Malta is a island playground of beaches, history and food and drink – and the Maltese capital of Valletta, surrounded by sea and 16th-century bastion walls, has an enduring charm all of its own. A Unesco World Heritage site steeped in history, Valletta has, over the last decade, undergone a 21st-century revitalisation with lots of new boutique hotels, restaurants and restoration and renovation of historic sites and museums.
Valletta has an extraordinary density of sights and activities from unique 5,000-year-old ‘Fat Lady’ statues, to the ornate Baroque legacy of the Knights of St John; from Bastion-top gardens to boat trips on the Grand Harbour. And it isn’t all ancient. There’s also the City Gate redevelopment, designed by star architect Renzo Piano (of London’s Shard fame) including an ultra-modern parliament building and an open-air theatre inside the bombed-out shell of the Neoclassical opera house.
Buzzing bars spill out onto the city’s limestone alleys, concerts frequently grace its copious churches, and the restaurant scene serves up everything from scrumptious traditional snacks to Michelin starred menus. And of course, it’s only a short ride to the beach.