The Valletta Waterfront, Grand Harbour Travel Guide

The Valletta Waterfront is a captivating destination that seamlessly blends Malta's rich history with contemporary leisure. Constructed in 1752 by Grand Master Emanuel Pinto da Fonseca, the waterfront boasts a series of nineteen warehouses designed in the Baroque style by Andrea Belli. These warehouses, known as the Pinto Stores, were originally used by the Knights of Malta and other merchants to store goods, boosting harbor activities.The iconic doors of the Pinto Stores are painted in different colors, each representing the type of goods that were once stored within: blue for fish, green for agricultural produce, yellow for wheat, and red for wine. This colorful detail adds to the waterfront's unique charm and historical significance. Adjacent to the Pinto Stores are the Forni Stores, which predate them, having been built in 1626 and 1720. In 1810, the British Navy converted the Forni Stores into a bakery, which supplied ship biscuits to the growing navy.Badly damaged during World War II due to its proximity to the Malta Dockyard, the Valletta Waterfront has been meticulously restored. While some buildings were completely rebuilt with parking lots behind their facades, others were restored to their original design. Today, the Valletta Waterfront is a bustling hub featuring restaurants, bars, retail outlets, and a cruise passenger terminal. It hosts various events, including the Malta Jazz Festival and the Malta Fireworks Festival. The Church of the Flight into Egypt, built in 1752 along with the stores, was also damaged during the war but has been faithfully restored.