Valletta, The Other European Capital Of Culture In 2018

In 2018 the turn of the European Cultural Capital has fallen to Valletta, sharing this honor with the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. So anyone who does not know Valletta , in the coming months has the ideal excuse to make a trip to the capital of the island and the Republic of Malta.

Valletta, tourist destination

To be fair, it must be said that preparing a getaway to Valletta does not need many excuses, as it is an impressive monumental city. A city that emerged practically in the 16th century at the instigation of the Knights of the Order of Malta, who created their headquarters here, in the middle of the Mediterranean.

To these origins it owes the fortified aspect of the entire old town of Valletta. And the main monuments also date from that same period, which today look very similar to what they did when the knights of Malta ruled the city and the island.

Those are the great attractions of a visit to Valletta. Without forgetting that the name of the Order of Malta sounds like a legend to all of us, and certainly walking through the island capital it is easy to immerse yourself in that legendary atmosphere of the military orders.

What to see in Valletta?

The entry point to ancient Valletta is the Triton Fountain. From there you can see the so-called Puerta de la Ciudad, deeply renovated in recent years to become a monumental access to an extraordinary walk through the history of this small country.

Inside, countless churches await us, and the buildings called Hostels also attract our attention. These constructions were the headquarters of the branches of the Maltese order. Groups that called each other “languages” alluding to the fact that they were grouped by the origin of their members. Thus we find the Albergue de Castilla, that of Baviera or that of Aragón, and so on up to eight.

And on top of that, there are the fortifications that were built, like Fort St. Elmo or the Bastion of Lascaris. Fortresses that had one objective: to watch over the port of Malta and the Mediterranean Sea, through which you may arrive in Valletta, since it is a regular stop for many cruise ships.

If so, whether you are enjoying a getaway or a short stop, you should not miss the most important places in the city:

Co-Cathedral of San Juan

When you arrive before her, do not be fooled by the austere appearance of her exterior. Real wonders await you inside. Altarpieces and sculptures abound in every corner: on the walls, vaults, ceilings, and even on the floor, where there are hundreds of refined marble tombstones commemorating the knights of the Order of Malta.

But the great treasure of the Valletta Co-Cathedral are two paintings made here by the great Caravaggio. Especially one of them, the Beheading of the Baptist . Just to see this incredible chiaroscuro masterpiece it is already worth paying the price of the entrance to the building.

The Palace of the Grand Master

And very close to this temple, you can visit another of the jewels of the historical and artistic heritage of Valletta: the Palace of the Grand Master. This was the place of government of the Order and the residence of its maximum head.

Something that we can imagine when we see its spectacular front door, which is only a preview of the lavish rooms that we will find inside. The palace sightseeing tour includes places like the elegant Ambassadors Room or the Council Room, famous for its tapestries.

But it reaches its zenith in the Armory, where the armor worn by those knights is on display. An armament that reminds us of what we have seen in the cinema, and before which it is not difficult to evoke epic battles.

Valletta in 2018

That and much more are the historical treasures of Valletta and reasons that always invite you to visit. However, this year there are still more reasons to undertake this journey, being the Cultural Capital of Europe.

For this reason, some 400 events have been prepared to be held throughout Malta, but mainly in its capital. The story line of all of them is the motto “European Year of Cultural Heritage” and each and every one of them has an eminently Mediterranean character, as it happens to the city of Valletta and the entire island.