• Valletta

Valletta has many grand titles that are a reflection of its rich history. From “a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen”, Valletta is today more well-known as Malta’s cosmopolitan capital city, nestled on the Sceberras Peninsula and bursting at the seams with Baroque palaces, churches, museums and forts. A UNESCO World Heritage site and European art city, Valletta has also been named European Capital of Culture for 2018.

Valletta was built after the Great Siege of 1565 by the Knights of St. John as a defensive city and was designed on a modern grid system that is today common in the USA. Water and sanitation as well as air circulation were priorities, and Valletta was one of the first European cities to benefit from such a modern system.

Designed and engineered by Francesco Laparelli and his assistant Gerolamo Cassar, the city was named after Grand Master de Valette, who died before seeing his city complete.

A trip through Valletta is like a trip back in time; to a time when the Knights of the Order of St. John lived here and when some of Europe’s finest artworks were commissioned. Valletta is an architectural and historical gem, whilst offering plenty of local crafts and modern shopping opportunities, as well as a plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants.

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