The Barraka Gardens

Lower Barrakka Gardens

Where are the Lower Barrakka Gardens and how do I get there?

Located not very far from their Upper Barrakka twin, the Lower Barrakka Gardens are perched atop the Valletta bastions (St. Chirstopher’s Bastion to be precise), a little further North, on the same side of Valletta.

You can get great views here of Grand Harbour, as well as the Valletta Break Water, Fort Ricasoli, Bighi Palace, Fort St. Angelo, and the creeks of Birgu and Kalkara, while the Memorial Siege Bell is located right across as well.

You can actually walk down to the Lower Barrakka Gardens from the Upper gardens in no more than 15 minutes.

Just head down St. Ursula’s Street and then turn towards your right about half way down the hill. You should spot the gardens easily at this point.

What to expect

The Lower Barrakka Gardens offer a different view from it’s sister garden, positioned to observe the mouth of Grand Harbour and allowing for the best ship watching in the city. You could spend hours there just sitting peacefully on a shaded bench, watching the Mediterranean Sea and the cruise ships, as well as other vessels entering and leaving Malta’s impressive port. One thing which is obvious to most is that there are much less crowds in this garden, as it is not as well known as the Upper Barrakka, making for a more tranquil and relaxing setting.Not far from the gardens you can also get to see the Siege Bell Memorial, a belfry in the form of a neoclassical temple that contains a huge bronze bell within. This was erected in 1992 to commemorate the 7,000 service personnel and civilians who lost their lives in the Siege of Malta during World War II. The bell chimes every day at noon in their memory.

Just outside the gardens one can find a snack bar/cafe of sorts which once again offers the basic cool and hot beverages, as well as some sweet local pastries, ice creams and a couple of savoury snacks.

Here you will find a variety of flowering plants and trees, as well as a neoclassical monument erected in 1810 in the form of a Roman temple, to Sir Alexander Ball, one of the leaders of the Maltese insurgents against the French in the 1798 uprising. In front of the monument, you can find a small fountain surrounded by green trees, shrubs and bushes. Near the fountain there is a small arched pathway in classic style that looks beautiful during the evening hours and upon visiting the gardens’ terrace you’ll see a number of commemorative plaques marking numerous historic events, including the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.