A City Shimmering

The lagoon shimmers with light, reflected from the pale stone facades, from the promenade lights and from the various cafes, retail stores and glittering nightspots. Above the elegant front, the fortifications tower over the harbour while, at the side, the huge flank of a cruiseliner sits peacefully, all shining windows and smooth surfaces. Beneath it, shoppers and tourists stroll by the waterway, peering in at the various shops and cafes. It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, this bustling area, the Valletta Waterfront, was lying derelict and forgotten, its buildings crumbling, its walkways abandoned.
Since then the area has been inspired with new life by VISET Malta plc, a consortium which undertook the massive regeneration project and which is also responsible for the operations on the Valletta Waterfront and the Valletta Cruise Terminal. Originally the Knights’ merchandise and store area, the stretch of 250-year-old baroque warehouses, dating back to the 1600s, were returned to their bustling life, their façade restored to a new elegance. Built by Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, a Knight of the Langue of Portugal and the 68th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St John, the stretch of 19 historical warehouses, with their colourful shutters and balconies, nowadays house shops, bars and cafes. The location also incorporates the Forni Stores, which had been constructed under the direction of another Portuguese Grand Master, Dom Antonio Manoel de Vilhena.

Restored to its former glory through an award-winning project, nowadays the waterfront looks outwards on the edges of the sea, watching the large cruise liners which glide into the Grand Harbour, a deep-water port ideally situated to harbour ships and smaller vessels in safe berth. Across the waters, the Three Cities shimmer peacefully in the evening light, endowing the scene with a sense of the richness of history. Never have past and present come together so peacefully, the one enriching and deepening the sense of the other.

Acting as the gateway to the baroque capital, the waterfront is both linked with and distinct from the rest of the capital. Equipped with 24/7 facilities all year round, it pulsates with its own distinct life, generated both by locals and the crowds disembarking from the cruise liners. Serving as a welcome harbour to cruise liner visitors, it is in fact also an entertainment area in its own right, with locals strolling down the walkways, or dining al fresco at the water’s edge or partying in the old warehouse clubs in the evenings. There are also several shopping outlets and Wi-Fi connections are available in some eating outlets. And if you plan to head up to Valletta, various types of transport are available – buses, taxis or the traditional karrozzin, a horse-drawn carriage that will take you slowly up the narrower streets of the inner city core.

Already the area has hosted several large concerts and forthcoming events include an extensive and exciting calendar of motorsport events. Between April and October this year, static displays of the best the local motorsport scene has to offer will be held in the area, where the general public will be able to admire some of the best machines on the islands, including classic cars, sports cars, bikes, jet skis and much more.

Yet, beneath the various events, there is a larger sense of life – of the past, of its now gentle rhythms – flowing through the waterfront. The dignified warehouses – now looking demurely out at sea – have seen much in their centuries of existence. As the cruise liners glide in and out, with their crowds of visitors, the waterfront stands, as it has done for over two-and-a-half centuries, both a part of – yet distinct from – the beautiful capital lying beyond.

To check out the latest events visit www.vallettawaterfront.com