Photos: Leslie Cole, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain John Haslam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Oulds D C (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo credits
Photos: Leslie Cole, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain John Haslam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Oulds D C (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Malta in the Second World War: the Lascaris War Rooms
Your local guide
Joseph Camilleri
View profile
Highlights
- The entrance to the Lascaris War Rooms
- What the operations room planned, forty metres down
- Bomb damage still marking the streets above
- The siege of 1940 to 1942 and the George Cross
- The Siege Bell memorial over the harbour
About this tour
This session looks at wartime Valletta, from the entrance to the underground Lascaris War Rooms to the bomb damage still visible in the streets above and the Siege Bell memorial over the harbour. The guide stays at street level throughout, since the war rooms themselves are only open on a ticketed visit, and explains what the tunnels held during the siege. It focuses on how the city carried the Second World War rather than a museum walkthrough.
The call opens with a sound check before moving between the three stops, with the guide explaining what lies underground even though the camera cannot follow there. Questions are welcome throughout, and a short list of names and dates follows by message.
This suits anyone interested in the siege of Malta or the Second World War in the Mediterranean, whether or not a ticketed visit to the war rooms is also planned. It also works for anyone who wants the history explained before a visit of their own.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Valletta before heading out.
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Lascaris War Rooms entrance 21 min
The camera stops at the plain entrance cut into the bastion wall that leads down to the Lascaris War Rooms, and the guide explains that the tunnels forty metres below held the operations room where the invasion of Sicily was planned, though the rooms themselves are only visible on a ticketed visit inside.
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Bomb damage in the streets 21 min
Walking through the surrounding streets, the guide points out scarring and rebuilt sections still visible on some façades, evidence of the siege of Malta between 1940 and 1942, the ordeal that earned the whole population the George Cross.
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Siege Bell memorial 21 min
The walk ends at the Siege Bell memorial overlooking the Grand Harbour, and the guide explains why the bell was placed here and what it commemorates before the session moves to questions.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Valletta: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Rabbit stew (fenkata) and The Three Cities, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Malta time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Valletta, showing you Upper Barrakka Gardens and Grand Harbour live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Valletta live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Malta time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Wed 11 Nov · 12 seats left From 24,00 €
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