The width of the peninsula on which Valletta sits is even smaller, at only 600 meters (0.37 miles).
To outline how tiny Valletta is, walking from south to north won’t take you long – the entire length of Republic Street is only 1 kilometer (0.62 miles).
Set on a hill, Valletta’s location turns walking into a little workout every time you head up the hill from the water. It was the first planned city in Europe and instead of narrow winding roads like the ones you find in medieval towns in France or Italy (or even other towns in Malta), Valletta is outlined in a grid, with long straight roads. On the fourth side, you’ll hit the old city walls at some point, a remnant of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who built the city in the 16th century. Thanks to its tiny size – Valletta covers only 0.5 square miles (1.3 sq km) – you can aimlessly wander the streets without ever getting lost. The well-preserved, precious buildings from that time also show that Malta was a very wealthy city back then, and most of the houses that are still inhabited today were built under the Hospitallers in the 16th century. The harbors of Valletta, Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour, are a reminder of what an important city it was for the sea trade of the Mediterranean during the 16th and 17th centuries. The fortified city sits on a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides. With many ships from northern Africa docking in Malta on their way to the shores of the northern or eastern Mediterranean, it makes sense that the concept of the closed balconies was adopted by the Maltese. These wooden balconies started to pop up around Valletta in the 18th century and are believed to derive from the Arab/ Islamic Muxrabija (look-out place), which is popular in northern African and other Islamic states. I never got tired of wandering the streets and photographing the different colors and styles of wooden balconies. The tiny city with a population of just over 6,000 people is one of the smallest capitals in all of Europe (in fact, only Vaduz in Liechtenstein is smaller), and it is definitely one of the most – if not the most – endearing capitals, with so many picturesque buildings. It is not even the biggest city in Malta. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a capital city that small and that charming – Valletta is anything but a typical nation’s capital. Let me take you on a journey of Valletta in photos – because just as I think you shouldn’t skip Malta’s sister island Gozo when visiting the country, you can’t skip Valletta when you’re in Malta, even when you’re staying in one of the beach resorts. I am sure that four years from now, nobody will see Valletta as underrated anymore. Valletta was announced ‘ European Capital Of Culture‘ for 2018, which means at the moment there is an extra boost in restorations and new developments, adding to the city’s attractiveness, and it will help to put Valletta slowly but surely on the list of Europe’s most charming capitals. While I’ve told you all about my impressions of Malta, my road trip across the island, medieval Mdina and the delicious Maltese food, I didn’t tell you anything about the place I spent the most time in during my visit to Malta, Valletta – the tiny capital of the island nation. This gem of a city is usually overlooked, Lonely Planet said, and I had to admit that I was guilty of that too. When Lonely Planet published its picks for the Top 10 cities to visit in 2015, I felt lukewarm about most of the cities they had chosen – I touched on the topic briefly in this article – but the one city where I wholeheartedly agreed was Valletta, Malta. What to pack for your trip | GlobetrotterGirls Packing List.
0 kommentar(er)
