Valletta
It’s hard to imagine any place in the world with more to offer in such a diminutive size as Valletta, Malta. It may be small, but it's packed full of sights, when UNESCO named Valletta a World Heritage Site it described it as 'one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world'. With construction beginning in 1565, Valletta was completed in the remarkably short span of 15 years. Its magnificent bastions and forts, St. John’s Co-Cathedral and many palaces all built by hand, making it one of the greatest feats of construction in history. Succeeding Mdina in 1565, Valletta is now the Capital of Malta and a piece of living history.

St. John's Co-Cathedral
St. John’s Co-Cathedral is unparalleled in its historic significance to Malta. Apart from its place among the most magnificent baroque churches in the world, St. John’s Co-Cathedral is also an architectural metaphor for the Order of the Knights of St. John, who built it between 1573 and 1578. The simple façade reflects the Knights’ military pragmatism, while the gilded vaults, painted ceilings, marble floors and general baroque exuberance of its lavish interior, reveal the sophistication, power and wealth of the Order. It was raised to a status equal to that of St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina, the official seat of the Archbishop of Malta, by a papal decree of 1816, hence the term 'co-cathedral'.

Upper Barrakka Gardens
The striking Upper Barrakka Gardens are situated in the capital of Malta, next to the architectural gem of the Castille Palace. The gardens offer jaw dropping and unparalleled views of Grand Harbour, the three cities as well as the breakwater protecting the still water of Grand Harbour. Visitors can spend hours here simply admiring the stunning view. The Upper Barrakka Gardens are built on top of a bastion, on the highest point of Valletta and date back to 1661 when it used to be a private garden of the Knights.

The Streets of Valletta
Valletta was one of the first planned cities in the world, having a unique grid system design, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hold many intrigues. Negotiating the labyrinth of narrow historic streets and lanes, ditches and fortifications offers a feeling of adventure as at every turn the visitor expects to stumble on a new discovery. Valletta’s street plan is unique and planned with its defence in mind. Based on a more or less uniform grid, some of the streets fall steeply as you get closer to the tip of the peninsula. The stairs in some of the streets do not conform to normal dimensions since they were constructed in a way so as to allow knights in heavy armour to be able to climb the steps. If you start walking in any of the streets they all lead to the water since the city is a peninsula.

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