Valletta Tunnels

16th-century Knights' tunnels beneath Valletta, used as WWII shelters

Beneath Valletta's streets runs a network of tunnels carved from the soft globigerina limestone, some dating back to the original construction of the city in the 1560s. The tunnels served multiple purposes over the centuries — drainage, movement between parts of the fortifications, and air-raid shelter during the Second World War. Guided underground tours now explore portions of this forgotten infrastructure, giving a very different perspective on a city more often seen from above.

The tours are offered by Heritage Malta and accessed through various entry points in the city. The passages are cool year-round — a significant advantage on a hot Maltese summer afternoon — and the guides provide good historical context about both the Knights-era construction and the wartime use of the tunnels. Book in advance, as capacity is limited and tours fill up in peak season.

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A story
The tunnels were cut into the limestone beneath Valletta in the 1560s by the Knights of St John as part of the original city planning — they were drainage channels, escape routes, and communication passages all at once. Many were later expanded and used during the Siege of Malta in World War II when residents sheltered underground as Valletta was bombarded from the air. Some sections that had been forgotten for decades were only rediscovered during infrastructure work in the 1990s and 2000s.