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Valletta
Capital of Malta

Valletta

Valletta, also known as Città Umilissima, is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 council areas.

Plan a trip to Valletta→From Catania

Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta's capital city, it is a commercial centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the southernmost capital of Europe, and, at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union's smallest capital city.

Get in

Getting to Valletta

Most bus routes and many arterial roads converge on Valletta. However, inside the city, there are many one-way streets and some pedestrian zones. Parking can be difficult. There is a large multi-storey car park in Floriana, about half a kilometre from the City Gate entrance to Valletta.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    St. John's Co Cathedral. Mon-Sat

    Unremarkable from the outside, but incredibly ornate on the inside.

  2. 02
    Palace of the Grand Masters

    Now it is the President's office and the Maltese parliament.

  3. 03
    The Malta Experience

    St Elmo Bastions, Mediterranean St, +356 251284.

  4. 04
    The Upper Barrakka Gardens
  5. 05
    The National Museum of Archaeology

    Even though Malta has an impressive and unique ancient history, this museum, housed in the former Auberge de Provence in Republic Street can be rather a disappointment.

  6. 06
    Fort St

    Built at the tip of the peninsula by the knights after the Dragut Raid of 1551.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Coastal Walk

    You can take a spectacular walk along the sea around the outside of the city walls.

  2. 02
    Saluting Battery

    Battery Street.

  3. 03
    Manoel Theatre
  4. 04
    Pjazza Teatru Rjal
  5. 05
    Hibernians F.C.

    Tony Bezzina Stadium, Paola.

Eat

Where to eat

Valletta has a good selection of decent restaurants, especially along the waterfront. Since most tourists stay in Sliema or on the north coast of the island there are fewer of the trashy variety, although it does have the usual fast-food chains. Look out for traditional bakeries, with steaming fresh bread for mere cents.

  1. 01
    No.43

    Café with fresh sandwiches, soups, salads and home made cakes.

  2. 02
    The Submarine

    Most humble ftira and salads in the city.

  3. 03
    Croce Bonaci Caterers

    Secluded site with wery good breakfast and tremendous sandwiches.

  4. 04
    Museum Cafe

    Cosy little café with very impressive interior and amazing food.

  5. 05
    Old Bakery's Pizza e Pasta

    Fresh ingredients for a good pizza cooked in a wood oven.

How locals move

Getting around Valletta the local way

  • Get inFor those opting not to fly to Malta, Virtu Ferries runs ferries from Pozzallo on the island of Sicily, Italy.
  • Get inA much shorter journey can be done by Valletta Ferry Services across beautiful Marsamxett harbour from Sliema and past Manoel Island, for just €1.50.
  • Get inWater taxis leave whenever they have six people during daylight hours, €3 per person (Feb 2025).
  • Get inAnother little-known way is to visit Vittoriosa by bus and then have the Maltese version of the gondola, the so called Dghajsa, bring you back in style across the spectacular Grand Harbour to Valletta, and drop you off just by Victoria gate for €3.50.
  • Get aroundAnother possibility is to rent one of the horsecarts (Karozzin), but be sure to haggle over the price.
  • Go nextThere is also the ferry which goes to Sliema, across the bay to the northwest.

From Wikivoyage: Valletta, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.