What to See in Malta: Cities to Explore on Foot

The best things to do in Malta include exploring historic cities, discovering architecture shaped by centuries of Mediterranean rule, and experiencing traditions that connect Europe and North Africa. From the fortified streets of Valletta and Birgu to the quiet historic character of Mdina and the landscapes of Gozo, Malta offers a remarkable amount of history across a small island country. Neywo has free audio guides for five cities in Malta, with 132 narrated places in total, available in 11 languages.

What to see and do in Malta

Malta’s position in the central Mediterranean, between southern Italy, Tunisia, and Libya, has shaped nearly every aspect of the islands. People have lived here since the Mesolithic period, and Phoenician traders, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, the Knights Hospitaller, the French, and the British all left their mark.

That long history is especially visible in Malta’s cities. These are some of the main places to include in a Malta travel guide.

Valletta

Malta’s capital brings together some of the country’s richest layers of history. Neywo’s guide to Valletta includes 61 narrated places, among them Auberge d’Italie, St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Admiralty House (Valletta), and Auberge de Bavière.

The city reflects the importance of the Knights Hospitaller and Malta’s later role under British rule. St. John’s Co-Cathedral is one of the key historic places in the city, while the auberges recall the presence of different groups within the Order. Valletta also helps explain Malta’s wider political history: the islands became independent in 1964 and established their present parliamentary republic in 1974.

Birgu

Across the harbour from Valletta, Birgu offers another concentrated view of Malta’s maritime and military past. Its Neywo guide covers 25 narrated places, including Fort St Angelo, the Norman House, the Inquisitor’s Palace, and the Malta Maritime Museum.

Birgu is a useful place to explore the relationship between Malta and the sea. The city’s historic buildings also reflect the succession of powers that ruled the islands, from medieval authorities to the Knights Hospitaller and later European powers.

Mdina

Known for its historic character, Mdina is one of the essential cities to visit in Malta. The audio guide includes 23 narrated places, with the Ecclesiastical Province of Malta, Annunciation Church, Church of St Nicholas, St Agatha’s chapel, and Mdina among its highlights.

Religious buildings are central to Mdina’s story. They also fit into Malta’s wider Catholic tradition, which remains the country’s state religion. Festivals are common in Malta and Gozo, particularly celebrations connected with saints’ days, weddings, and christenings.

Sliema

Sliema provides a different perspective on Malta, with nine narrated places in the Neywo guide. Its featured sites include Fort Tigné, Stella Maris Church, Cambridge Battery, and Sliema.

The city brings together military history, religious architecture, and the character of a modern Maltese urban centre. Fort Tigné and Cambridge Battery recall Malta’s strategic position, while Stella Maris Church connects the city to the religious traditions found throughout the islands.

Victoria and Gozo

On Gozo, Victoria is represented by 14 narrated places. The guide includes the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Madonna, Gran Castello Historic House, Gozo Nature Museum, and the Old Prison.

Victoria is a useful base for understanding Gozo’s place within the Maltese islands. Its historic buildings reveal the importance of religion, administration, and defence, while the Gozo Nature Museum adds a perspective beyond Malta’s architectural and political history.

Malta’s language, food and traditions

Malta’s culture is the result of many Mediterranean connections rather than one single inheritance. Maltese, or Malti, is the national language and one of the country’s two official languages; English is the other. Italian is also familiar to many Maltese people, reflecting the islands’ close historical and cultural links with Italy and especially Sicily.

Catholic traditions are visible in local festivals, which are particularly common in Malta and Gozo. Many celebrate saints’ days, as well as weddings and christenings, and share similarities with traditions in southern Italy.

Music offers another distinctive expression of Maltese culture. Traditional għana may begin with folk guitar before performers take turns arguing a point in a sing-song voice. The result is a form of music in which conversation is part of the performance.

Food tells a similarly international story. Maltese cooking combines Sicilian and Italian roots with English, Spanish, Maghrebin, and Provençal influences. Fenkata, a meal centred on stewed or fried rabbit, is one of the traditions with particular importance in Malta.

Explore Malta with Neywo’s free audio guides

Neywo offers free audio guides for five cities in Malta: 12 walking tours covering 132 narrated places in total. The guides include Valletta, Birgu, Mdina, Sliema, and Victoria, with narration available in 11 languages.

Download Neywo and explore Malta at your own pace. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, so you can walk without a group and without a schedule.