Valletta

Valletta, the capital of Malta, is the smallest capital city in the European Union — a fortified Baroque city built on a finger of land between two magnificent natural harbours in less than a decade in the 1560s by the Knights of St John. In 2018 it was European Capital of Culture, and the restored grandeur of its Baroque palaces, bastions and Co-Cathedral is genuinely spectacular. The St John's Co-Cathedral is the absolute highlight — its sober limestone exterior conceals one of the most opulent Baroque interiors in the world, every surface covered in gilded carvings and polychrome marble tombstones, with Caravaggio's monumental painting The Beheading of John the Baptist (his largest and most important work) in the Oratory. The Grand Master's Palace, the Lascaris War Rooms (WWII underground command post) and the Malta Experience historical film are all worth visiting. The Upper Barrakka Gardens offer one of the finest harbour views in the Mediterranean, looking out over the Three Cities across Grand Harbour. Republic Street, the main pedestrian artery, connects the City Gate to Fort St Elmo. The Strait Street, Valletta's former red-light district, now hosts an excellent range of bars and restaurants. The Three Cities across the harbour are even less touristed and deeply atmospheric. Malta's food scene is developing well, combining Italian, Sicilian and North African influences. Valletta is excellent October–May; July and August are very hot.