Lower Valletta and Grand Harbour (Pink Line)

Lower Valletta and Grand Harbour

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On the trail of the Great Siege

This walk takes you round the lower parts of Malta’s Capital city start with Fort St. Elmo, the scene of one of Europe’s bloodiest battles, in 1565. You can see the splendour of the Sacra Infermeria of the Order of St. John and admire the bastions that the Knights built to protect their capital city. The walk continues to magnificent churches and other landmarks from Malta’s colourful past, along the edge of the grand Harbour.

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Historic Landmarks

Join one of our walking tours and discover the history and culture of what is possibly one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. Valletta, officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, may be small in size, but it is bursting with iconic landmarks, monuments and buildings, each with a colourful story to tell.

Professional Destination Experts

Our destination experts are all locals who are passionate about our islands’ capital city. At City Walks Malta we insist on working only with the most trusted and experienced destination experts, who share our values, vision, and ethics. They can share stories and local anecdotes that you will not be able to hear from anyone else.

Audio

Our guided tours are in English but if this is not your language each tour comes with full recorded explanations in French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Malta5D Show

The Malta 5D show is a new generation theatre exploring the history and culture of Malta & Gozo in an interactive and exciting way. Shows run every 30 mins. from 10am to 4pm from Mon to Sat.

Trip Itinerary

1 - Fort St. Elmo
Fort St. Elmo sits on a strategic position at the tip of the peninsula watching over the entrance of both the Grand Harbour and the Marsamxett Harbour. The fort played an important role in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 when the Ottomans once again invaded Malta. The fort was the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the entire siege.
2 - Granaries at St. Elmo
Granaries are large underground silos that are primarily used to store grain. Circular stone slabs covering the granaries are spread across the square. The granaries were one of the first construction projects undertaken by the Order of St. John when the knights took possession of Malta.
3 - National War Museum
The National War Museum was established in 1975 in the Old Drill Hall of Fort St. Elmo. The building was originally built as a gunpowder magazine, used to store gunpowder in wooden barrels, before being converted into an armoury in 1853. During World War II, these halls trained anti-aircraft gun crews before it was finally inaugurated as a museum.
4 - Sacra Infermeria
Also known as the Sacra Infermeria, the Holy Infirmary of the Knights of St. John has seen over 400 years of vivid history in its various incarnations, as generations of patients, soldiers and heads of state have passed through its doors. For the first two centuries of its existence, the Infirmary was a leading European hospital with a capacity of up to 2,500.
5 - Siege Bell War Memorial
This colonnaded memorial commemorating the World War II Siege of Malta encloses a vast bell and provides from its perch a series of vistas of the Grand Harbour.
6 - Lower Barrakka Gardens
The Lower Barrakka Gardens is a public garden in Valletta and is twinned with the Upper Barrakka Gardens nearby in the city. The gardens are perched on St. Christopher’s Bastion and take in views of the ‘Three Cities’, namely Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua.
7 - St. Ursula Church & Monastery
After its foundation in Vittoriosa, the Monastery and Church of Saint Ursula was relocated in 1595 to Valletta where it remains.
8 - St. Barbara Bastion
Located just a few steps from the Quarry Wharf, the Bridge Bar on East Street near Saint Ursula Street stands in the heart of Valletta. Taking its name from a stone overpass that connects St. Barbara Bastion and Triq St. Orsla, the Bridge Bar is a famous restaurant, bar and jazz club.
9 - Old Metal Bridge
Tucked away in the narrow streets of Valletta, at number 258 Saint Ursula’s Street, the Old Metal Bridge is a pedestrian thoroughfare during the day but, by the evening time, it turns into a busy bar and venue heaving with patrons.
10 - Victoria Gate
one of the main entrances to Valletta’s core. It stands at the main entrance to the city from the Grand Harbour.

Reviews

Amazing Tour! Great food, sights and awesome guides. We had an awesome time. We were a large group, but easily accommodated by City Walks Malta. The atmosphere was amazing, the weather was perfect, and the sights were beautiful.
Sally Smith
March 2022
The company was recommended to us by a friend, and now I can see why! It was certainly one of the highlights of our vacation. The guides were all very friendly, experienced, and professional which made it a real treat.
Doug Martin
March 2022
I was visiting from out of Europe with my family, most of whom had never been to Malta before, and we thought a tour would be a good idea - we're sure glad that we did! The experienced guide made sure that the whole day went smoothly, and luckily for us the weather was great. Highly recommended!
Gary Jones
March 2022

€20 All walks included

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Our Other Walks

Take a look at all the walk routes which are included in your pass. 1 pass will literally cover all the points of interest in beautiful Valletta!

Valletta from the Knights of Malta to Colonial times

This walk takes you down Republic Street, formerly known as Kingsway. You will pass by beautiful Auberges, richly adorned Churches, historical band clubs, the Magisterial Palace, and other monuments that recall episodes from the islands’ chequered history. The beauty of the buildings will leave you in awe as they represent some of the best examples of baroque architecture. The tour ends at Malta 5D.

Valletta - The East Side of the Peninsula City

This walk takes you through the East side of the peninsula city of Valletta. It is the side the overlooks the Grand Harbour; the side of Valletta that has possibly witnessed more historical episodes than the western side. You'll see landmarks of Malta’s political, social, religious, and commercial history when you walk by Auberge de Castille, the old University, St John’s Co. Cathedral, or the quaint George Zammit spice shop.

Renzo Piano and the entrance to a walled city

The walled city of Valletta always had a main entrance within the Porta Reale Curtain. Today's entrance, which marks the beginning of Republic Street was designed by the world-renowned Italian architect, Renzo Piano. This walk starts from the timeless majesty of the Three Triton Fountain and then takes the visitor to the Embassy of the Knights of St John, the original builders of the city of Valletta.

Floriana – Borgo Vilhena

Floriana is a walled city just outside the walls of Valletta. The walls in Floriana were designed to keep enemy troops as far as possible from Valletta; a project started by Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena. This walk takes you around the main attractions, buildings ad lovely gardens and walkways in Floriana; all sites that were and continue to be central to life in Malta.
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