Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in Malta

"Walk along the city walls to the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens and enjoy the stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Three Cities and take the time to visit St. John’s Co-Cathedral and marvel at its impressive facades and collection of paintings by Caravaggio. Pop in for lunch at Submarine, where you can get a fresh, made-to-order sandwich for a good price before catching the ferry to the Three Cities."

"Malta is home to a huge number of churches, but perhaps the most important is St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Situated near the center of the city, while the exterior of this cathedral may look fairly plain, it holds a wealth of treasures inside. Built by the Knights of St. John back in the 16th century, the lavish interior reflects the power of the order and the emphasis they placed on their religious beliefs."

"Functional in design but lavishly decorated, the Order of St. John's own church (1578) is Malta's most important treasure. The Knights'…"

"These colonnaded gardens perched high above Grand Harbour were created in the late 16th century as a relaxing haven for the Knights from the nearby Auberge d'Italie. They provide a shady retreat from the bustle of the city, and the balcony has one of the best views in Malta.The terrace below is occupied by the Saluting Battery, where a cannon once fired salutes to visiting naval vessels."

"Be sure not to miss the stunning Upper Barrakka Gardens, which give you panoramic views of the Harbor. Originally these gardens were used by the Knight of St. John, who are responsible for building Valletta. Note: The closer you are to the tourist attractions, the more that you’ll find prices for basics will rise."

"Stay at the home of one of Malta’s most important noble families in a 16th-century Valletta palazzo. Casa Rocca Piccola, a deeply historic home-from-home in the heart of Malta’s Unesco World Heritage capital, has five spacious rooms and suites with all the mod cons, alongside oodles of character and tradition."

"My steps took me to Lower Barrakka Gardens, a quiet place with stunning views – for me it was the most picturesque point in Valletta and I was so surprised there were hardly any people around, unlike in Upper Barrakka Gardens. Before I got to the second one I also took some random streets and found myself in the Middle Eastern quarter with Turkish, Armenian or Persian shops (signs, flags etc). It was the only place I’ve seen so far where Turkey and Armenia neighbor peacefully. From there it was a short walk up to Upper Barrakka Gardens that also offer amazing views but was a much busier place."

"With limited space in Valletta and stone simply everywhere, the thinking behind building the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens should be obvious. These rare patches of green within the city not only give you a break from the city streets, but also happen to be exceedingly pretty on their own. The gardens are positioned at different points along the Grand Harbour, but both enjoy sublime views of the harbor as well as Valletta’s waterfront."

"While the Upper Barrakka Gardens are a definite must visit, the Lower Barrakka Gardens too are a wonderful sight to see if you are not hard pressed for time. They provide a different and very lovely perspective to the Malta harbor and are a lovely place to hang out after a day of sight-seeing. The soothing sounds of the sea in the distance, the salty sea-breeze and the unique vantage point that...Read more"

"On the lower part of the St. Christopher's Bastion stands the Siege Bell War Memorial that has been built in commemoration of Maltese people who died during the World War II. Malta suffered the second siege of the island with the attempts of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy to capture the city and naval base controlled by the British Empire. After that, Italy declared war with France and Britain leading to the Italian Air Force attacking Malta. Although British and Maltese are successfully defending the island, but they have suffered from destruction and being one of the most heavily bombed areas during World War II. More than 7,000 soldiers and civilians were killed."

"The most imposing feature of Malta built to commemorate the sacrifice of the British and the Maltese soldiers during the Second World War is the Siege Bell War Memorial. The monument is astounding. The idea in itself lures you to visit the place but there is much more to the place than you can wish to explore when you reach the memorial."

"The Hypogeum (from the Greek, meaning 'underground') is a subterranean necropolis, discovered during building work in 1902. To visit is to step into a mysterious and silent world. Its halls, chambers and passages, immaculately hewn out of the rock, cover some 500 sq metres; it is thought to date from around 3600 to 3000 BC, and an estimated 7000 bodies may have been interred here. Note that prebooking online is essential; try to book around three months before your visit."

"This is also a great day to book a tour of the Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum, as it’s en route to this area. Just keep in mind that they only allow a finite number of people in per day so it’s necessary to book months in advance."

"The megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim (adge-ar eem; 'standing stones') and Mnajdra (mm-nigh-dra) are the best preserved and most evocative of Malta's prehistoric sites, with an unparalleled location atop sea cliffs. Permanent tentlike canopies have been erected over the temples to protect them from the elements.There's an informative hands-on visitors centre to explain the background to the structures, a children's room where kids can build a temple out of blocks, and an atmospheric if not all that informative 4D film introduction."

"This well-known bar is easy to find as it’s located in Mellieha Square in front of the church, which is lit up at night offering a gorgeous backdrop to your evening. It’s the ideal choice if you want to relax outdoors on a warm evening and take in a bit of the colourful local life. You can also catch up on some of the latest sports action on the screens that are located throughout the bar, relaying a variety of coverage."

"Spinola Hotel Paceville is located in St Julians and features free Wi-Fi. It is ideally positioned for those wishing to visit the area's popular attractions."

"The collection at the National Museum of Fine Arts dates back to the Order of St. John (16th Century) – and includes the largest collection of paintings by the Baroque artist Mattia Preti (1613–1699) and a collection of rare, antique maps. The building itself is also historical and was originally one of the oldest in Valletta until a knight re-built it as his private home in the 1760s."

"If you are an art lover, this is undoubtedly the ideal attraction for you in Valletta. An amazing variety of Maltese art and crafts from several different of the time periods of history can be seen put up on display in this lovely and welcoming museum. Located in a historical palatial building, the exteriors of the building are as full of art as the interiors and hence worth a note."

"One for art lovers and yet another former residence of the Knights of Malta. The National Museum of Fine Arts is grand building where you will find Valletta’s finest art pieces from 11th Century to 20th Century. Most notable works of art is the Baptist of Christ painted by Mattias Pretti the prolific painter also responsible for some of the famous paintings in St John Co-Cathedral."