There is worldwide another example of an area as small as the Maltese archipelago which can find many traces of human activity since the Stone Age to the present day. However, while the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French and English have made their mark here, the genuine cultural and artistic development of these islands is the work of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, who’s nearly 300 years of rule were the most glorious of Maltese history.

Valletta, capital of the country today, is the most conspicuous legacy of the old Order of St. John. Its old town, including from the 1980 World Heritage list, is an architectural gem built on a geographical wonder, the rocky peninsula Sciberras, embedded longitudinally between two narrow bays-Marsamxett and Grand Harbor, in turn under-infested isthmus as the foot of a mussel from its shell. Building strategic qualities so exceptional, founded the Knights of Malta Valletta as a fortress city, the southernmost of Christendom at that time, formidable walls and giving it all but impregnable stronghold. Sir Walter Scott, one of prominent guests, said that it was a metropolis built by gentlemen for gentlemen. So much so that the monumental, sometimes even exhausting-oppressive, “is still his trademark.

Apart from its ancient churches and their defensive structures, the capital has 300 civilian buildings-palaces, theaters, museums, libraries and houses classified as works of historical and architectural interest. The city center, well delineated network costs invariably crowded crossings open to the bright sea, is almost entirely pedestrian. La calle de La Republica, the longest, the widest and typically is the busiest the necessary breath of modernity and freshness, in the midst of stately buildings. Leading to the Plaza de la Republic and on the outskirts of the historic Café Cordina-here you can savor some of the masterpieces of the Phoenicians: the eardrum (macaroni and seafood) and pastizzi (pastries stuffed with ricotta cheese) – the human flood combines the bustle and friendliness with the moderation Anglo Mediterranean, the Maltese who learned during the century of British rule.

If the street of the Republic is also ideal for shopping, the Merchant’s adjacent and parallel to it, is a mecca for scouts crafts. The nightlife, however, belongs to the satellite dynamic young people in Valletta. Sliema (pioneer of the “resort” for tourists), St. Julian’s (original Maltese resort of wealthy, modern and Pharaonic casino) and, above all, Paceville (bars and clubs rarely close before four o’clock in the morning) , charge breath when twilight begins. Live performances by rock bands and blues, disco music ranging from hip hop to reggae … In Malta an entertaining evening under the starry sky resonate with the most diverse rhythms.