Art & Culture in Malta
Caravaggio, baroque cathedrals, and centuries of layered history — Malta's cultural weight sits well above its size.
A short cultural picture
Malta's cultural identity is a mix — Sicilian, Arabic, British, and its own distinct Maltese language and Catholic tradition. Walk any street in Valletta or the Three Cities and this shows: the food, the church façades, the shop signs, the way people speak on the bus.
What to see
The single most-visited cultural site is St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, home to two Caravaggio paintings (including the monumental Beheading of Saint John the Baptist). The National Museum of Archaeology covers Malta's prehistoric temples, some of the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world.
Timing
Malta's cultural calendar peaks in spring and early summer with festas, Notte Bianca, and open studio nights. Winter months are quieter but the museums, cathedrals and archaeological sites are open year-round and less crowded.
From our stays
Both of our properties — Valletta Old Town Balcony and Cardinal Rooftop Townhouse in Birgu — put you within walking distance of the main cultural sites on either side of the Grand Harbour.