Point of interest
Upper Barrakka Gardens
in Malta, Malta
Terraced public gardens above Valletta's Grand Harbour, with the best harbour panorama and a daily saluting-battery cannon.
Where it is
The Upper Barrakka Gardens occupy the highest point of Valletta's walls, on the upper tier of the St Peter & Paul Bastion above the Grand Harbour.
Address: Valletta
What it is
The terraced garden offers arguably the finest panorama over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. Just below it, the historic Saluting Battery fires its ceremonial gun salutes on weekdays at noon and 4 pm.
History
The gardens were laid out in the late 16th century on the 1560s bastion, with their arcades built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. Originally a retreat for the knights of the Italian langue, they were opened to the public after the French occupation ended in 1800.