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Valletta is an elegant golden-hued city.
Valletta is
the capital city of Malta. It is one the Sciberras Peninsula (200ft/ 60 m) on
Malta's northeast coast, surrounded by what are surely the mightiest
fortifications in the world.
The
peninsula extends between the country's two largest and economically most
important harbours, Marsamxett Harbour and Grand Harbour.
As cities
go, Valletta is tiny measuring less
than 1 sq km (0.4 sq miles) and you can walk across its widest point in
less than 20 minutes. However within that space is a wealth of atmospheric alleyways that link grand squares and glorious baroque palazzi that sit alongside
bars and shop fronts that have hardly changed in over a century.
It is one of the best preserved
fortified cities in the world. It was built by the Knights of St John immediately after
the Great Siege of 1565, during which the vastly outnumbered knights turned
back the might of the up till then invincible Ottoman Empire and thus arguably saved Western Europe.
Good walking shoes are a must when visiting Valletta as there are hundreds of steps and the only real
way to get around is on foot.
The city occupies a promontory, is enclosed by mighty bastions and curtain
walls, and boasts magnificent sea views.
In direct contrast to the tiny city, Grand
Harbour, home to the British Navy until 1979, is the biggest and
arguably the most impressive harbour in all the Mediterranean.
Valetta is
home to many museums such as the National
Museum of Archaeology, which displays centuries-old architectural
discoveries, and the National Museum of
Fine Arts, which has a collection of art and sculpture spanning several
eras.
Valletta enjoys
a Mediterranean
climate; winters, here, are mild but rainy, while summers are
hot and dry. During summer, the temperatures consistently stay above 30°C,
while in winter the average temperature is 15°C.
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Day |
15 |
15 |
17 |
10 |
23 |
27 |
30 |
30 |
28 |
23 |
20 |
17 |
Night |
9 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
15 |
19 |
21 |
22 |
20 |
17 |
14 |
11 |
Shopping in
Valletta, as in Malta in general, is a modest affair.
However in the
last year or two, an influx of arty-crafty and boutique shops have opened in
renovated premises around the city. The island's biggest shopping event is the
weekly Sunday morning market at St
James Ditch, held immediately outside the city walls. Coach loads of
visitors (and many islanders too) come from all over to marvel at the range of everyday
clothing, replica football kits and pirated brand-name clothing, the antique
flea market, old books, bits of car engines, sweets, live birds and whatever
else is deemed to be saleable. It's a lot of fun, although may not satisfy the
needs of ‘serious’ shoppers.
Valletta does have a number of independent family-owned shops. Some of these
specialise in gold and silver filigree jewellery, making pieces on the
premises. The Silversmith's Shop,
218 Republic Street, is a good example where you can watch the proprietor at
work.
Leather
items, particularly Italian-styled shoes are also good value, and are on sale
throughout Valletta.
If you
after designer names, head for the Waterfront where you’ll find a shops (pottery
and glass) and the Forni Shopping
Complex, home to a host of designer names.
Ambrosia Valletta Restaurant
The Carriage Restaurant
Giannini Restaurant
Rubino Restaurant
Caffe Cordina
Da Daniele Restaurant
Valletta is
a city of quiet bars and restaurants. Although lively during the day, the city
relaxes at night. The only regular nightlife to speak of are events at the Manoel Theatre and the St James Centre plus a handful of bars.
Valletta
Waterfront however is becoming a livelier place after dark. Here warehouses and
facades have been renovated and are now home to fashionable bars, restaurants,
two clubs and shops.
Here are a few venues you might like to check out in Valletta:
If you are looking for something noisier you should head for St Julian’s where
Paceville is the island's nightlife hub.
One of the
great things about Malta is that it is so small it’s easy to make day
excursions to anywhere on the island from Valletta.
One must is
Mdina, the island's original
capital and one of Europe's finest medieval walled cities. Its 'suburb', Rabat,
is immediately outside the city walls and boasts several interesting historical
sights of its own.
The island is home to some of the world’s oldest prehistoric temples: Hypogeum,
Tarxien Temples, the Mnajdra
temple and Hgar Qim.
Other possibilities are:
Valletta has a low violent
crime rate however tourists are strongly advised to protect their
valuables and be aware of pickpockets in the city.