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TRAVELLER
GRAND HARBOUR
Valletta’s harbour has been the
nation’s main landing point for
centuries, greeting everyone from
the Phoenicians to today’s cruise-
ship day-trippers.
Easily the island’s greatest
geographic asset, the Grand
Harbour is a natural formation
that has welcomed thousands of
the island’s friends throughout
history – and rejected its enemies.
The Knights of St John who
constructed the wharfs, fortified
them from all angles to protect
Malta from attack. This proved
especially useful during the
Great Siege of 1565, when nearby
forts of St Elmo, St Michael and
St Angelo helped to repel an
Ottoman invasion.
These days, things are far more
peaceful, with fishing boats,
pleasure cruises and commercial
ships skimming the waves.
The Upper Barrakka Gardens
offer fabulous views across the
harbour to the fortified Three
Cities and beyond. If you want a
closer look, head to the Valletta
Waterfront, with its cafés,
restaurants and boutiques. You
can dine on traditional Maltese
fare at Pintonino (
Vault 15,
Valletta Waterfront; tel: +356
2122 7773
) or pop into the Mdina
Glass outlet (
14 Merchant Street;
mdinaglass.net
) for locally made,
hand-blown glass, then hop on a
gondola for a romantic tour of the
Grand Harbour from the sea.
Looking out towards the
harbour entrance with
Fort St Angelo in
the background
HEWEARS
Jacket, Paul Smith, £429;
trousers, Topman, £35; scarf, Ralph
Lauren, price on request; shoes, McQ by
Alexander McQueen, £220
SHEWEARS
Suit, Paul Smith, £1,240;
shirt, Stella McCartney at Browns, £475;
boots, L K Bennett, £195
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