Fly from Nice to Valletta

Founded by the Knights of the Order of Malta to ensure their security and prosperity, Valletta is a serious city. It’s not really recommended for young children, particularly because they will soon get tired walking around its steep streets, which are just calling to be explored. It’s better to go either with teenagers, alone, with a partner or with friends. Just make sure your companions share your love of culture and your curiosity.
Another thing: with an area of barely 55 hectares, Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union. This means that however exceptional its heritage, you’re bound to venture beyond its walls, to discover the country beyond. The adventure starts with a visit to the Three Cities, on the other side of the Grand Harbour: a natural harbour that the Order of Malta made into an impregnable port. You can then explore the entire island, discovering beautiful beaches and turquoise waters, old fortresses and tranquil, picturesque fishing villages.

• Just walk around the city, savouring every detail: colourful bow windows and big, bustling squares, red phone boxes (a legacy of British domination) and shady alleys.
• Visit Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, a baroque gem with its golden arches, its large vault covered with frescoes by Mattia Preti, and its painting by Caravaggio.
• Stride down the long corridors of the Grandmaster’s Palace, which currently houses the Office of the President of Malta. An unbelievable atmosphere and a rich, 6000-piece collection of arms and armour.
• See where a Maltese aristocratic family live: the de Piro family are the lucky owners of Casa Rocca Piccola, a sublime palace. The majority of its 50 rooms are open to the public.
• Take in the unbelievable view over the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, magnificent gardens on top of a bastion. Don’t miss the cannons being fired, every day at midday and 16:00.
• Enjoy the mouth-watering Maltese cuisine, which is simple but flavoursome. Try the seafood, rabbit in sauce, and delectable pastries so full of sunshine that you’ll forget Malta was ever English.
• Savour a coffee at Caffe Cordina, an institution with its arched ceiling, its frescoes, its crystal chandeliers, and of course its tasty treats.
• Cross the Grand Harbour by boat, to get to the Three Cities: Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa. They offer a lifestyle full of warmth and authenticity, sheltered by their high fortifications.
• Set out to explore Malta: its gorgeous beaches such as Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, its colourful villages, the Neolithic vestiges of the Hagar Qim temples, and many other gems.
• Take a trip to paradise, or rather to Comino, the smallest of the three islands of the Maltese archipelago. Hiking trails, a blue lagoon, craggy cliffs, and all the scents of nature: a real delight!