Microstates of Southern Europe: San Marino, Vatican City and Malta

After enjoying Monaco earlier this year, I decided to do a tour of three other microstates in Southern Europe: San Marino, Vatican City and Malta. I enjoyed all three of them a lot.

San Marino is a delightful little country. The capital, also called San Marino, is a well preserved medieval city located on a cliff with beautiful views of the surrounding area. The city’s three towers provide fairytale-like photo opportunities. Click on the album below for the new San Marino album:

Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent state and the center of Catholicism, is more of a museum than of a country. I enjoyed the impeccably-kept Vatican Gardens, which cover more than half of the territory, as well as St. Peter’s Basilica. Click on the thumbnail below for the new Vatican City album:

Finally, Malta was the most spectacular of the three and shot up to second place in my ranking of favorite European countries (after Iceland). Valletta is a gorgeous fortified city, while the country itself is full of castles, forts and fortifications, stunning scenery and a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Click on the thumbnail below for the new Malta album.