Valletta

Built by the Knights Hospitaller in the 16th century and named after Jean Parisot de Valette, who repelled the Ottoman siege of Malta, Valletta is the EU's smallest capital city — and one of its most monument-dense, with hundreds of listed structures packed into well under a square kilometre. Baroque palaces, fortified bastions, and an unusual concentration of churches sit alongside a lively café and restaurant scene. UNESCO recognised the city as a World Heritage Site in 1980, and it served as European Capital of Culture in 2018.

• Population6,794
• Nearest water from center1.2 km
• Nearest mountain from center2.1 km
• UNESCO within 50 km8