My memories of Valletta from teenage family holidays to Malta in the '70s are of a noisy, chaotic place where it was nigh on impossible to park and, to my young mind at least, full of boring, dusty looking old buildings. How blind I was to its charms back then! So I was delighted on a recent, post Covid, visit to have my outdated misconceptions shattered as I explored what this vibrant capital, the smallest in the EU, now offers.
Valletta, Malta’s capital and arguably the city with the world’s most iconic harbour, is being born again. New bars and restaurants have revitalised the eternally pretty but once staid streets, and major civil projects are transforming the town’s overall aesthetic whilst cleaning up facades in preparation for the impending honour of European Capital of Culture 2018. Despite the somewhat divisive title, in this instance it’s a fitting accolade considering the arts scene is also in rude health, with abundant local talent and significant international events.
