Valletta

Triton Fountain at City Gate

To the southeast of Hastings Gardens is the City Gate of Valletta, in front of which is Freedom Square, at the end of Republic Street. Outside the gate is a large square, in the center of which is the Triton Fountain. Here, too, is the City Gate Bus Terminus, starting-point of all Malta's bus routes.

The Great Ditch, part of the old fortifications, leads via a new gate built in 1968 to Freedom Square. The Triton Fountain is a contemporary Maltese work from the 1950s.

Malta Bus

A Malta bus is both the bus used for public transport on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and also a major tourist attraction on the island, due to their unique appearance grounded in the bus ownership and operation model employed on Malta.

In particular, Malta has several bus types that are no longer in service anywhere else in the world. The unique nature of the Malta bus stems from the tradition of local ownership of the buses by the drivers, and their historic practice of customising them. In addition to a high degree of customisation, detailing and decoration, several Malta buses also have a unique appearance due to the practice of in-house maintenance, rebuilding or modifying of bus bodies in local workshops.

As an iconic feature of the island, the classic Malta bus features on several tourist related items. As the main mode of public transport on the island, the Malta bus is also used by many tourists to visit the different parts of the island. While newer Malta buses follow standard bus designs found elsewhere, customisation and detailing has continued for these buses too.

City Gate

The City Gate is the front of Freedom Square,at the end of Republic street. Known originally as the gate of St.George,this was the main entrance through the bastions into the city.It later became Porta Reale and then Kings Gate.The present gate was erected to provide a wider passage in 1964.

Vallettaunded in 1565 by the Order of St John as a refuge for soldiers returning from the Crusades, Valletta is now the capital of Malta and a piece of living history. With an unsurpassed collection of original Baroque architecture, fortified city walls overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and the spectacular Co-Cathedral of St John, which features intricately carved stone vaults and a famed painting by Caravaggio, it is no wonder that this smallest of European capital cities is a world heritage site

St. John CathedralThe Co-Cathedral of St John is nothing short of a gem and quite simply a must for any tourist. Described as the first complete example of high Baroque anywhere, it epitomises the spiritual and military role of its patrons.

The Cathedral is a showcase to Mattia Preti who intricately carved stone wall designs, as well as the painted vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St John. Among the treasures found in the Cathedral are the unique Caravaggio painting depicting the beheading of St John, the extraordinary paving of more than 300 marble tomb slabs (the burial place of several former European princes), and the splendid vaulted central nave with frescoes of Mattia Preti.

Upper Barrakka Gardens

Named the Upper Barrakka and the Lower Barrakka, both gardens offer a stunning view of the Grand Harbour.

The Upper Barrakka garden, especially, is a must. Built on top of a demi-bastion, both locals and foreigners relish spending hours taking in the sights. A number of statues and monuments adorn the gardens, including one dedicated to Winston Churchill.

A monument dedicated to Captain Ball is located in the centre of the Lower Barrakka Gardens.

Karozzin

Karozzin (Horse Drawn Cab) The traditional 'Karozzin' is the ideal way to tour around the narrow alleys and streets of our old fortified cities.

Used as a normal means of transport in the past, the karozzin is more commonly used nowadays for short sightseeing tours and is very popular for weddings. A Karozzin tour can be used as part of a full day or evening tour around one of the fortified cities, particularly Mdina Medieval City.

Valletta Castille

Castile Place is named after the famous Auberge de Castille (et de Léon), one of Valletta's most magnificent buildings, the splendid facade of which dominates the square. Originally designed by Gerolamo Cassar, it was rebuilt in masterly Baroque style by Domenico Cachia for the Grand Master, Manoel Pinto de Fonseca (1741-73).

Finely proportioned and strictly symmetrical, the building was badly damaged during World War II but was later carefully restored. The dominant feature of the two-story facade is the doorway, surmounted by a bust of the Grand Master, flanked by paired columns and old cannon, and approached by a grand staircase.

Formerly occupied by the British military headquarters, the auberge is now the official residence of the Prime Minister.