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Looking to visit Fort St. Elmo and the National War Museum within its walls in Valletta? Let me show you what you can expect if you decide to go there.
At the very tip of the capital city Valletta, you’ll find the magnificent Fort St. Elmo. Built strategically around the peninsula, this very important fort has been standing guard over the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour for centuries.
It played an enormous role during the Great Siege of 1565 and has recently been meticulously restored to its former glory.
Inside the Fort, you will also find Malta’s National War Museum, which gives you insight into thousands of years of warring history around the Maltese islands. The museum covers a period from the Bronze Age all the way up until the Second World War, which left some deep scars across the Maltese islands that are still visible today.
A visit to Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum offers you a trip through the history of the islands. There are several rooms with well-displayed items, including short informative videos that really enhance the experience. Entrance fees are very reasonable for what you get in return.
You can buy tickets directly from the ticket office at the entrance, but if you plan on doing more sightseeing, consider saving on entrance fees by getting a Malta Heritage & Attraction Pass.
They give you access to dozens of Malta’s best museums and attractions. Less hassle, lower fees!
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The Knights of the Order of St. John built Fort St Elmo to defend Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour from attacks by the Ottoman Empire. It was Grand Master De Homedes who made the proposal, following a large scale attack in 1551. The Knights were also aware that the Turks were preparing to lay siege on Malta, making this project an urgent one.
Engineer Pietro Pardo was entrusted with the job, while Knight Fra Leone Strozzi supervised the whole project. It took just six months to build the star-shaped Fort St. Elmo (which is impressive considering the Medieval era builders had only manual tools to rely on). It was completed just in time for the first Ottoman attack on May the 28th, 1565.
The story of the Fort during the siege is legendary. A handful of Knights and a small number of Maltese soldiers managed to hold the Fort for nearly a month against savage attacks with heavy cannon fire pounding the Fort day and night, while wave upon wave of Janissaries (Ottoman elite infantry units) tried to breach the walls. Eventually, the Ottomans captured the Fort on June the 23rd, 1565.
According to the records kept by the Knights, their enemy lost so many troops to capture that single Fort that the event had a great impact over the course of the Siege, with the morale quickly dwindling.
After the siege was over, the Knights decided to reconstruct the fort, this time enlarging it and making it stronger, planning to be part of the new city Valletta’s master plan of fortifications. Military engineer Francesco Laparelli was entrusted with the task. Several alterations and additions were carried out over the years. For instance, the Vendome Bastion was built in 1614 while the British made adaptations at Fort St Elmo that included heavy artillery emplacements.
During World War II, Fort St Elmo played a crucial role, defending the island from airborne and seaborne attacks on the Grand Harbour.
You’ll find the National War Museum inside the thick walls of Fort St Elmo. This museum holds an amazing historical collection that will take you through a voyage in time starting from the early phases of the Bronze Age (2,500 BC) and on to modern times.
Walking around the Fort from one location to another, you’ll find it easy to follow the timeline detailing the history of Malta. The exhibits include artefacts from various eras including the second Punic war, the earlier Roman period, the Byzantine period, the Arab period starting in 870, the Normans who conquered Malta in 1090, the Middle Ages, the period of the Knights starting with their arrival in 1530, then the French and British periods and both World Wars.
The Great Siege of Malta of 1565 is of course given prominence at the National War Museum. There’s information about the fortification works of the island, including the construction of the several coastal towers built during the 17th and 18th centuries by the Knights.
The two World Wars are also given importance due to them. Photos from those dark times of human history show the hardships of the Maltese during the war. Audio-visual presentations let you relive a bit of those days, while a most impressive display is a retelling of the epic Operation Pedestal, projected on the floor of one of the rooms. The 1942 Operation Pedestal, known by the Maltese as the Santa Marija Convoy, was a desperate and tragic British nautical operation that tried to deliver supplies to the island fortress during WW2.
Faith, a Gloster Sea Gladiator N5520, is one of the most prized artefacts in the collection. Together with Hope and Charity, this fighter was one of three legendary fighters that defended the island against airborne attacks during WW2.
Another valued possession of the museum is the well-known George Cross that was awarded to Malta by King George VI in April 1942. It was a fitting recognition of the Maltese population’s resilience in the face of hardship, ultimately surviving incessant Axis power bombings.
All buses in Malta end their trips at the bus terminus right outside of Valletta. This makes it easy to reach Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum by bus. If you want to visit using your own transport you can park at one of the public or private car parks just outside Valletta.
From Valletta City Gate, it’s a brief 15- to 20-minute walk down the Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street, which is the main street of the city) to finally reach Fort St Elmo.
If you’re not a big fan of walking you can also use a bike-sharing service called Tallinja Bike. You can rent a bike for little money from the docking station near the bus terminus and park it right outside Fort St. Elmo.
You can also take the South Route of the Hop-on-hop-off bus routes to get there. Get your tickets in advance here!
Buy a Multipass to visit Fort St. Elmo and the National War Museum and many other museums and temples in Malta and Gozo, and save on your sightseeing tickets. You can also buy a Multipass with hop-on-hop-off (land and sea) included.
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