Valletta

Valletta is built on a narrow peninsula between two harbours, and nearly every building is made from the same honey-coloured limestone. The city was purpose-built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980. St John's Co-Cathedral, plain on the outside and heavily gilded within, has two Caravaggio paintings in the oratory. An elevator near the cruise terminal lifts passengers to the upper town. The Grand Master's Palace and its armoury take up one side of Republic Street, the main thoroughfare. The Upper Barrakka Gardens have a terrace overlooking the Grand Harbour and a noon cannon salute. Mdina, the old capital inland, is a walled hilltop city with silent streets and medieval architecture. Pastizzi, flaky pastries filled with ricotta or pea mash, are sold for almost nothing from hole-in-the-wall shops. The euro is the currency. The city is compact and walkable, though steep in places.