National Museum of Archaeology, Malta

Housed in the Auberge de Provence on Republic Street, this museum gathers the most important prehistoric artefacts from across the Maltese islands. Its centrepiece galleries display figurines from the Neolithic temple culture, including the reclining Sleeping Lady found at the Hypogeum and the corpulent 'Fat Lady' statuettes. The building itself, a former knights' hostel, retains a richly decorated Grand Salon with painted walls. Exhibits trace human occupation from around 5,000 BC through the Bronze Age and Phoenician periods.