Lower Barrakka Gardens

What makes it special

The garden fills the upper tier of St Christopher Bastion, a two-tiered bastion on Valletta's harbour walls. From its edge you look out over the Grand Harbour, the breakwater and the Three Cities.

In the centre stands the Monument to Sir Alexander Ball, built in 1810 in the form of an ancient Greek temple, with a design inspired by the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens. It honours the British admiral who helped the Maltese rebels against the French and became Malta's first Civil Commissioner.

Each wall of the temple holds a niche with an allegorical statue by Vincenzo Dimech, standing for War, Prudence, Justice and Immortality.

Busts, statues and plaques line the paths, among arches, flowers and a fountain. The plaques include ones to the Hungarian revolution of 1956, the Prague Spring and Giuseppe Garibaldi. The best known piece is Les Gavroches, a bronze by the Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino of three children hurrying forward.

Visiting

It takes ten to fifteen minutes to walk down from Upper Barrakka Gardens, and the gardens are easily reached from Republic Street.

Arriving via the Barrakka Lift from the Grand Harbour, or on the ferry from the Three Cities, you reach the gardens by a short uphill walk through Valletta's narrow streets.

Inside, walk the paths past the Ball monument and Les Gavroches to the fountain, then take one of the benches above the water. From the edge, look down over the bastion's lower tier to the Siege Bell War Memorial.

Tips

If you want to hear the Siege Bell, time your stop for noon: one guide reports that it rings daily at that hour.

The garden is compact and well kept, so it suits a pause on a walk along the harbour walls rather than a long outing.