Fort St. Elmo & National War Museum
Forti Sant'Iermu
A star-shaped fortress at the tip of Valletta's peninsula, the main battlefield of the 1565 Great Siege, housing the National War Museum.
Fort St Elmo stands at the very tip of the Valletta peninsula, guarding the entrances to the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. During the Ottoman Great Siege of 1565 it held out for over a month, buying the Order precious time. Today the fort houses the National War Museum, which covers the story from the Bronze Age to the Second World War. Its displays include the wreckage of the Gloster Gladiator “Faith”, a fighter that defended Malta during the war, and the George Cross awarded by the British monarch to the whole island. From the bastions you can look out over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. Admission is about €10 (combined tickets are available with other sites). It is about a 15-minute walk along Republic Street from Valletta's city gate to the end.
Opening hours
Daily 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Grandmaster's Palace
- Valletta
- St. John's Co-Cathedral
- Upper Barrakka Gardens & Saluting Battery
- Fort St. Angelo
- Lascaris War Rooms
- Birgu (Vittoriosa) & the Three Cities
- Sliema & Tigné Point