Valletta, Malta - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Valletta, Malta

Weather: Light rain early, then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon, 54/63F.

Route: From Sousse 350 km east across the Mediterranean.

Population: 355,000

Places to visit: St. John's Co-Cathedral, Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens, Fort St. Elmo - National War Museum, Lascaris War Rooms, National Museum of Archaeology, Grandmaster's Palace, Il-Berga ta'Kastilja, Palace Armoury.

Significance: Established by the Knights of St. John in 1566, it is the capital of Malta, the smallest country in the European Union. Malta and its capital have always been on the border of Europe and Africa. Of the many conflicts that have come to this island, the most famous in the minds of Europeans was the siege of 1565 - when the Ottomans attempted to take the city with a force of 40,000 people. But due to the great defenses of the city and eventual help from European powers the Ottomans were defeated. After 250 years of rule by the Knights of St. John the French and then the British took over the island. Eventually they gained independence just after WWII.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The battery overlooking the harbor and city (from whc.unesco.org)

The co-Cathedrals behind a residential area (from whc.unesco.org)