Visiting the Old Town of the capital city of Valletta is definitely one of the highlights of a trip to Malta. During our 2022 trip, my wife and I spent a few hours strolling through the streets of the nicely preserved city center. Here are some impressions in a Pictured Story.
Valletta Old Town – Location & Transport
Unless you stay in a hotel in Old Town Valletta, I feel that the City Gate at the Southwestern edge of Old Town is your typical entrance to the historic area. First of all, the Valletta Bus Terminal is right next to it, if you want to commute on the island by public transport (there are connections from there to practically all around the island and Gozo). Additionally, there are also two major car parks around, in case you opt for the travel by rental car. We had a car with Hertz Malta, which was a mixed experience. Traffic in general is one of the key challenges of the island, so both options have pros and cons.
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This posting just reflects a walk through Old Town, so that in fact you can do it any time. Of course, in practice you will rather combine your visit with entering some sights and museums. Better check out your preferred visits and opening times before. Most attractions operate every day in main season, but there are a few closures and limitations, for example on Sundays.
Right when you enter Central Valletta through the City gate, you already pass the astonishing St. John’s Bastion. After that, you are right inside the city center. You face some stores of all kinds, which have a unique character due to the many 16th to 18th century buildings around. Commuting in city center / Old Town is rather easy, as the area is almost a peninsula and is surrounded with water – you more or lesss always come back to City Gate area if you follow it. In addition, the signs help you to get around.
A lot of the streets are pedestrian zone, but there is also car traffic, so that you should be aware and not only look at the amazing oriels and balcony and the rich ornaments of the buildings. The city is really driven by the amazing architecture – and typically, attractions like the Grandmaster Palace are just a few blocks away. The area is quite hilly, though – and around the spit of land, there is a road at the coast. This area has become popular to tourists, as it is not only hosting the National War Museum at Fort St. Elmo, but some rather modern attractions as well.
I majorly enjoyed to walk through the street, feel the Mediterranen flair and all the small different shops and cafes. However, the heart of Valletta can be very busy as well (and driving there is also rather limited fun). Nonetheless, I felt it was a rather enjoyable part of our visit to Malta.
