RunCity

Valletta on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 8 of Valletta's best-known sights, including Triton Fountain, Auberge de Castille, Upper Barrakka Gardens and more. It is about 3 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Valletta leaderboard.

  • 8Stops
  • about 3 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 34 minRunning
Play Valletta in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Valletta
Photo: Mandyy88 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Valletta is a fortified city on a narrow peninsula, built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565, and this route crosses it end to end in about 3 km. It starts at the Triton Fountain outside the City Gate and reaches the baroque Auberge de Castille, now the prime minister's office, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where a cannon of the Saluting Battery fires over the Grand Harbour every day at noon.

St John's Co-Cathedral, plain outside and gilded inside, holds two Caravaggios. The Grand Master's Palace with its wooden balconies, the Manoel Theatre, one of Europe's oldest working theatres, and the bonus stop, the Siege Bell Memorial above the harbour, lead to Fort Saint Elmo at the tip of the peninsula. The streets are steep in places and laid on a grid; the Barrakka lift links the gardens with the waterfront, and ferries cross to the Three Cities.

Coming from a cruise ship

Ships berth at the Valletta Waterfront in the Grand Harbour, right below the city walls. The Barrakka Lift carries you from the waterfront up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens in under a minute; from there the whole 3 km route is on foot. Be at the gardens at noon for the Saluting Battery gun.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Triton Fountain

    Triton Fountain Photo

    The bronze tritons holding up their basin outside the city gate.

    Photo: Joseolgon · CC BY 4.0

  2. Auberge de Castille

    Auberge de Castille Photo

    The baroque façade of the prime minister's office.

    Photo: Matthew Axiak · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Upper Barrakka Gardens

    Upper Barrakka Gardens

    The arcaded garden terrace above the Grand Harbour.

    Photo: C T Johansson · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. St John's Co-Cathedral

    St John's Co-Cathedral Photo

    The plain limestone façade between two bell towers.

    Photo: Matthew Axiak · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Grand Master's Palace

    Grand Master's Palace Photo

    The long palace front with its wooden balconies on Palace Square.

    Photo: Stefar70 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Manoel Theatre

    Manoel Theatre

    One of Europe's oldest working theatres, behind a modest façade.

    Photo: R Muscat · CC BY-SA 2.0

  7. Siege Bell Memorial

    Siege Bell Memorial Bonus

    The great bell above the Grand Harbour, remembering the wartime siege.

    Photo: MrPanyGoff · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Fort Saint Elmo

    Fort Saint Elmo Photo

    The star fort at the tip of the peninsula.

    Photo: Dion Hinchcliffe · CC BY-SA 2.0

Play Valletta in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Valletta on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 8 stops on this route add up to about 3 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Valletta is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Valletta?

    Open Valletta in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Valletta leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Triton Fountain and finishing at Fort Saint Elmo. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Can you walk into Valletta from the cruise port?

    Ships berth at the Valletta Waterfront in the Grand Harbour, right below the city walls. The Barrakka Lift carries you from the waterfront up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens in under a minute; from there the whole 3 km route is on foot. Be at the gardens at noon for the Saluting Battery gun.

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