Probably the most iconic Basilica’s in the Country, The Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of the best places in Malta to see. It’s perfect to explore on your day in the capital. Keep your eyes peeled for the painting of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that’s inside, too.

The 16th-century Church of St. Paul's Shipwreck is one of the oldest and most important churches in Valletta. It was built on the site of an older temple to St Paul; this incarnation dates back to the 1580s, with a baroque facade dating to 1885. The interiors are covered from floor to ceiling with gilded frescoes and paintings.

This miniature stately home was built in the 1680s for a Knight of St John, and has subsequently been occupied by many aristocratic Maltese families. Today it is open daily for guided tours that showcase both the architectural development of the mansion and the archive of fabulous wealth held by the current owner, the Marquis de Piro.

This gem of a theater was built in 1732 by a wealthy knight to provide entertainment for the troops, and has been open on-and-off ever since. Built in a Mannerist style on the outside and containing gold and gilt opulence on the inside, the main auditorium has a delicately patterned blue and gold trompe l'oeil ceiling and seats 623 audience members.

The outside of St John’s is almost dour in its military-style plainness, but inside is one of Europe’s most dazzling displays of baroque excess — a symphony of gold, paint and coloured marble. This is the church of the Knights of St John; a number of the Order’s Grand Masters are buried in its crypt, and the oratory is home to two spectacular paintings by Caravaggio.