Lower Barrakka Gardens
Lower Barrakka Gardens is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Valletta audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type garden
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Valletta Valletta guide
About Lower Barrakka Gardens
The quieter of Valletta's two bastion gardens, with a neoclassical temple to Sir Alexander Ball and, just beside it, the great Siege Bell War Memorial above the harbour entrance.
The Lower Barrakka Gardens lie near the tip of the Valletta peninsula, on St Christopher's Bastion, a short distance from Fort St Elmo and overlooking the entrance to the Grand Harbour. At the centre stands a neoclassical monument in the form of a Doric temple, built in 1810 to honour Sir Alexander Ball, a Royal Navy officer who helped lead the blockade of the French garrison in Valletta and became Malta's first British civil commissioner. The gardens were extensively rebuilt in the 1980s and reopened in 2003.
Immediately beside the gardens stands the Siege Bell War Memorial, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992 on the fiftieth anniversary of the George Cross awarded to Malta. Designed by Michael Sandle, its bronze bell of about 13 tonnes is tolled around noon each day in memory of those who died in the defence of Malta between 1940 and 1943.
Did you know? The garden's centrepiece is a Doric temple raised in 1810 to Sir Alexander Ball, Malta's first British civil commissioner; the monument was restored in 1884 and again in 2001.
How long should you spend at Lower Barrakka Gardens?
Plan about ~30 min at Lower Barrakka Gardens. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Lower Barrakka Gardens worth visiting?
Lower Barrakka Gardens is one of the 14 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Valletta, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Valletta
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Lower Barrakka Gardens and read more:
Day 1 of the Valletta in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Lower Barrakka Gardens
Preview the Valletta tour free in the Gingerguide app.