Wandering through the light, airy streets of Valletta, the bright golden yellow space encompasses you: expressed through exquisite baroque architecture so often accented by the Maltese sun and backlit by blue skies. The buildings sometimes even appear to have a pinkish hue. This is seen clearly around the area of Valletta’s City Gate in the shape of a grand boxy square nearby, with mythic columns that ascend. The Gate itself is a notable landmark: a majestic otherworldly entrance with a modernist twist, having been designed by Renzo piano building workshop. The iconic name behind this is the same architect who created the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Valletta’s geometric City Gate serves as the starting point to the famous bustling Republic Street.
This is a 1km-long distinctive honey-coloured avenue filled with judicial and historical landmarks including palaces, restaurants and shops, and stretches across the entire length of the city. As is common in Valletta, the iconic thoroughfare is decorated with green window boxes, in different shades of the colour, known as Gallerjia. These attractively line the angular historically fortified city of Malta, giving it a unique sculpted dimension. The militaristic past dissolves into timeless classic beauty to emanate a cinematic quality reminiscent of the imagination of Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026).
This is also evoked in the three cities of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua which lie just across the water to which one can sail in small wooden boats, or water taxis, which authentically rock side-to-side. The parallel civic isles face Valetta and have many narrow yet stunning streets as well as reciprocal complementary views of the capital city. The town of Senglea is especially beautiful and acts as if an aesthetic extension of Valletta with multicoloured window boxes and doors popping against radiant exteriors, flowing green plant pots and door knockers in the shape of fanciful fish.
There is a beautiful harbour there where one can have fresh seafood which is, of course, a culinary staple found throughout Malta and the Mediterranean – Octopus stew and grilled swordfish are specialities. Returning to Valletta, you can also find the Upper Barrakkah Gardens which are adorned in hanging leafy bows that can be accessed by an ethereal silvery elevator. Cannons are fired from this verdant vantage point daily at 12 and 4pm. Later, you can walk along to find the striking Tritons’ fountain constituted of 3 Sea Gods. In terms of infrastructure, according to the blog, Pack the Suitcases: ‘Valletta is built in a kind of grid system like American cities are. This is designed to let light in through the tall buildings and to allow fresh sea air to circulate through the city’. As well as stirring visual wonder then this has the power to instantly lift one’s mood. Valetta became the European Capital of Culture for 2018, and ‘the whole city is also listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site, given its wealth of history.’
