Upper Barrakka Gardens & Saluting Battery
Il-Barrakka ta' Fuq
An arcaded garden on the highest point of Valletta's walls overlooking the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, with saluting guns fired at noon and 4 p.m. daily.
The Upper Barrakka Gardens are built on top of the St Peter and St Paul bastions of Valletta. They were originally the private gardens of the Knights of the Italian Langue and have been open to the public since 1824. The gardens are surrounded by arcades, and the viewing terrace at the front looks out over the entire Grand Harbour, with the fortifications of Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea and Cospicua, the “Three Cities”, and Fort St Angelo across the water. It is arguably the finest view in Malta. Below the gardens, the Saluting Battery preserves guns from the British colonial period, and uniformed staff fire them at 12:00 and 16:00 each day. Watching is free, but a ticket is needed to go down to the battery for a closer look. The Barrakka Lift beside the gardens takes you straight down to the harbour, where you can catch a ferry or a traditional wooden boat (dgħajsa) to the Three Cities. The gardens have a café, and the harbour lights in the evening are beautiful.
Opening hours
About 07:00–22:00; saluting battery fires daily at 12:00 and 16:00
Nearby sights
- Lascaris War Rooms
- St. John's Co-Cathedral
- Valletta
- Grandmaster's Palace
- Fort St. Angelo
- Fort St. Elmo & National War Museum
- Birgu (Vittoriosa) & the Three Cities
- Sliema & Tigné Point