5 Must in Valletta

The small town of Valletta is the capital of the island of Malta and with its more than 6,000 inhabitants is very convenient to walk around in. The town is from the beginning a fort, which served as a base during the two world wars. Valletta is very rich in culture and was formerly known as the European City of Art and as a World Heritage City. Below are 5 must-haves in the Maltese capital, which you absolutely must not miss as a visitor.

The War Museum

This is a very interesting museum located in the fort St. Elmo from the 16th century. The museum contains military equipment and objects that stretch as far back as the Bronze Age. Here you can also witness the great role that Malta played during the world wars. The War Museum was temporarily closed in 2014 but reopened as early as 2015 with an even larger collection of objects than before. It is well worth a visit for anyone interested in history! The museum is open all year round and children up to 5 years enter for free.

Manoel theaters

According to Politicsezine, this theater is one of Europe’s oldest theaters and was built as a public theater in 1731. Here you can go on guided tours, Monday to Friday, and be enchanted by the beautiful architecture. Here, for example, is an oval-shaped auditorium that is spectacularly decorated with, among other things, gold leaves. The theater is still used and theatrical plays, operas and musicals are regularly shown here.

Grand Master’s Palace

This place is truly a must for anyone interested in Malta’s war history and impressed by grandiose palaces. Here, there has really been no saving on gunpowder in terms of interior design; here is, among other things, a mammoth collection of old armor – in fact over 5000 pieces that have been used by soldiers since the 16th century. Ottoman and Turkish armor are also on view. The palace carries history from the 16th to the 18th century.

Another thing not to be missed in the palace is the large collection of tapestries, which were once a gift from Spain. The large frescoes depicting the Battle of Malta are also very worth seeing.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral

This cathedral was built in the late 16th century and was dedicated to John the Baptist. The design is made by the architect Cassar who has designed many prominent buildings in Valletta. The cathedral consists of eight chapels and under the entire marble floor of the building there are a number of tombs; more precisely about 400 knights are buried here. In addition, there is a crypt behind the cathedral, which contains tombs with various grandmasters. The interior of the cathedral is a true display of true baroque style; here are all the attributes that make the era so famous. It is bloated, powerful and elegant, which makes it a great experience to visit the cathedral.

National Museum of Art

The magnificent art museum should definitely not be missed. The museum is located in the Admiralty House, which is a stately house from the 18th century. Here you have the opportunity to admire sculptures, paintings and furniture from different eras. In addition, of course, there are a lot of works of art on the walls. In fact, the museum boasts the largest collection of Baroque artist Mattia Preti, who was active during the 17th century. There are also rare antique maps and artefacts by a number of artists dating from the 16th century onwards.