Upper Barrakka Gardens

The Upper Barrakka Gardens sit on the bastions of Valletta, just off Castille Square, and give the classic view of the Grand Harbour. From the arcaded terrace you look straight across the water to Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua, the Three Cities, with Fort St Angelo on its point and the yachts of the Grand Harbour Marina below it. The garden itself is small, planted with seasonal flowers and dotted with benches and monuments, and the garden is a public space.

The Saluting Battery and the time-guns

One level down, on the gun platform below the terrace, is the Saluting Battery. It was built in 1566 as part of the new city, to a design by the papal military engineer Francesco Laparelli, and today it is run by the Malta Heritage Trust (Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna). Its guns fire at 12:00 and 16:00, Monday to Saturday, except on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday and Easter. The noon gun once gave ships' masters the exact time to set their clocks; the evening gun was originally fired before sunset as the signal to close the city gates.

You can watch from the garden terrace, or buy a ticket for the battery itself. As of November 2026 the trust lists EUR 6 for adults (16 and over) and EUR 3 for children (5 to 15), opening Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 17:30, closed on Sunday. The ticket includes a guided tour, an audio guide and entry to the Malta Time-Gun Museum next door.

Getting the most from a visit

• Arrive about 15 minutes before the noon gun if you want a spot at the terrace rail; the firing draws a crowd all year.
• The Upper Barrakka Lift connects the gardens with the Grand Harbour waterfront below, saving the climb.
• For a view of the harbour from the water, a Grand Harbour cruise sails beneath these bastions.

The gardens are open-air; check access locally if visiting early or late. Late afternoon light falls nicely on the Three Cities, and the 16:00 gun makes a good end to a day spent around St John's Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master's Palace.