Malta » Introduction of Valletta

The colourful streets of Valletta, with many buildings dating back several centuries, are a sight in themselves and wherever you look there is proof of the Knights of St John from their auberges (inns) to their sanatorium, their forts, their defences, their cathedral and greatest of all the Grand Master's Palace. World War II is covered in The National War Museum and the underground Lascaris War Rooms.

The National Museum of Archaeology scrapes the surface of the distant past but to delve deeper you need to travel just out of the capital, most notably to the Hypogeum at Paola.

There are a number of exhibitions and ‘experiences' reinterpreting the past, but the best way to get a handle on the past of the city is to take a boat trip around Grand Harbour and a guided tour of Fort St Elmo before visiting the Grand Master's Palace.