The Mall (Maglio Garden)
Historic Public Garden in Floriana · Floriana, Malta
Enquire through VisitMalta.co.ukServices, hours and details last checked against The Mall (Maglio Garden)'s own published information.
Ġnien tal-Mall, also called the Mall or Maglio Garden, is a seventeenth century public garden in Floriana and part of the Malta Botanic Gardens network. It has monuments, fountains and mature trees, and is being planted as a pollinator garden. It is open at all hours, and enquiries go through the VisitMalta.co.uk form on this page.
Ġnien tal-Mall, known in English as the Mall or the Maglio Garden, is one of the oldest public green spaces in Floriana, the district that stretches out from the gates of Valletta. It forms part of the Malta Botanic Gardens network and is listed in our directory of museums in Malta, though what it offers is a shaded outdoor walk rather than galleries and glass cases.
For UK visitors it is an easy stop between the capital's sights, with old trees, fountains and monuments to enjoy at any hour.
From Knights' pastime to botanic garden
Grandmaster Lascaris had the garden built in 1656 as a recreational space for the Knights of the Hospitaller and Military Order of St John. The Maltese name Ġnien tal-Mall means the Mall garden, and Maglio is the alternative name used for the same place. If the Order is new to you, our Knights of Malta guide sets out who they were.
In 1805 Sir Alexander Ball designated it a botanic garden, and it later became a public garden. That layered history, from knightly leisure to British-era science to civic park, is part of why the space feels so settled.
Trees, fountains and monuments
Today the garden is known for its monuments and fountains and for mature trees of unusual species. Two examples are Tipuana tipu, a tree from South America that blooms in showy flowers, and Kigelia africana, which comes from tropical Africa. A dragon tree and a pinetum appear in the gardens' own photographs.
The Mall sits within a chain of historic gardens in Floriana set up between the 1600s and 1800s: Argotti, San Filippu, the Mall, Sa Maison, Tal-Milorda and the Pinetum. Several lie along the bastions known as the Floriana lines, so a stroll links gardens and military history. The gardens network also offers an interactive map and virtual tours online, which is useful for planning a route before you arrive and for seeing how the separate gardens connect to one another.
A pollinator garden in the making
The Mall is being planted with flowering plants that attract bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies, and it will be converted into a pollinator garden. The aim is to teach visitors why pollinators matter in daily life, what threatens them, and how varied flowering plants and their blooms can be.
Visitors who enjoy spotting insects will find this a rewarding project to watch develop over several trips. Because planting is ongoing, the garden will change from visit to visit. Flowering varies with the seasons, and our Malta weather guide explains what to expect month by month.
Opening hours and planning your visit
The Mall is open around the clock, seven days a week, which makes it unusually flexible: you can pass through in the early morning or after dinner in the capital. Other gardens in the network keep set hours, so check before you go if you plan to see more than one.
Floriana is a short walk from Valletta. Our Valletta guide and the Upper Barrakka Gardens page are good companions, and hotels in Valletta put you within walking distance. The Three Cities guide covers the other side of the Grand Harbour, and things to do in Malta has ideas for the rest of your stay. Heritage sites such as the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum are a short drive away.
Contacting the gardens
The Malta Botanic Gardens network works with Ambjent Malta, the Environment and Resources Authority and the University of Malta's Argotti centre. Questions about the Mall are best put to the gardens team. That includes questions about the planting programme, guided visits, accessibility on the paths or how the Mall connects with the neighbouring gardens, none of which are covered in detail online.
Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.
Questions about The Mall (Maglio Garden)
What is Ġnien tal-Mall?
It is a historic public garden in Floriana, also called the Mall or Maglio Garden, and part of the Malta Botanic Gardens network. It features monuments, fountains and mature trees from several continents.
Who built the Mall and when?
Grandmaster Lascaris built it in 1656 as a recreational space for the Knights of the Hospitaller and Military Order of St John. It was designated a botanic garden by Sir Alexander Ball in 1805.
When is the garden open?
The Mall is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Other gardens in the same network keep set summer and winter hours, so check each one before you plan a longer walk.
What trees and plants can I see?
The garden has mature trees such as Tipuana tipu from South America and Kigelia africana from tropical Africa, and it is being planted with flowering species that attract pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.
Why is it being turned into a pollinator garden?
The plan is to teach visitors why pollinators matter in daily life, what threatens them, and how diverse flowering plants are. Planting is ongoing, so what you see will change over time.
Where is the Mall?
It is in Floriana, next to Valletta, in the group of historic gardens that run along the old Floriana bastions. The postcode area is FRN 1553, and Valletta is a short walk away.
How do I ask a question about the garden?
Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page. We pass your message to the gardens team, who reply to you directly, so no telephone call is needed.
Practical information
Ġnien tal-Mall is in Floriana, on the edge of Valletta, with its postcode listed as FRN 1553. The garden is open 24 hours a day, every day. The gardens network runs an interactive map and virtual tours on its website, and asks visitors to contact it for anything beyond that. For questions about the Mall, use the enquiry form on this page and VisitMalta.co.uk will pass your message to the gardens team.
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The details on this page were correct on 25 October 2026, as published on the The Mall (Maglio Garden) website. Services, prices and hours can change, so please confirm when you enquire.