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VALLETTA
Valletta
Valletta is in Malta.
Understand
Valletta is the capital of the island nation of Malta. A harbour city, Valletta preserves much of its 16th century architectural heritage built under the Hospitallers. Valletta was one of the earliest sites inscibed by UNESCO on the World Heritage list.
Get in
By car
AS with the buslines the many main roads also converge on Valletta, however once inside the city there are many one-way streets and some pedestrian zones. Parking near one's destination can also be difficult. There is a large multi-storey car park in Floriana, about half a kilometre from Valletta.
By bus
In front of the main gate of Valletta is the main bus station for the entire island, rather than buslines covering the island in a grid, they all spread out from here and return to here.
By boat
Instead of paying a lot of money for a harbour cruise there is a small ferry leaving from Sliema which will take you across beautiful Marsamxett harbour and past Manoel Island for just 38 cents.
Another 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 just 1.5 Lira p.p.
Virtu Ferries runs ferries to Pozzallo and Catania in Sicily.
Get around
The Valletta peninsula is only a couple of kilometres in length and so the ideal way is to do everything on foot also allowing one to make use of the atmospheric stairs throughout this steep city. However, the city is built on a ridge, and is steep in parts (requiring walking up and down stairs in some places), which can be tiring. The alternative would be doing it by car which is not ideal for visitors due to lack of parking space, direction signs and the fact that the streets are very narrow, often one way and confusing if unfamiliar. Most of the main tourist attractions are along the main street (Triq ir-Republika) which does not involve steep hills.
Another possibility is to rent one of the horsecarts (Karozzin), but be sure to haggle over the price.
Bus route 98 runs within Valletta itself. It departs from Valletta Terminus at the following times:
Mon-Fri: 6:30 - every 30 minutes - 9:00 - every hour - 18:00
Sat: 6:30 - every 30 minutes - 9:00 - every hour - 12:00
See
In debateable order of importance:
St. John's Co Cathedralis unremarkeable from the outside but incredibly ornate on the inside. Each of the different 'langues' (knights of a particular nationality had their own langue) has a their own chapel lined along the side of the nave in which they try and outdo each other in splendor. The barrel shaped ceiling is a single huge fresco, the lifework of famed artist Matteo Preti. And last but not least the floor is entirely taken by knight's graves all intricately inlaid marble in different colours, a recent book on the subject describes it as the...
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Hotels in Valletta
 | Sunny Coast Resort Club  |
Score 8.175 from 11 reviews | | Qawra Bay |  |
| Sunny Coast offers modern, self-catering apartments, all with a private balcony. It is set in Qawra, one of the most beautiful bays on the island of Malta.
The resort offers spectacular views across the bay, the Mediteranean Sea, and the Maltese Islands. Each apartment has a contemporary design and is complete with a kitchenette and balcony.
On site you will find a wide range of facilities including a leisure and fitness centre, plus a gym, games room, and squash courts. Relax on the private beach, in the swimming pools (both indoor and outdoor), or in one of the 3 Jacuzzis.
The restaurant serves a delicious mix of Maltese and Mediteranean cuisine. The cosy lounge bar is an ideal setting for a drink and a chat with friends. ... more | | |
 | Radisson Blu Resort  |
Score 8.025 from 27 reviews | | St. George's Bay | |
| The resort presents a large variety of dining options:
- The Kon Tiki Restaurant offers a buffet breakfast and evening meals on a daily basis. Here you can enjoy local and international cuisine.
- Le Petillant is an à la carte restaurant and an ideal venue for a special evening.
- At the 24-hour Le Bistro, one can enjoy a variety of snacks, grilled meals, salads and delicious pastries.
- The Bridge Cocktail Bar, open daily, provides the perfect setting for nightly entertainment.
- During the summer, open-air venues include the Edge Lido Restaurant that serves a buffet barbecue dinner, with live entertainment. ... more | | |
 | Preluna Hotel & Spa |
Score 7.525 from 411 reviews | | 124 Tower Road | |
| Malta’s tallest hotel, Preluna Hotel & Spa is set on Sliema’s seafront. It offers a spa, sports facilities, rooftop terraces and lounge bars. Spacious rooms have different views.
The Preluna has a well-equipped private beach, where you will also find a large pool, a kid’s pool, a diving school and a bar and grill. A huge variety of water sports can be practised here.
There is also an indoor pool with 2 large jacuzzis, and the spa and its wide range of fitness and relaxation facilities.
Jacuzzis are also available on Preluna’s stunning roof terrace, which also features a mini-golf course.
Aside from the TV lounge and games room, Preluna Hotel & Spa also has a bingo hall, an internet café and car rental facilities.
Choose from 3 different restaurants for lunch and dinner at Preluna. There is also a weekly Flavours of Malta evening put on, where you can sample Maltese foods, wines and liqueurs and then have fun dancing. ... more | | |
 | Qawra Inn  |
Score 0 from 0 reviews | | Tamar Street | |
| Qawra Inn is in the heart of Qawra, a short walk from the beach. It offers 3 bars and a restaurant. You can enjoy a drink on the rooftop terrace.
Guest rooms come with air conditioning and satellite TV. Most rooms have private balconies. Connecting rooms are available.
The 3-star Qawra Inn has excellent public transport links around Malta. Valletta and Sliema are easily reached by local bus. In the neighbourhood you will find a wide choice of restaurants, bars, and nightlife. ... more | | |
 | Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa |
Score 8.9 from 78 reviews | | De Paule Avenue | |
| Set in a quiet area in the heart of the island of Malta, Corinthia Palace features an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a wellness centre, gym and much more.
