Diveshops in Valletta: Discover Malta Diving

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... more travelguide information

	Kennedy Nova Hotel	Score 5.9 from 9 reviews
	116 The Strand
	The Strand Suite is a cocktail/coffee lounge situated on the ground floor. A selection of pastries, savouries and other delicacies is offered, besides a range of drinks. In the evenings, a more intimate atmosphere is created and you can enjoy aperitifs, spirits and cocktails whilst light music plays in the background. Alternatively, the Manoel de Vilhena Suite offers table d’hôte dining, with a variety of both local and international dishes also provided. Situated on the 5th floor, it provides a generous buffet breakfast (07:30-09:30) as well as international cuisine during both lunch (12:30-14:00) and dinner (18:30-21:30). In the evening, an à la carte selection is also offered in the dining area of the Strand Suite. Finally, Il Belvedere is a rooftop snack bar, where light bites are served beside the swimming pool and sun terrace. Room service is available from 07:30 to 22:30. ... more
	The Westin Dragonara Resort	Score 8.825 from 63 reviews
	Dragonara Road
	Discover the hotel’s unparalleled facilities which include private gardens, a spectacular fitness and beauty centre, spa, 3 swimming pools, Malta's oldest and most prestigious casino, and water sports at Bayview Beach Lido and Reef Club Lido. You can even learn how to scuba dive without leaving the resort. Children will have the time of their lives at the Westin Kids Club, which offers an array of activities, excursions, and entertainment. With the summer season just around the corner, the hotel is pleased to announce that this summer it has reserved both of its outdoor pools strictly for in-house guests only. This means that guests will have more space to enjoy themselves. Most of the family entertainment will be focused around the Reef Club Pool Deck. Business travellers will appreciate the state-of-the-art conference centre that seats 550 people theatre-style, complete with 14 breakout rooms. The Westin Vodafone Business Centre further complements this centre with three additional boardrooms, high-speed internet access and Wi-Fi Internet access. Wi-Fi can also be found in the lobby lounge, main pool deck, conference centre, and Espresso Café. ... more
	Milano Due	Score 6.5 from 10 reviews
	The Strand
	The Milano Due Hotel offers twin, double and triple rooms all with private facilities, most of them with balconies. The Zia Teresa dining room is situated on the 7th floor boasting of the magnificent view of the harbour. The Pomodoro, situated on the ground floor is a leisurely cafeteria, bistro and pizzeria. The use of our small fitness room and jacuzzi on the sun terrace are free of charge. Sauna and massage facilities are also offered. The Milano is ideal for corporate and business travellers, the young set and the young at heart. The Milano Due prides itself of the outstanding Maltese hospitality, capped with personalised service from our dedicated personnel. ... more
	The New Tower Palace Hotel	Score 0 from 0 reviews
	Tower Road
	The location of the New Tower Palace Hotel is right besides the cristal clear mediterranean sea and belongs to the most modern district of the isle for shopping and entertainment. The port of San Giuliano is very close. ... more
	Dean Hamlet Holiday Complex	Score 5.175 from 6 reviews
	Upper Ross Street
	All studio apartments are equipped with a kitchenette (including a 2-ring cooker) and private bath/shower and toilet facilities. Your studio may also contain a balcony (though this cannot be guaranteed). Twice weekly cleaning service, with weekly linen change, is provided as standard (unless otherwise arranged). ... more
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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.

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.