Malta Part 3 - Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Roman Villa was just outside the wall surrounding the old city of Mdina, but Valletta was a fairly short bus ride away. This was a very different city, in that the new and old are side by side, with renovations still being completed on some old ruins.

Valletta is the smallest of all European capital cities. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been described by UNESCO as 'one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world'.

It was a lovely city to visit, with outdoor cafes filled with people having a good time on their Sunday listening to live music, and enjoying what smelt like delicious food. I really wished we could have had lunch included in our tour, so we could soak in the festive atmosphere and try local foods. Instead we spent an hour in the National Museum whilst there, and had to wait until we got back to the ship, which meant we returned hot, tired and very hungry.

However, it was interesting in the museum, except I could not hear our guide, who knew a great deal and talked non-stop about the incident history and geology of the island, but was just not audible in the bustling crowd that kept separating us. But I did discover from one exhibit that when building the old city, some very ingenious engineering solutions were used to transport the big blocks of stone. A hollowed out club-like device made of rock had a large stone ball embedded in it. The ball had just enough space to roll around in the hollow; in addition the assembly could bear a heavy weight. Hence it was able to serve as a wheel at a time when wheels were not yet used. 

I would add that the reason why the building blocks in the twin cities in Malta are larger and lighter than those in Italian walled cities, was that here the local stone is limestone, while in Italy it was volcanic rock. 

Overall, Malta was a fascinating island well worth exploring. I believe from my fellow passengers that its famous Blue Grotto also was well worth visiting.

Entering the city via its dry moat.

An important modern building just inside the entrance to the city.

Walking down the main street with its colourful banners.

A photo from in front of the building in the second photo.

Restoration work on an old ruin that could be partly seen in the previous photo. 

The government building.

Entering the Upper Barrack Gardens behind the government building. Through the archways you can see a breathtaking view of Malta's harbour.

The archways.

The view in one direction from the archways.

Another view of the harbour. 

Yet another view.