Malta's Historic Cities — Valletta, Mdina & The Three Cities

Valletta — A Planned Baroque Capital

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Founded: 1566 · UNESCO World Heritage · Highlights: St. John's Co‑Cathedral, Grand Harbour views, auberges, bastions.

Built by the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege, Valletta is a gridded, walkable city where palaces, churches and military architecture sit within monumental bastions. Don’t miss Caravaggio’s masterpieces, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, and the honey‑colored streets at golden hour.

View from Upper Barrakka Gardens - panoramic view
Valletta and the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka.

Mdina — The Silent City

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Origins: Phoenician/Roman · Highlights: St. Paul's Cathedral, narrow alleys, bastions overlooking the island.

Mdina’s medieval lanes, limestone palazzi and quiet piazzas feel timeless. By day explore its museums and cathedral; by night, the softly lit streets reveal why it’s called the Silent City.

Mdina - Main Gate
The iconic baroque Main Gate of Mdina.

Birgu (Vittoriosa) — Maritime Heart

Knights' first seat · Highlights: Fort St. Angelo, Inquisitor’s Palace, collachio quarter.

Birgu’s lanes spill towards the Grand Harbour marinas. Explore Fort St. Angelo guarding the creeks, then wander the collachio where the Knights once lived.

Fort St. Angelo
Fort St. Angelo anchoring Birgu’s waterfront.

Senglea (L-Isla) — Bastions & Belvederes

Founded: 1550s · Highlights: Gardjola battery, Senglea Point, waterfront promenade.

Across from Valletta, Senglea’s belvedere offers postcard views of the capital. Stroll the peninsula to watch the changing light over the harbour.

Gardjola Senglea
The eye‑carved watchtower of Il‑Gardjola at Senglea.

Cospicua (Bormla) — The Sheltering Creek

Known for: Double Cottonera Lines · Highlights: Dockyard Creek, parish church, harbour walks.

Bormla wraps around a busy creek with layers of industrial and Knights‑era history. It’s the most down‑to‑earth of the Three Cities, perfect for slow harbour walks.

Cospicua Waterfront
Cospicua’s waterfront along Dockyard Creek.

Rabat — Suburbs of Antiquity

Roman heritage · Highlights: St. Paul’s Catacombs, Domvs Romana, winding lanes.

Adjacent to Mdina, Rabat’s catacombs and Roman remains attest to Malta’s early Christian and imperial past, while cafés and bakeries give it a village feel.

St. Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat, Malta Island, Malta
St. Paul’s Catacombs beneath Rabat.

Victoria & the Cittadella (Gozo) — Island Citadel

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Gozo’s capital · Highlights: Cittadella ramparts, Cathedral, panoramic views.

On Gozo, Victoria’s hilltop Cittadella commands views over fields and villages, with museums and arches tracing centuries of island life.

Victoria (Rabat).Citadel (3)
The Cittadella crowning Victoria, Gozo.

Practical Tips

  • Start early for bastion and harbour views in soft light; save interiors (cathedrals, museums) for midday heat.
  • Use the Valletta–Three Cities ferry for scenic, quick crossings of the Grand Harbour.
  • Combine Mdina/Rabat on the same day; linger for evening calm inside the Silent City.
  • In Gozo, pair Victoria with the Ġgantija temples or Xlendi cliffs for a varied day.