Valletta is the capital of the Republic of Malta, and it is also Europe’s southernmost capital. The city was founded by Jean Parisot de la Valette of the Order of Saint John in 1566 as a result of Ottoman attacks the year before. De la Valette not only wanted a large fortification, but also an important cultural and commercial city. They also chose to build the new city based on a city plan with right-angled streets that could create breezes through the city when it was hot, and after that Valletta was built as a baroque pearl, which today is included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage .

Today, Valletta’s old town is beautifully situated on a peninsula and surrounded by city walls, bastions and the fortress of Fort St. Elmo, which was built from 1552 in response to the Ottoman threats of the time. In the middle of this district is the square St. George’s Square, and here you can see the Grand Master’s Palace, built from 1574 to house the Grand Master of the Knights Templar who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798. The palace is now used as offices for the country’s president, but parts of the interesting building are open as museum. The palace is one of several exciting museums, and you can also visit, for example, the archaeological museum and the Lascaris War Rooms.

In the streets of Valletta you can also see several beautiful churches. The best known is Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, which was built by the Knights of St John in the years 1572-1577 and altered in baroque interior in the 17th century to match the churches of Rome. Saint John’s church room is therefore particularly beautiful, and it is considered one of Europe’s finest rooms from its time. The city’s large domed church, the Carmelite Church, is one of the most characteristic profiles in the city’s skyline. The church was built from approximately 1570, but was only consecrated in 1886 with a magnificent interior. The current church is a reconstruction from the latter half of the 20th century after destruction during the Second World War.

You can also take a walk through the streets of Valletta and see the old hostels, which were named after areas where the Order of St. John was represented. The hostels were therefore a kind of embassies, and in the 1570s a number of them were built. The most beautiful example in the city is the Auberge de Castille from 1740, and in front of this hostel are some of Valletta’s great city walls and fortifications. You can see them on a stroll around the city centre, where you reach Fort St. Elmo, which is one of many forts at the entrance to the city. One can visit the fort where the National War Museum is located.