VALLETTA, MALTA - a GUIDE of this very pleasant harbour city Valletta by Doris Visits

Welcome to Valletta in Malta, a port that offers much to do. When you leave the ship, turn right, walk to an arch and then to a large glass structure. It's best seen at breakfast from the Lido deck. The lift to Valletta main square will cost you one euro, take you 12 seconds. The return fare is free. We're going to take the lift today but if you turn right from the ship you will pass the Hopon Hopon bus which is another option. Because of Valletta's strategic position en route to the Middle East and Holy Lands, it is inseparable from religion and war, forts, fortifications and churches. Today is windy, the covers are on the carriages but we will walk you from the main square down past the cathedral and palace to the main port then up a different road past the marketplace and St Paul's shipwreck church to the new square and the bus terminus. Malta got its independence in 1974. The Oberstkastel is quite a spectacular building. Opposite, St James' Cavalier was designed to keep people out. Now it's a cinema, theatre and studios round the corner. This claims to be Valletta's first church. See our separate film on Valletta churches including the incredible St John's Co Cathedral. Walking down to St John's Cathedral, here was a palace originally built in 1574 but rebuilt in 1760 to serve as the courts of justice. Napoleon lived here for a week in 1798. These are the new courts of justice and they are opposite St John's Co Cathedral. This is the queue to get in St John's Co Cathedral. The white head in the centre of screen is one of many street art statues with words of wisdom. Jean's made a separate film of these as she has of the churches. This is the palace. Walking down the steps from St John's Co Cathedral, we're passing the 16th century palace of a Maltese noble family on our way down to the harbour. If you want to have a look inside, it will be 9 euros. You really have to concentrate coming down these steps, they're very shallow and it will be easy to miss your footing. You can see how important water's strategic position is because of all the different fortifications throughout the ages. The fortifications are either side of the harbour entrance and this is the Mediterranean's deepest natural harbour. St Elmo's Fort was built in the mid-16th century and today it hosts the National War Museum. They have the covers on the train because the weather's not great today. Behind me is the Maltese Experience which is a film of the history of Malta and just to my left is the Knights Hospital. Fast food upstairs, gorgeous fruit and vegetables downstairs and Waitrose products. I wonder who owns this? Behind the market, this is St Paul's Shipwreck Church where a bomb fell and failed to explode. This is also on our special film of Maltese churches which includes the interiors of St John's Co Cathedral. Those of you who like city biking, just up by the port you can pick up a next bike. Choose bike, open app, follow instructions. Another way to see Malta is on a Segway. This was a big Roman theatre but unfortunately it was bombed by the Germans. It's still used as an open-air theatre and hopefully there's more good weather here. This is the Commonwealth Walkway opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 2015 and they're still building here. Behind the Statue of Independence is this very pleasant garden which was built by the Grand Master for the Recreation of the Knights and it leads you down to another church. If you're here on the Oceana it's likely to be changeover day which means it can be a long day and you can get a bit adventurous. Malta has a great bus service and also some fab beaches. Check out our film on the bus service, our other Malta films and also our films here on Doris Visits of Greek islands and Mediterranean stops. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel.