Holidays to Valletta

Valletta - plenty of Knight life!

As the capital city of gloriously sunny, fashionably hot and historically popular Malta, Valletta has seen its fair share of knights, conquerors and castles over the years. Since the 16th century, Valletta has welcomed and sometimes endured, tourists from across Europe. The Hospitallers (an order of Knights) are responsible for much of the fortress-like architecture in Valletta, and happily, they built it to last.

Indeed, Valletta today is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it is a very, very pretty city to visit and while away a week or two. You will not be stuck for things to do. The Old City is unique and historic. Roaming the small alleys is a delight and the plentiful cafes and tavernas make the exploration that much more enjoyable.

One of the most pleasant things to do in Valletta is to take a stroll along the seaside on the outside of the city walls. Let your mind travel back in time to those knights of old and let your imagination recreate the mighty sea battles and crash of cannon hitting battlements, arrows flooding the air and the screams of mortal combat.

Or you could just enjoy the scenery. It is rather spectacular, and the docks area is also good fun. By night you might like to amble down to St George's Square and take in the colourful water fountain. Find some ice cream, enjoy a snifter of something exotic and relax, knowing all is good in your world.

Hints and tips for your Valletta holiday

Eating

Eating out in Valletta -– cheap, expensive and everything in between

The food in Valletta is an agreeable combination of southern Italian, rustic Greek and fresh seafood. You'll find some fab (and expensive) restaurants here the equal of many in mainland Europe. But by and large, they're all decent with middling prices.

Restaurants

The budget options - check out the bustling Cafe Jubilee on St Lucia St, Valletta. It does the whole cheap and cheerful thing very well. There's a cafe / bar thing going on during the day with plentiful snack-type food. At night it has a more restaurant feel, with food ranging from tasty wraps to traditional pastizzi and pastas and so on.

Mid price options - Trabuxu is on Strait St, Valletta and is set in a cool, vaulted cellar in an old Valletta townhouse dating back to the 1700's. It's actually a wine bar, so the selections are startlingly good, but the real treasure lies in the homemade food - simple and inexpensive.

Splurge - too easy! Rubino is on Old bakery St in Valletta and serves traditional Maltese cuisine in an old shop front. It's just off the main square, so easy to find and serves 'real Maltese food like mama used to make.' (Think rabbit.) So be it, but it's absolutely delicious. So hop along.

Things not to miss

Valletta - bigger and more fun than you think!

The main street of Valletta is called Republic St, which gives a clue to the political sensibilities of many Maltese. They've certainly seen their share of foreign invaders. That said the invaders did leave a legacy of quite spectacular architecture dating back to the 16th century. The Old City is unique and glorious. Roaming the alleys lets you escape the summer heat and throws up many a quirky little shop or boutique.

Republic Street - here's where you'll find many of the more classy shops in Malta. It's a busy street so ideal for a spot of people watching and you'll find plenty of cafes and bars to rest your weary feet.

Walk the waterfront at night - the restaurants are of very good quality in Valletta and after a night of fine dining, stroll the waterfront area and enjoy all the different shops and watch the locals at play.

St John's Co Cathedral - is an incredibly ornate building on the inside. The ceiling is one gigantic fresco and as you walk around staring up at it, you're walking on the marbled grave sites of ancient knights. It's quite incredible.

The Cathedral Museum - incredibly there are two Caravaggio's in here. The Master was himself a Knight at one stage.

The must see - Fort St Elmo was built in the 1500s and was the scene of desperate battles against the Turks. It's a working building still and is open only on weekends.

Weather in Valletta

What to wear, when to go

Valletta, like much of Malta, has a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. The summers are dry with the occasional cold winds in spring. January averages around 20C during the day while summer sees average temps of about 28 - 34C. Perfect beach weather all year round!

VALLETTA WEATHER

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