If you dare to drive through the ornamental arched Porte des Bombes on the road to Floriana, you can't help but hold your breath because there's less space through those surprisingly small-breadth arches than you first anticipate! Originally protected by a lunette and built in 1721, the gate had a single arch, serving as Floriana's outer entrance, leading to the town's main gate Porta Sant'Anna. After various restorations throughout the centuries, its last one was carried out in 2003.

Built between 1647 and 1649, as the sixth of the Lascaris towers, Saint Agatha's Tower (aka Red Tower) is situated in a commanding position on the crest of Marfa Ridge at the northwest end of Malta, overlooking the potential enemy landing site of Mellieħa Bay, with clear views over to Comino, Gozo and parts of Malta. The tower was manned by a garrison of 30 men, with ammunition and supplies to withstand a siege of 40 days. The ammunition of other fortifications in the north of Malta was also stored in the tower, making this one loaded structure. 

This Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine was first recorded in the archives of the Curia in Gozo, when the Bishop Domenico Cubelles paid a visit to the chapel in the 1540s. In 1883, Karmni Grima was walking past the now run down church and heard a voice asking her to recite three Hail Marys. Over the following years miracles have been attributed to the grace of Our Lady of The Assumption to whom the basilica was dedicated. Go pay the magnificent site a visit and follow in the footsteps of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. 

During World War II, the town of Mosta was prone to aerial bombardment, and in 1942, the Luftwaffe dropped three bombs on the church. Two of them deflected without exploding, yet one 500kg high explosive bomb pierced the dome and entered the church, where a congregation of more than 300 people were awaiting early evening mass. The bomb did not explode, and a Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal unit defused it and dumped it into the sea off the west coast of Malta. This event was interpreted as a miracle by the Maltese, and a similar bomb is now displayed in the sacristy at the back of the church. The Mosta Dome (aka The Parish Church of the Assumption) is based on the Pantheon in Rome, and is said to have the fourth largest unsupported dome in the world.

If you get to drive through the lovely village core of Mellieha at night, the beautiful 16th century Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha shrine stands twinkling and unmissable. A Byzantine-style fresco within the shrine depicting the Virgin Mary holding Christ on her right arm was painted by St Luke when he was shipwrecked on the island with St Paul. A classic example of 17th Century Renaissance architecture, visitors can enjoy a picturesque view of the Valley of Our Lady, Mellieha Bay, Comino and Gozo. The rooms facing the chapel were originally contracted in the 18th century to host exhausted pilgrims.

The Auberge de Castille was originally built in the 1570s to house the Knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. The present building dates back to the 1740s, and now houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. Grand and ornate, the auberge was built in the Baroque style, while its façade is divided into 11 bays, each one marked by an ornate recessed window. 

This solemn memorial was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the presentation of The George Cross to Malta. Part of the castille bastion underlying the Lower Barrakka Gardens, this site was specifically chosen because it marks the furthermost point of Valletta within the Grand Harbour. Its seclusion complements the contemplative nature of the monument, while the bell tolls ceremoniously in memory of WWII's fallen heroes. 

A great source of pride to many of the Maltese, the Parliament House was designed by illustrious Architect Renzo Piano as part of the City Gate Project. At first, locals weren't so sure about the renovation, mainly due to the modern design proposal, as well as the whopping €90 million cost of construction. However, once the finished project was revealed in all its glory, the public's feelings softened, and it now sits strong at the entrance of Malta's honoured capital city.

Whoever gets the opportunity to see Valletta's Triton Fountain for the first time is in for a treat this year, as the Modernist bronze fountain has recently been gloriously restored. The figures of the Tritons represent Malta's links with the sea, and their design was inspired by the Fontana delle Tartarughe in Rome.