracca gardens will cool you and the
views will delight you. |
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Fort St Elmo was built by the
Knights of St John in 1552 as one of the principal
defences for Malta. On May 18th 1565 the Turks
invaded Malta and their first point of attack was to
be Fort St Elmo. The Turkish commander, Mustapha
Pasha, estimated that the Fort would fall in 10 days
with minimal loss of Turkish life.
Fort St Elmo was indeed taken by
the Turks but not until 23rd June 1565 with the loss
of 8,000 Turkish lives. This was a "victory" which
cost the Turks dear. The fort was subsequently
reinforced, even up until the beginning of the
second World War. The costr of entry to the Fort is
minimal and we highly recommend a visit. It is open
on Saturdays (1 pm to 5 pm) and Sundays (9 am to 5
pm). |
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The Lower Barracca Gardens in
Valletta offer good views of the harbour. They also
offer some shade from the hot sun in an attractive
garden setting.
At the centre of the gardens is a
memorial to the Governor of Malta, Sir Alexander
Ball. He played a major part in the expulsion of the
French from Malta and the beginning of British rule.
Also in the gardens is the second World War Memorial
and the Siege Bell Monument. |
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St John's Co-Cathedral is the key
reason to visit Valletta. The exterior of the
Cathedral is relatively plain but the interior is
stunning.
There are multi-language portable
guides available to talk you through the interior
and initially we used ours. But it quickly became
clear that the beauty of this Cathedral is best
appreciated just by wandering round it and taking in
the sights.
Click here
to go to our page on St John's Co-Cathedral with
lots of pictures and useful tourist information. |
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The Upper Barracca Gardens
are famous for the view they offer of the natural
harbour of Valletta.
Click here for a picture
gallery of views.
The gardens were originally
intended for use solely by the Knights but nowadays
is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists.
Statues of note are Les Gavroches (see right), a
bust of Winston Churchill and a memorial to the
popular Maltese Governor, Sir Thomas Maitland. |
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The cafes we tried in Valletta were mostly OK
but few stood out as offering good food or
interesting surroundings. One which did stand out
though was the Cafe Jubilee in Santa Lucia Street
(Saint Lucy).
The food was excellent with a fair selection of
Maltese dishes. The service was fast and pleasant
and the prices were good. The interior of the cafe
was amusing with old newspapers as wall paper and a
table and chairs upside down on the ceiling. Click
the left hand picture for a clearer view. |
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To understand the locals of Valletta, you need
to understand their passion for the local football
club, Valletta FC. If you visit Valletta on the
day of a football match be prepared. Almost the
whole town, men women and children, will be out in
the local FC colours. Life in the city stops as a
procession of cars, trucks vans and pedestrians
makes its way to the stadium. |
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