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Malta may be small, but its captivating history packs a serious punch. Not only does it boast some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world but, along with its sister island Gozo, it’s also home to some of Europe’s most fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Over the years, the Maltese islands have been ruled by the Romans, Phoenicians, Arabs, French, Knights of St. John, and the British Empire, and each of these powers has left a distinctive mark on Malta’s architecture, culture, and traditions. There are so many fortresses, temples, palaces, and historic old towns to explore, in fact, that if you’re visiting, it can be difficult to know where to start.
To help you out, we’ve partnered with Visit Malta*. Whether you’re looking for recommendations for places to stay or ideas for things to do, you’ll find all kinds of tips, advice, and inspiration on their website. They’re also experts at suggesting the very best historical sights and attractions to visit.
So, if you’re intrigued by what Malta and Gozo have to offer, we’re here to help. Here are 10 beautiful historic sites to visit in Malta.
1. Mosta Dome
Located in central Malta, the small town of Mosta has been an important location since the 16th century. Today, it’s lively and vibrant, and the old, narrow streets are lined with cafes, bars, and restaurants. But it’s Mosta’s dazzling Dome* – also known as the Rotunda – that the town is most known for. The majestic Dome looms high on the Maltese skyline, and has become one of the island’s most famous landmarks.
Based on the Roman Pantheon, the Dome was designed by the Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, and took an astonishing 28 years to build. Completed in 1860, it has a beautiful blue, gold, and white interior. Inside, you can see a replica of a 200kg WW2 bomb that fell through the roof in 1942, while hundreds of locals were at Mass. Incredibly, the bomb failed to explode, and no-one was harmed.
2. Fort St Elmo
Valletta, Malta’s small-yet-spectacular capital, is a treasure trove of cultural and historical riches. While St. John’s Co-Cathedral is number one in terms of religious attractions, Fort St Elmo* arguably takes the top spot for military masterpieces. Built in 1552 by the Knights of St. John (in just four months!), this majestic fort is best known for bearing the brunt of the fierce Ottoman arms during the Great Siege of Malta, in 1565.
While Malta has several other forts, St Elmo is regarded as the country’s best – and the gorgeous views of the Grand Harbour are another bonus. Inside the fort walls is a chapel (the resting place of the Knights who died during the siege), and the excellent National War Museum. Here, you can learn about the impact World War II had on Malta, and see aircraft wreckage, weapons, and various military vehicles.
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3. Ġgantija Temples
Located on Malta’s sister island Gozo, the Ġgantija temples* aren’t just a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site; they’re also the oldest freestanding monuments in the world, predating Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. Dating back to 3600–3200 BC, the temples prove that Gozo was inhabited during the Bronze Age and are incredibly well-preserved despite their antiquity.
Made up of megaliths weighing over 500 tons, it’s no surprise people once believed these huge temples were built by giants. Today, this ancient site is still shrouded in mystery. The complex consists of a north and south temple surrounded by a stone wall, and, while we don’t know exactly what the site was used for, the stone hearths, animal bones, and libation holes in the floor suggest animal sacrifice occurred.
4. The Inquisitor’s Palace
In Vittoriosa, on Malta’s Grand Harbour, is the Inquisitor’s Palace*. Built in the 1530s, this architectural gem was used as law courts until the 1570s, when it became the tribunal and prison of the Holy Roman Inquisition. Today, the palace is home to the National Museum of Ethnography, where you can learn about the impact of the Inquisition on Maltese society, as well as the role of religion in day-to-day life.
It’s a place of contracts, with its grand design intended to inspire awe, yet also generate reverence and repentance towards the Inquisition. The most fascinating part of the palace, however – and the most sinister – is the former prison cells. Here, you can see drawings by prisoners that are still carved onto the walls, and visit the torture chamber, where rope contraptions were used extracting confessions.
5. Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum
Not content with boasting the world’s oldest freestanding monuments, Malta is also home to one of the world’s oldest underground burial sites – the UNESCO-listed Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum*. Dating back 5,000 years, this network of subterranean chambers is the resting place for an estimated 7,000 bodies. But it wasn’t just a burial site for the ancient Maltese people; it was also a sanctuary and a place of worship.
