This attractive city park is situated on a long stretch of the Valletta bastions facing the suburb of Floriana. It commands a breathtaking view of Marsamxett harbour, Manoel Island and Sliema. It is adorned with many trees, flowering shrubs and bushes.
The sloping ramparts act as low parapets from which visitors can watch the panorama which extends beyond Floriana to the countryside as far as Mdina.
The marble sarcophagus of Francis, Marquis of Hastings, occupies an open space near the entrance to the garden. The monument is in the form of a couch on which the Marquis lies in a recumbent position. Lord Hastings was Viceroy of India until 1824, when he was appointed Governor of Malta. In 1827 he died on a ship en route to Naples, and his remains were returned to Malta and buried in this garden.
At the far end of the garden stands the memorial of another British Governor - Frederick Cavendish Ponsomby. This is in the form of a column on a large pedestal. Originally the shaft was 21 metres high, but in 1874 it was struck by lightning and damaged.
Hastings Garden is the largest park area inside Valletta.
