On my walk round Valletta peninsula I looked across at Fort Manoel on Manoel island and noticed people walking around it. It has been closed for a while due to a major restoration project. So we decided to go over on a Sunday morning and take a closer look. Turns out it has recently started opening to the public for one Sunday a month to the public (for free).  By sheer luck it was one of those Sundays! So we wandered in… 

The Fort dates back to the 18th Century and was in active use from 1734-1964. It was damaged in WWII and was left to rot until 2000 when the restoration project began. It’s a major restoration project still with a way to go.

The Fort is built around a square with a bastion at each corner giving it the shape of a star. As you enter from the top you can look around the original barracks and the chapel. Most impressive though is the huge piazza with the chequered floor which slopes down towards the water with the backdrop of  Valletta.  It hasn’t yet been decided the future use of Fort Manoel but a concert in this square would pretty amazing I reckon…

And for all those Game of Thrones fans…. Fort Manoel is just one of many site used in filming (series 1 episode 9 – the be-heading of Ned Stark). (Note to self – must do a tour and blog of all the Game of Thrones sites around Malta and Gozo and must re-watch Game of Thrones to see if I can recognise the places.)