The architecture in Malta is stunning. It includes modern buildings in St. Paul’s Bay as well as buildings that are hundreds of years old in Valletta. There was just so much to see during my trip to Malta at the end of last year. Keep reading to learn a little about the architecture in Malta. Let’s start with St. Paul’s Bay.

St. Paul’s Bay, Malta Architecture

Let’s take a look at a building on the Islet Promenade (below). It has unique wave-like patterns on the front that form the balconies. The building is only about two years old. If you visit Malta and see this building, it has restaurants and cafés you can check out.

Lots of other modern buildings line the promenade. Most of the ones in these photos appear to be less than 10 years old.

Other areas in St. Paul’s Bay have older buildings. This includes the neighborhood where I stayed during my trip. I stayed in the area near Tourist Street. This is a popular tourist area with lots of restaurants and souvenir shops.

However, it also has a local feel to it with lots of small grocery stores and residential apartment buildings. The building where my Airbnb was located appeared to be less than 5 years old. Nearby buildings appeared to be decades older. I decided to paint some of those during my trip.

Valetta, Malta Architecture

Valetta is about 30 minutes away from St. Paul’s Bay by car. This is where you go to experience some of the oldest architecture in Malta.

Our first stop is the Hotel Phoenicia, an Art Deco hotel. Construction on the hotel began around the 1930s/early 1940s but was interrupted by World War II. It was completed in 1948 and has had many famous guests. These include Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Alec Guinness and Joaquin Phoenix.

Now it’s onto the walled city. The walled city has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1980. It was built after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 and became Malta’s capital in 1570.

That means that many of the buildings date back to the 1500s. These buildings are mainly made of limestone and are a yellowish tan color.

Walking through the city was breathtaking. I visited on a day where it rained part of the day. Even the rain couldn’t take away from the beauty. See the photos below to get a taste of this ancient city.

Mosta, Malta Architecture

Our last stop is Mosta, where I photographed the cutest townhomes, I’ve ever seen. They don’t appear to be very old. However, they were given an old-world look that mimics Malta’s ancient architecture.

I like how each home has something unique about it that makes it stand out from the others. This is seen in the different choices of building materials, facade colors and balcony styles.

If you visit this part of the world, be sure to discover all the architecture in Malta. You won’t be disappointed. If you are interested in learning more about St. Paul’s Bay and Valetta, check out my Malta itinerary blog post.