9 historic sites
Castles in Malta
Malta's castle heritage is inseparable from its geography — a limestone archipelago in the Mediterranean's narrowest passage, fought over by every empire that needed to control that crossing. The Knights of St. John built a harbour fortress here that held against 40,000 Ottoman troops in 1565 and refused to surrender to the Luftwaffe in 1942. No other country of comparable size has accumulated more military history per square kilometre.
This guide covers 9 castles, forts and palaces across Malta and Gozo — from Valletta and the Three Cities to the walled city of Mdina and the Gozo Citadel. Below you'll find where each one is, what to expect, and tickets and tours for each.
malta · Northern Region, Malta — central highland plateau
Mdina
Malta's Silent City — a walled medieval capital where no cars are allowed and 1,000 years have barely touched the streets
malta · Valletta, Malta
Grand Master's Palace
Seat of the Knights of St. John for 450 years — the Grand Master's Palace on Valletta's central square houses the Palace Armoury's 5,000-piece armour collection and the President of Malta's state rooms
malta · Birgu (Vittoriosa)
Fort St. Angelo
The ancient harbour fortress that held Malta against the great Ottoman siege of 1565
malta · Victoria (Rabat), Gozo, Malta
Gozo Citadel
Gozo's fortified hilltop capital — the Cittadella above Victoria, rebuilt by the Knights after the catastrophic 1551 Ottoman raid, with the finest panoramic views over the entire island
malta · Valletta, Malta
Fort St. Elmo
The star-shaped fortress at Valletta's tip that held for 31 days against the full Ottoman assault in the 1565 Great Siege — now housing the National War Museum from the Siege to the WWII George Cross
malta · Birgu (Vittoriosa), Malta
Inquisitor's Palace
One of only three surviving inquisitorial palaces in the world — the seat of the Roman Inquisition in Malta from 1574 to 1798, with tribunal chamber, prison cells, and prisoners' graffiti intact in Birgu's Collacchio quarter
malta · Mdina
Palazzo Falson
The second-oldest building in Mdina — and home to 3,500 objects assembled in one lifetime by a Swedish-Maltese collector who became one of the Mediterranean's most remarkable connoisseurs
malta · Valletta
Casa Rocca Piccola
A Knight of Malta built it in 1580, four centuries of one family filled it — Casa Rocca Piccola is the last inhabited noble palace in Valletta open to the public, WWII shelter tunnels included
malta · Naxxar, Central Malta
Palazzo Parisio
A Belle Époque aristocratic palace in Naxxar — Malta's finest private residence, with a grand ballroom, frescoed ceilings, and a formal baroque garden open to the public
Malta castles by area
- Mdina: Mdina, Palazzo Falson
- Valletta: Grand Master's Palace, Fort St. Elmo, Casa Rocca Piccola
- Birgu (Vittoriosa), the Three Cities: Fort St. Angelo, Inquisitor's Palace
- Gozo: Gozo Citadel
- Naxxar: Palazzo Parisio
Frequently asked questions
What are the best castles in Malta?
Malta's standout sites include Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, Mdina, the Gozo Citadel and the Grand Master's Palace.
Are there castles on Gozo?
Yes — the Gozo Citadel in Victoria, Gozo's fortified hilltop capital.