Valletta Landmarks Tour - PDF Free Download

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Valletta Landmarks Tour Valletta proudly boasts a number of breathtaking landmarks and monuments that will impress even the most well-traveled visitor. This huge city, rich in culture and history, offers marvelous sightseeing. Here is a rundown of spots you should definitely visit during your time in Valletta. Guide Location: Malta» Valletta # of Attractions: 12 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 2.6 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Valletta. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit https://www.gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) St. James Ditch Street Market B) Triton Fountain C) Hastings Gardens D) Republic Street E) Great Siege Square F) Queen's Square G) Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church H) Palace Square (St. George's Square) I) Merchant Street Market J) Siege Bell - World War II Memorial K) Mediterranean Conference Centre (The Knights Hospitallers) L) Fort Saint Elmo Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - A) St. James Ditch Street Market The St. James Ditch street market is held right by the City Gate roundabout. Many tourists and locals visit this shopping event to check out everyday and brand name clothing, antiques, old books, live birds and many other items. It's a fun place to browse, even if you aren t planning to purchase anything. Operation hours: Sunday morning - 1 pm. Address: City Gates Roundabout, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and zoonabar B) Triton Fountain Sculpted in 1959 by famous local sculptor Vincent Apap, the Triton Fountain is one of the key landmarks in Valletta. It is located within City Gate Square and serves as the main station for the central bus route. The southern side of the fountain has a World War II monument to the Maltese soldiers who had fallen in battle. Address: City Gates Roundabout, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and Moody75 C) Hastings Gardens (must see) Hastings Gardens is located on top of St. John's and St. Michael's bastions on the west side of town. It is dedicated to Francis, Marquis of Hastings, who governed Malta until 1827. The garden is fairly plain but has a marvelous view of the island, Marsamxett Harbor and Msida Creek. Address: Pope Pius V St, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and Cebete Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - D) Republic Street (must see) Republic Street, Valletta's central road, runs from the Triton Fountain outside the City Gate, to Fort St. Elmo. It is frequently closed to traffic due to the amount of tourists visiting its shops and boutiques. There are also many cozy cafes and specialty restaurants on this street. Address: Republic Street, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and Moody75 E) Great Siege Square Great Siege Square is a small square off Republic Street dedicated to Malta's siege by the Ottoman Empire in 1565. It is a beautiful tranquil place to watch the world go by while having a cup of coffee at one of its open-air cafes or restaurants. Address: Intersection of Republic St. and Santa Lucia St., La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and bjbrake F) Queen's Square Queen's Square, also known as Republic Square, is located right next to the National Library. It contains a statue of Queen Victoria, for which the square was named. Open-air cafes, such as the popular Cafe Cordina, can be found here. Address: Republic St, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and Joshua Rappeneker Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - G) Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (must see) This marvelous church is often wrongly assumed to be a cathedral because of its huge 42 meter dome. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church was built in 1570 and rebuilt in 1958. Like other Maltese churches, its interior design is truly stunning. Address: Old Mint St, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and harshilshah100 H) Palace Square (St. George's Square) Palace Square is a picturesque pedestrian area featuring modern lighting, lava paving and a fountain with synchronized music. Visitors can also enjoy a traditional Maltese horse-drawn carriage ride, known as a karozzin. Address: Republic St, La Valletta, Malta. Image Courtesy of Flickr and PaulSkin I) Merchant Street Market The Merchant Street Market is a popular open-air market in Valletta. This colorful street market resembles a European flea market, offering everyday and brand name clothing, antiques, old books and many other items at bargain prices. Operation hours: Monday - Saturday 8 am - 12 pm. Address: Merchants St, La Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Flickr and Moody75 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - J) Siege Bell - World War II Memorial (must see) Located on Mediterranean Street, the Siege Bell is rung everyday at noon. It is a memorial to those who fell during World War II when Malta was continuously bombed by Axis forces. Address: Mediterranean Street Image Courtesy of Flickr and Glen Bowman K) Mediterranean Conference Centre (The Knights Hospitallers) The Mediterranean Conference Centre's building was built as a hospital in the 16th century by the Order of St. John, and it was known as the Sacra Infermeria or the Holy Infirmary. The Order of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as Order of Hospitallers or Knights Hospitaller, were among the most famous of the Roman Catholic military orders during the Middle Ages. The building is over 150 m long and drops down several floors. The top floor was dedicated to the wealthy, the poor were places in the floor below. It was one of the leading hospitals in Europe until the 18th century, and it remained in use until 1920. The building is now used for multiple banquets, exhibitions, international conventions and theatrical shows. The centre's auditorium has roughly 1,500 seats. Address: Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and GFDL. Sight description based on Wikipedia. L) Fort Saint Elmo (must see) Fort Saint Elmo is a fortification in Valletta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour. Fort Saint Elmo was the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the 1565 siege, and it withstood massive bombardment from Turkish cannon. Though the fort was reduced to rubble during the bombardments, when the Ottomans abandoned the siege the fort was rebuilt and reinforced, Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - becoming partially incorporated into the seaward bastion of the fortress city of Valletta. Since the mid-20th century, Fort Saint Elmo has housed Malta's police academy. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: St. Elmo Place, Valletta, Malta Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Yoruno. Sight description based on Wikipedia. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -