Description
Valletta’s first Barrakka Lift operated between 1905 and 1973, linking the Grand Harbour to the heart of Valletta.
The original lift structure was 60 metres tall and had two cabins each capable of carrying 12 passengers.
Built at a cost of £5,000, it connected Lascaris Wharf with Upper Barrakka Gardens offering passengers a shorter and quicker rout
It was originally operated McCartney, McElroy & Co, the engineering company responsible for laying tramlines in Malta as well as dozens of cities across the British Empire.
Malta’s state-of-the-art tram network linked the Three Cities and Rabat to Valletta, via Floriana, Hamrun, Birkirkara, Attard and Zebbug.
The original Barrakka Lift closed in 1973 and after being abandoned for almost a decade, the structure was eventually dismantled in 1983.
A modern-day replacement was opened in 2012.
Today, there are two lifts, which are 58 metres high, and can carry 21 people at a time.
The journey takes less than 30 seconds, making it the quickest way into the city from the Valletta Waterfront.
