6 Best Sights in Malta

Catacombs run under much of Rabat. Up Saint Agatha Street from Parish Square, the Catacombs of St. Paul are clean of bones but full of carved-out burial troughs and feature the most comprehensive information on the rituals of the city's underground world, including why each tomb is a different shape. St. Agatha's Crypt and Catacombs, farther up the street, were beautifully frescoed between 1200 and 1480, then defaced by Turks in 1551. Back on the square lies arguably the most impressive surviving tunnel area, the Wignacourt Complex, which includes St. Paul's Grotto—believed to be the site where the apostle St. Paul lived during his time in Malta. This labyrinthine network of burial chambers here dates from Punic times and holds one surprise: just below it are a series of World War II bomb shelters (some 50 rooms) carved by hand from an existing water cistern dug centuries earlier by the Knights of the Order of St. John. The Wignacourt museum upstairs houses reliquaries, relics, and paintings by Mattia Preti.

Built in 1552 by the Knights of St. John to defend the harbor, this fort was completely destroyed during the Great Siege of 1565 by the Ottoman Turks and was rebuilt by succeeding military leaders. Today, some parts are still off-limits to visitors as restorations continue, but it has both fantastic views and is also now home to the excellent National War Museum. Malta's history is one of invasion, and the museum charts this in gripping detail through the ages. It is particularly strong on the reign of the Knights, who, when kicked out of Rhodes in 1522 by the Ottoman Turks, resumed their struggle for religious hegemony in Malta over countless battles, sieges, and raids. It also delves well into the tug of war between Napoléon and the British, as well as the island's fate during World War II, offering easily the most comprehensive historical overview of Valletta. Its audio-visual tales are also often nail-biting, particularly the tale of "Operation Pedestal," in which the Allied forces sought to squeeze a supply ship through enemy lines to Malta in 1942 and, in doing so, changed the course of the war. Alongside this are a collection of rare military objects, including President Roosevelt's Jeep, "Husky," and one of the Gloster Sea Gladiator biplanes that defended the island so stoutly.

What appears a rather functional-looking building from the outside is deceiving. Inside, this is one of the world's most lavishly decorated Baroque cathedrals. The discrepancy between its exterior and interior reflect the different eras through which it has stood. It was completed in 1578 by the Knights of St. John as their own church. In the 17th century, the order's mounting treasures from the Holy Land and the desire to build a cathedral to rival those of Rome saw it get a spectacular makeover. A floor made up of a patchwork of colored-marble tombstones (the final resting place of some 375 knights and officers of the order) shines beneath a breathtakingly intricate arched ceiling largely decorated by the Calabrian artist and knight Mattia Preti. In the Oratory is Caravaggio's only signed work, the dramatic and unsparing Beheading of John the Baptist (1607), which hangs above the very spot where the rogue artist was defrocked and deknighted following a brawl (he had already fled to Malta to escape punishment for murder). Also hanging here is another of the artist's works, the touchingly frail image of Saint Jerome Writing (1606), which found infamy after it was stolen from the Co-Cathedral in 1984 and held hostage. The cathedral museum is currently being extended (work is set to be completed in 2021) to include a special area dedicated to Caravaggio and its collections of silver, tapestries, and vestments, set to be completed in 2021. The entrance fee includes an audio guide. Public access (main ticket office) is on Republic St.

Narrow heeled shoes such as stilettos are not allowed, but slippers can be purchased at reception; women in short skirts will be given coverings.