Upper Barrakka Gardens & panorama of Malta

The Upper Barrakka Gardens are the most celebrated viewpoint in Malta — a small, elegant public garden perched high on the bastions of Valletta, looking out over the majestic sweep of the Grand Harbour. Laid out in 1661 as a shaded retreat for the Italian knights of the Order of St John, on the upper tier of the St Peter and Paul Bastion, the gardens were opened to the public in the 19th century and have been a favourite promenade ever since. Their arcaded terrace, planted with trees and flowers and dotted with statues and monuments, offers one of the great panoramas of the Mediterranean.

What to See

From the terrace balustrade the whole Grand Harbour opens up below: the fortified promontories of the Three Cities — Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua — the mighty bastions and Fort St Angelo across the water, and the quays and yachts, all framed by golden ramparts. On the tier just beneath the gardens stands the Saluting Battery, a line of historic cannon that once greeted arriving warships and today fires a ceremonial gun each day at noon (and again in the late afternoon) — a popular spectacle watched from the terrace above. The gardens themselves are a pleasant, shady place to rest among the memorials and fountains, and from here the Barrakka Lift drops in seconds down the face of the bastion to the Grand Harbour waterfront and the Valletta ferries far below.

How to Get There and Practical Information

The Upper Barrakka Gardens lie at the south-western end of Valletta, a short walk uphill from the City Gate and bus terminus through the city streets. From the Grand Harbour waterfront and the Three Cities ferry, the quickest way up is the Barrakka Lift, which rises the full height of the bastion in moments for a small charge. The gardens are free to enter and open daily until late, while the Saluting Battery charges a small admission for close access to the guns — though the daily firings can be enjoyed for free from the terrace above. There is no better place in Malta to watch the sun rise or set over the harbour, so it is worth timing a visit for the golden light, and for the boom of the noon-day gun.