Malta’s gorgeous golden Baroque capital, Valletta, with its narrow, stepped streets beneath glowing limestone facades, is packed with historic houses and palazzi converted into places to stay. Built by the Knights of St John Hospitaller (otherwise known as Knights of Malta), Valletta has always been a joy to visit – the smallest, most wanderable capital in the world, tucked between towering bastion walls and surrounded by azure sea – but it was, until recently, an accommodation desert. Not anymore.
From Malta’s grand Art Deco colonial hotels to boutiques and B&Bs ranging from classic to contemporary, traditional to tongue-in-cheek. There is something for every taste, if not quite every budget – Valletta has been ‘discovered’, and as its popularity has risen, so too have its prices, though more affordable options are available in winter. It is a wonderful place for a city break or a base from which to explore the island. Within tiny Valletta, everything is within walking distance, and excursions are easy to organise, with buses from City Gate going almost everywhere on the island.
