Visit Valletta | Malta
Climb Valletta's sloping grid and each cross street ends with blue harbour or honey-coloured fortification. Inside a compact peninsula, balconies, churches, bastions and the dense interior of St John's Co-Cathedral compete for attention without requiring a car between them. The Knights of St John founded Valletta in 1566 after the Great Siege. UNESCO records hundreds of monuments within the small fortified city, including auberges, palaces, churches and defensive works. Later rebuilding and wartime damage added more layers without erasing the late Renaissance plan. Give the centre a full day and add harbour views or the Three Cities if time allows. Wear shoes for steep streets, check church opening and dress requirements, and avoid the hottest part of a summer afternoon. Add this to your list and see how much history can be packed inside one set of walls.