Vittoriosa (old name = Birgu), one of the "three towns", is located on a wedge-shaped peninsula that juts out into the bay of the Grand Harbour. The headland is bordered to the north-west by Kalkara Creek and to the south-east by Dockyard Creek. On the opposite shore of the Grand Harbour lies Valletta, the capital of Malta. At the tip of the Vittoriosa peninsula lies Fort St. Angelo, once an important defence post of the Knights of St. John. The neighbouring villages of Kalkara to the north and Bormla to the south are almost seamlessly connected.
The best way to get from Valletta to Vittoriosa is by ferry.
The main street of the town, Triq il-Mina L-Kbira, can be reached through the Gate of Provence - where the bus also stops. Here you will find sights such as the "Malta at War" museum and the two-storey Inquisitor's Palace, built in 1535 and the most important building in Vittoriosa.
This orientation board with the most important sights is located right next to the city gate.
The picture can be enlarged by clicking on it!
A small alley leads from the main street down to the harbour. Note the wooden balconies typical of Malta. The Maltese call their balconies "Gallariji".
The main square of Vittoriosa - Vittoriosa square with the Victory Monument and the DeBirgu restaurant, where we ate.
This is what it looks like when you enter the restaurant. You can also sit in the small, cosy courtyard. And there is a large billiard room.
The Triq Hilda Tabone was the main street of the knights in the early 16th century. The knights' inns, such as the Auberge de France, are located here.
At the end of the road you come to the fortifications. From there you have a view of the harbour basin and the town of Kalkara opposite with "The Old Bighi Hospital" and the old lift for the wounded.
The Royal Naval Hospital Bighi (RNH Bighi) was a large naval hospital. It was built on the site of the gardens of Palazzo Bichi, which for a time was known as Palazzo Salvatore. The RNH Bighi, together with the RN Hospital in Mtarfa, provided nursing and medical care for the wounded in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is now known as Villa Bighi and houses a restoration department.
St.-Lorenz-Church
For the return journey from Vittoriosa (Birgu) to Valletta, we took a small, traditional Maltese water taxi (Dgħajsa) for 2 euros per person.