To enter these catacombs is to step into a cold, quiet, and mysterious world. The passages and chambers are carved out rock, and in the Oracle Chamber, you can experience a strange phenomenon; male voices are magnified while female voices aren’t. To protect the delicate limestone walls, only 10 visitors are allowed in per hour, so to avoid disappointment, it’s best to book at least three months in advance.
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6. Old Prison Gozo
If you’re interested in historical crime and punishment, you may like to head to Gozo to check out its Old Prison*. Located in Gozo’s capital Victoria, much of this building lay in ruins following the Turkish invasion in 1551. However, after the Knights of St. John rebuilt it, they used the prison to confine their rowdiest and most disobedient members, and it was used as a jail until the turn of the 20th century.
What’s particularly fascinating about this prison is that it still echoes with the memories of its inmates. The walls house the largest collection of historical graffiti in Malta, and provide a compelling insight into the conditions in which prisoners were kept. Some inmates scratched a record of their length of stay on the walls; others etched their palm prints, names, dates, games, crosses, and the names of their ships.
7. Grandmaster’s Palace
Another attraction in Valletta is the Grandmaster’s Palace*, which dominates St George’s Square. Built in 1571, walking through the dazzling interior takes you on a compelling journey through Malta’s political history. Once the residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St. John, the palace was the seat of Malta’s parliament until 2015 and, today, it remains the official residence of the Maltese president.
There are many rooms to explore here, but the armoury is particularly interesting: there are over 5000 suits of armour from the 16th-18th centuries, as well as crossbows, muskets, swords, and pistols, many of which belonged to the Knights. There are five public rooms in the State Apartments, and the corridors are hung with hundreds of paintings by various Grand Masters, plus colourful and exotic tapestries.
8. Għar Dalam Cave
If you’re more interested in natural history, you might like to visit the Għar Dalam Cave and Museum*. Għar Dalam means ‘cave of darkness’ in Maltese, and this atmospheric 145-metre cave is packed with ancient wonders and paleontological treasures. In the lowest layers of the cave, the remains of dwarf elephants, hippopotami, wolves, and birds including giant flightless swans have been found.
The fact these animals were all of European descent suggests Malta was once joined to Italy; the animals were believed to have been trapped in Malta during the Ice Age, when the sea level rose and separated the island from Sicily. Pottery dating back to 5200 BC was also found here, and Neanderthal teeth were found in the top cavern, suggesting the caves were inhabited well over 40,000 years ago.
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9. Haġar Qim & Mnajdra Temples
Another one for temple fans – the UNESCO-listed Haġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples*. Perched on a high hill overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean, these temples enjoy an unusually scenic location – and they also happen to be the best-preserved of Malta’s ancient sites. Built 5,000 years ago, this Neolithic temple complex is believed to have been used for fertility rituals, but very little else is known about it.
The temples are about 500 metres apart and covered by permanent canopies to protect them from the elements. Haġar Qim consists of a main building with carvings, external features, and doorways, while Mnajdra is made up of three buildings. Interestingly, one chamber here is believed to mark the summer solstice; at dawn, a sunbeam enters a hole in the wall to create a crescent-shaped projection.
10. Valletta
We’ve already featured a few of Valletta’s* most popular attractions in this article – so it may seem strange to also feature the Maltese capital itself. But not for nothing is this entire city a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it’s been described as “one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world”. When you consider the city is only one square kilometre in size, its treasures become even more astonishing.
The Knights of St. John decreed Valletta would be “a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen”, and that sense of 16th-century finesse lingers on. The old streets are packed with Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Napoleonic, and British history, and there are many other churches, forts, museums, and palaces worth visiting. The beautiful Grand Harbour is perfect for a history-focused coastal stroll.
Final thoughts…
Whether you’re more drawn to beautiful baroque cathedrals, underground burial chambers, ancient megalithic temples, or awe-inspiring military forts, Malta’s vast and varied history has something to intrigue everyone.
But Malta’s historical sites and architectural masterpieces are just part of its charm. The Maltese archipelago is also known for its fossil-adorned cliffs, idyllic beaches, mouthwatering cuisine, and all the sun, sea, and sand you could wish for. If you’d like to find out more, check out our article: 10 places to visit and things to do in Malta and Gozo.
Or, head over to the Visit Malta website to see what else these islands have to offer.
Have you visited Malta before – or are you interested in visiting any of these historical attractions? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!