heritage
Valletta hands over 'best city in the world' crown to Bangkok
Photo: Myriam Thyes – edited by Adam Cuerden, Public domain.
Valletta, voted the world's best city by Condé Nast Traveller readers last year, has slipped to fifth place in the magazine's Readers' Choice Awards 2026. Bangkok takes the top spot, ahead of Paris, Istanbul and Rome. Valletta scored 95.76, and the magazine describes the capital as a city that feels both ancient and new, with a lively creative scene.