Malta's Fortifications — How a Small Island Became Europe's Fortress

Malta was once the most heavily fortified place on Earth. For three centuries the Knights of Malta never stopped building — walls, bastions, forts, watchtowers. They feared the Ottomans, pirates, the French... essentially everyone. The result of their paranoia is some of the finest photographic backdrops in Europe.

Best Places to Walk the Walls

1. Valletta's Ramparts — A Perimeter with Views over Two Seas

Walking along the perimeter of Valletta, Grand Harbour is on your right and Marsamxett on your left. You will see Fort St. Elmo (guarding the entrance to both harbours), Fort Ricasoli (where parts of "Gladiator" were filmed), and the panorama of all Three Cities. The wind can be brutal — a sign you are in the right place.

2. Mdina's Walls and Moat

The moat surrounding Mdina is now a park with benches and trees. Walking around the walls takes about 20 minutes and gives views over Rabat and the plains down to the sea. On a clear day you can see Mount Etna in Sicily.

3. Victoria Lines — Malta's Great Wall

Built by the British in the 19th century to separate the strategically important north from the rest of the island. It runs for 12 km. Best section: from Gharghur to Bingemma — views over all of northern Malta and Gozo in the distance.

4. Fort St. Elmo (Valletta) — Museum and Original Walls

Here, literally in this fort, the climax of the Great Siege of 1565 was played out. The last Knights died fighting to the last. Today it houses the War Museum. Entry approx. €10.

Architectural Note

Many Maltese fortifications have angled or sloped walls — this is not an accident. Cannonballs would glance off angled surfaces instead of striking directly. An engineering response to 16th-century ballistics.