Michael Gaylard Photography

Southeastern Malta, between Valletta (northwest shore) and the Three Cities (Birgu/Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua) on the southeast. Size: About 2,035,000 m² (503 acres), stretching 3.63 km long and 1.33 km wide, with an average depth of 7.7 m.

Historical Significance

Prehistoric Use: Megalithic remains (Kordin Temples, c. 3700 BC) overlooked the harbour.
Phoenician & Roman Periods: Punic and Roman remains found along its shores; Cospicua may have been a Carthaginian port.
Knights of St. John: Established headquarters in Birgu, fortified Fort St. Angelo, and defended the harbour during the Great Siege of 1565.
British Era: Expanded dockyards and fortifications, making it a major naval base.
World War II: Heavily bombed but remained a strategic Allied stronghold.

- Today, Grand Harbour is considered one of the world’s most visually captivating cruise ports, welcoming liners with Valletta’s UNESCO skyline as backdrop. Marinas host luxury yachts and pleasure boats, especially at Birgu’s Grand Harbour Marina.

Founded: 1566 by the Knights of St. John, after the Great Siege of 1565.
Named After: Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, who led Malta’s defense against the Ottomans.
Size: About 0.8 km², making it one of Europe’s smallest capitals.
Population: Roughly 6,000 residents, though daily visitors swell numbers dramatically.
Layout: A planned city with a grid system, bastions, and fortifications — one of the earliest examples of Renaissance urban planning.

Historical Significance

Fortifications: Valletta was designed as a fortress city, with bastions, curtain walls, and cavaliers.
Baroque Architecture: Richly adorned churches, palaces, and auberges (lodges of the Knights).
Cultural Role: Became Malta’s political, religious, and cultural hub, replacing Birgu as capital.
British Period: Served as a naval base and administrative center.
World War II: Heavily bombed but resilient, earning the George Cross for bravery awarded to the Maltese people in 1942.