This boutique hotel was built around an elegant, converted villa from the 19th century. It faces the Presidential Palace and is next to the beautiful San Anton Botanical Gardens. Surrounded by its beautifully landscaped gardens, the Corinthia Palace is a peaceful setting for a relaxing break and one of the islands leading 5-star hotels.
Choose from over 50 different treatments at the Athenaeum Spa or just relax by the pool. Dining here is also a real treat. Enjoy a wide range of cuisine, from Italian to Oriental. Choose from an à la carte service or a light snack at the bar.
Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa features spacious guest rooms, all complete with a private balcony and all modern comforts.
The professional team of staff are always on hand and will be delighted to be of service to you.
You are well located for exploring Malta. The walled city of Medina is just 2.5 miles (4 km) from the hotel, while the popular resort of St Julians is 4 miles (7 km) away.
The Corinthia Palace offers a free evening shuttle service to St. Julians, enabling you to enjoy the night life there, and return to your quiet accommodation with ease. ... more | | |
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| | | More hotels in Valletta |
St. John's Cathedral
This splendid Church was built between 1573 and 1577 during the reign of Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere. St. John’s, which was the Order’s conventual church, was accorded Co-Cathedral status (the main Cathedral being the one at Mdina) by Pope Pius VII, in 1816.
The exterior of the Church is rather austere, but the interior is a blaze of baroque architecture and sculpture. The massive vault is painted by Mattia Preti, illustrating episodes from the life of St. John the Baptist. The spacious nave is flanked on either side by the chapels of the various Langues of the Order. The Chapels are decorated with sumptuous monuments of the Grand Masters and with precious works of art.
Both the church and its oratory are paved with marble tomb-stones, under which lie the remains of the knights. There are altogether 364 slabs, all of which bear Latin inscriptions exalting the merits and deeds of the Knights of the Order.
The Oratory, which forms part of the Church, is noted for Caravaggio’s masterpiece ‘The Beheading of St. John‘. Another excellent Caravaggio painting, ‘St. Jerome’, can be seen at the Chapel of Italy inside the Church.
The Cathedral Museum contains priceless works of arts, ancient hymn books, sacred vestments and the famous Flemish Tapestries. Until recently, the tapestries were hung in the Cathedral nave on special festivities; the last occasion being the Pope’s visit in May 1990. At present, the tapestries are on display inside the Museum.
A number of booklet and other specialised publications are on sale at the Cathedral gift shop. These give details of the history and the art treasures of this unique monument. Entrance is from Merchants Street.
| type: | Churches and Cathedrals |
The Sacra Infermeria
The extensive edifice of the Sacra Infermeria (Holy Infirmary) occupies a large site which overlooks the Grand Harbour, very near Fort St. Elmo. This hospital, one of the first buildings of Valletta, started to function in 1574 under Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere. Originally, it consisted of a large ward. Under the rule of Grand Master Nicholas Cottoner (1663 - 80), the hall was enlarged; and in 1712 Grand Master Perellos commissioned a new building alongside Merchants Street, which included a chapel and a pharmacy.
The infirmary provided about 900 beds for male patients who included knights, soldiers, sailors and foreigners. Maltese patients and slaves were accommodated in another large hall below the Main Ward. In 1676, a school of anatomy and surgery was set up in the building.
The administration of the Sacra Infermeria was entrusted to knights of the French Langue, under the headship of the Grand Hospitaller. When the Knights were forced to leave the Island in 1798, Napoleons’ troops used the hospital for their own personnel. The British, who took over Malta’s government in 1800, renamed the Infirmary ‘Station Hospital’, and used it as such until the end of the First World War.
In 1920, the building was used as the Police Headquarters until the outbreak of World War II, when the police had to evacuate the building which was badly damaged by air raids.
Reconstruction and conversion started in earnest in 1977, and in February 1979, the grand old edifice was inaugurated as a first-class Conference Centre. It now consists of the main conference room which accommodates about 1,400 persons, and five other halls of varying sizes, all equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation. The complex has been renamed ‘The Mediterranean Conference Centre’.
What used to be the main hospital ward, measuring 151 metres, is now used as "the lobby" when conferences are in session. The Lower Ward houses a restaurant with a capacity of 1,000 covers. Several offices, staff and rest rooms and a cafeteria are also provided.
Early in 1987, a fire totally destroyed the Main Conference Room and other parts of the complex. These have now been reconstructed, and in 1990 the Centre was re-opened for conferences and conventions.
| Morning Tour of Valetta |
3.5 - 4 hours |
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You will be met in your hotel lobby and escorted to your coach for a drive to the city of Valletta, built after the Great Siege of 1565.
Your tour starts with a guided walk to the Upper Barracca Gardens which boast 180 degree views of the Grand Harbor and the famed 3 cities.
Continue along the characteristic straight and narrow streets down to the Co-Cathedral of St. John. In the Cathedral you are able to visit the Cathedral Museum, which among other items of interest boasts one of Caravaggio's paintings "The beheading of St John".
You will then proceed to the Grand Master's Palace and it's Armoury. The tour ends with a visit to the Mediterranean Conference Center to view the 45 minute audio-visual, multivision - Malta Experience Show.
Click here for more information and Booking Details
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| Maltese Dinner and Show in Mosta |
4 hours |
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This tour will immerse you in the traditional Maltese hospitality!
You will be taken to the Ta' Maria Restaurant in Mosta, with attendants and waiters dressed in authentic period costumes. This restaurant specializes in traditional Maltese food and presents the participants with mouth watering selection of menus which for hundreds of years has been on the table of the typical Maltese family.
Enjoy your meal in accompaniment of traditional Maltese folk music and dancing. Some of the dishes you may be feasting on include Fenek (Rabbit) , Bragioli, (stuffed beef olives) and Kusksu bil-ful (a delicious stew enriched with broad beans).
Click here for more information and Booking Details
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