Introducing Valletta

Valletta, also known as Il-Belt, is Malta's capital. Valletta, a harbor settlement, has preserved much of its 16th-century architectural heritage, which was developed under the Knights Hospitaller. Valletta was one of the first places on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It was named after its founder, Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette, and is colloquially known as Il-Belt ("The City").

It is the European Union's least populous national capital, with an official population of just 5,827 as of early 2019. Valletta has a population of 355,000 people, so it is not a small town. It is also the union's southernmost city, and one of only two without rail-based public transportation (the other being Nicosia).

Valletta was named a "European Capital of Culture" in 2018, along with Leeuwarden.

Valletta has a wide range of good restaurants, especially along the waterfront. Since most visitors stay in Sliema or on the island's north shore, there are less of the trashy kind, but there are the regular fast-food chains. Look for typical bakeries that sell steaming fresh bread for a few cents.