1. City Gate is the main entrance to the baroque fortress city of Valletta. 2. Upon entering, to the right, stands The New Parliament Building, designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, and completed in 2015. Walking past the New Parliament Building, turn left. In the distance, stands Saint John’s Cavalier, which like its twin Saint James’ Cavalier, housed 200 soldiers and artillery. 3. Turn left before the Cavalier and walk up the hill to Hastings Gardens, overlooking Floriana. This is the resting place of the late Governor of Malta, Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquis of Hastings, KG (1754-1826). Pass through the garden, and taking the far right exit, walk down through the car park, keeping left. In the distance you see the iconic dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the spire of Saint Paul’s Pro-Cathedral. 4. Take a sharp left towards the sea, to come face to face with the Fortress Builders - Fortifications Interpretation Centre. From here, turn right and make your way along Triq Marsamxett. Keep going straight till you come across Mattia Preti Square to your left. Move through the square, identifiable from his monument, into Saint George Street then follow the road left into the steep West Street. Turn back around and head left. Keep heading up West Street till you come at the junction with Old Theatre Street. Head up this street till you come across the 6. Teatru Manoel, found on the left hand side of the street. Retrace your steps back to West Street, and keep going up, till you reach the prior point on the map, 5. St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral on your left. Keep walking up till you come across a small square to your left. 7. This is Pjazza Indipendenza where you will see Saint John’s Ambulance Headquarters, with Auberge d’Aragon next to it. Keep heading down West Street till you reach San Bastjan Street, which overlooks Marsamxett Harbour. To your right, stands the Auberge de Baviere, which was built in 1784.
11. Keep heading down this street, past Saint Lucia’s Church to your left, eventually passing through Victoria Gate (1885) towards the marina. Walk past the small roundabout, through the huge gate and stay on the right hand side of the road.
15. On your left, you will pass The National Museum of Archaeology.
12. Opposite the Custom House (Dwana) is the Upper Barrakka lift, a modern structure which take you to the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The garden gives you a spectacular view of the Grand Harbour. Below is the Saluting Battery, where gun salutes are fired daily at noon and 4pm. These gardens were restored in 2004 and house several statues and memorials including Les Gavroches, a memorial by Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino. Exit the gardens into the recently finished Castille place.
17. Continue along Republic Street into Republic Square, known among the locals as Pjazza Reġina because of the statue of Queen Victoria seated centrally in front of the Bibliotheca.
10. Cross the road and head uphill into East Street till your reach the Lower Barrakka Gardens, to your left.
18. Walk further down to reach Pjazza San Ġorġ, with The Grandmaster’s Palace towering over the square.
13. On the right is Auberge de Castille, Prime Minister. 14. Walk past Auberge de Castille, past Our Lady of Victories into Pjazza Jean de Valetta where the Statue of Jean de Valette stands proudly in the middle. Walk straight down past the ruined Royal Opera House, now Pjazza Teatru Rjal, which was completed in 2013 as part of the Piano regeneration project, into Republic Street. You have now completed the outer circuit of the route, but the Valletta Walkway also has a cross route. To complete the cross route, walk down Republic Street, and proceed along Valletta’s main street in the direction of Fort St Elmo.
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8. Keep walking along this road, till you reach Fort Saint Elmo, which houses the National War Museum. Further down the road lies the entrance to the Malta Experience, overlooking the Grand Harbour. Continue past the Malta Experience till you see a bell tower in the distance. 9. This is the The Second World War Siege Memorial, which contains the Santa Maria Bell, in memory of all those who died in the Second World War.
16. Moving forward, you will also pass Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, which is to your right.
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