12 Best Sights in Malta

Built in 1552 by the Knights of St. John to defend the harbor, this fort was completely destroyed during the Great Siege of 1565 by the Ottoman Turks and was rebuilt by succeeding military leaders. Today, some parts are still off-limits to visitors as restorations continue, but it has both fantastic views and is also now home to the excellent National War Museum. Malta's history is one of invasion, and the museum charts this in gripping detail through the ages. It is particularly strong on the reign of the Knights, who, when kicked out of Rhodes in 1522 by the Ottoman Turks, resumed their struggle for religious hegemony in Malta over countless battles, sieges, and raids. It also delves well into the tug of war between Napoléon and the British, as well as the island's fate during World War II, offering easily the most comprehensive historical overview of Valletta. Its audio-visual tales are also often nail-biting, particularly the tale of "Operation Pedestal," in which the Allied forces sought to squeeze a supply ship through enemy lines to Malta in 1942 and, in doing so, changed the course of the war. Alongside this are a collection of rare military objects, including President Roosevelt's Jeep, "Husky," and one of the Gloster Sea Gladiator biplanes that defended the island so stoutly.

What appears a rather functional-looking building from the outside is deceiving. Inside, this is one of the world's most lavishly decorated Baroque cathedrals. The discrepancy between its exterior and interior reflect the different eras through which it has stood. It was completed in 1578 by the Knights of St. John as their own church. In the 17th century, the order's mounting treasures from the Holy Land and the desire to build a cathedral to rival those of Rome saw it get a spectacular makeover. A floor made up of a patchwork of colored-marble tombstones (the final resting place of some 375 knights and officers of the order) shines beneath a breathtakingly intricate arched ceiling largely decorated by the Calabrian artist and knight Mattia Preti. In the Oratory is Caravaggio's only signed work, the dramatic and unsparing Beheading of John the Baptist (1607), which hangs above the very spot where the rogue artist was defrocked and deknighted following a brawl (he had already fled to Malta to escape punishment for murder). Also hanging here is another of the artist's works, the touchingly frail image of Saint Jerome Writing (1606), which found infamy after it was stolen from the Co-Cathedral in 1984 and held hostage. The cathedral museum is currently being extended (work is set to be completed in 2021) to include a special area dedicated to Caravaggio and its collections of silver, tapestries, and vestments, set to be completed in 2021. The entrance fee includes an audio guide. Public access (main ticket office) is on Republic St.

Narrow heeled shoes such as stilettos are not allowed, but slippers can be purchased at reception; women in short skirts will be given coverings.

One of the last of Malta's patrician houses still to be occupied is the first to be opened up to visitors. The ninth Marquis de Piro and his family can trace their lineage back to when the Knights of the Order of St. John fled Rhodes for Malta in 1530, and you can see the family history laid out in their home's decor. The exquisite 16th-century house displays generations' worth of what the family calls "aristocratic bric-a-brac," including stools given to them for attending the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II; a beautiful, 18th-century, portable, Baroque chapel used for baptisms; and works by the artist Giuseppi Cali, the Marquis's great-grandfather and painter of the Rotunda at Mosta. Each charts the history of the family, the house, or Valletta itself, while beneath the house lies the remains of a vast World War II bunker, one of around 30 built across the city as the bombs started falling. It was dug from the quarry in which the stone for the house was cut some four centuries earlier. If you pay extra, you can get a personal guided tour by a family member, who can share some rather unique tales of Maltese history.

Casa Rocca Piccola recently added B&B stays to its repertoire, with five rooms set aside for guests (doubles from €160), offering a taste of aristocratic life. Breakfast is taken in the exquisite courtyard, complete with the family parrot for company.

From the time of Malta's independence in 1964 until 2015, this building doubled as the nation's parliament, and it still remains the official residence of the Maltese president. However, ongoing renovations over the next few years to the State Rooms and courtyards mean chunks will be off-limits at different times, and state visits also restrict what can be viewed, which is why the ticket price currently bundles in the city's new art museum, MUZA, as well. The palace, completed in 1574, has a unique collection of Gobelin tapestries; the main hall is decorated with frescoes depicting the history of the Knights and the Great Siege. Usually on view are works by Ribera, Van Loo, and Batoni, and at the back of the building is the Armory of the Knights, which is housed in what used to be the stables, exhibiting arms and armor through the ages; an audio tour taking you through it lasts about 45 minutes.

If you are here in opera season, don't miss a show at the third-oldest theater in Europe, which had its opening night on January 9, 1732. If you can't make a show, you can still enjoy the baroque interior on a guided tour, which run every half-hour during the day (weekdays 9:30–4:30, Saturday 10–2). Intimate and splendidly decorated, it was designed after Palermo's theater at the time.

The museum is housed in the Auberge de Provence (the hostel of the Knights from Provence). The building's Gran Salon alone is as breathtaking an example of the Baroque style as you'll see in Malta outside of the Co-Cathedral, though its intricate painted walls are undergoing major restoration. The museum has an excellent collection of finds from Malta's many prehistoric sites—Tarxien, Haġar Qim, and the Hypogeum at Paola. The intricately carved figurine of the Sleeping Lady, found at the Hypogeum, dates back almost 5,000 years. You'll also find information on the ancient "cart ruts" that you'll see in the northwest, not far from Rabat.

The importance of St. Paul to the Maltese explains the work lavished on this Baroque marvel, with its raised central vault, oval dome, and marble columns. The os brachii (arm bone) relic of the saint is housed in a chapel on the right, a splendid gated chapel is on the left, and a baptismal font stands by the entrance.

Before they were famed for their military exploits, the Knights of St. John were a medical order, set up by Pope Gregory in 603 AD to care for sick and injured pilgrims arriving in the Holy Land. When they opened La Sacra Infermeria (The Holy Infirmary) in Valletta in 1574, it was one of the most revolutionary in Europe, with amazing results partly due to the Knights' predilection for serving food on silver plates—the metal has antibacterial qualities, which weren't understood at the time; the knights just found them easier to clean. This building (now a conference center) is the setting for the 45-minute Malta Experience, a multimedia presentation on the history of the islands that is given here daily on the hour. It spans 7,000 years, all the way from early settlers and the Great Siege of the Knights to World War II, and concludes with a tour of the building itself, offering a more tangible glimpse of the history that unfolds on the screen.

Here, knights once honed their fencing skills under a covered loggia (now open to the sky). Today, a troupe of stray cats and some greenery occupy this lofty lookout offering the best uninterrupted views of Grand Harbour and the Three Cities across the water. A cannon is fired at noon, daily, at the Saluting Battery following a practice that, from the 1820s on, served to help Ship Masters calibrate their onboard chronographers, which were used to help navigate. Once you've soaked up the views, take the elevator 165 feet down to the harbor below.