“Malta has managed to shed its pensioners’ package holiday image, reinventing itself with boutique hotels and festivals,” according to a recent feature on The Guardian.

Highlighting Valletta's reinvention from "a city barely touched for centuries" into a thriving city worthy of it's European Capital of Culture title, it also names the previously notorious Strait Street as a "sophisticated nightlife hub".

A post shared by Visit Malta (@visitmalta) on Feb 28, 2017 at 3:05am PST

Parliament and City Gate get special mention, as does the forthcoming opening of MUZA, Malta’s national art gallery, scheduled to open in a few weeks. 

A post shared by Visit Malta (@visitmalta) on Jan 6, 2018 at 4:02am PST

Valletta 2018 events, such as Pageant of the Seas, Bodies in Urban Spaces and several local music festivals, such as Earth Garden and Kentaro, were also featured, and credited with helping the capital's overhaul and the Maltese Islands' reinvigorated image.

A post shared by Reuben (@earthgardenfestivalmalta) on Apr 17, 2017 at 10:02am PDT

Altofest, a project that explores experimental sociality through contemporary live art, was also described by The Guardian journalist, Liz Boulter, as “an intriguing experiment in contemporary live art”.

A post shared by Elisabetta Di Terlizzi (@elisabettaditerlizzi) on Mar 31, 2018 at 6:05am PDT

It's great to see Malta's beloved capital getting the recognition it deserves - not just a fantastic location steeped in history and culture, but as a city that's every bit as relevant today as it was in the time of the Knights Hospitaller. Have you visited yet?

For more information on the Valletta 2018 cultural calendar, click here.