Victoria: Cittadella, culture and historic streets

Victoria combines an ancient fortified city with sacred art, museum collections, gardens, and historic streets. The Cittadella lies in the centre of the island of Gozo and shapes the city’s historic character. If you’re looking for a hotel in Victoria, these different highlights can help you choose a place that suits your interests: history, culture, and walks take centre stage here.

Cittadella: history and views

Victoria encompasses the Cittadella, the ancient fortified city at the centre of the island of Gozo. Its fortifications date back to the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC. The open areas are home to rare plant and animal species and also give this historic site a natural dimension. A walk along the fortified walls offers a 360-degree panorama of Gozo’s hills, valleys, villages, and churches; the view also stretches across the sea as far as Malta.

At the Cittadella Visitors’ Centre, interactive touchscreens and printed panels explain the Cittadella’s development, as well as its natural, military, ecclesiastical, and civil history. This lets you explore the site not only through its fortifications, but also through the different themes that have shaped its development and significance. Its history, open spaces, and panoramic views each offer a distinct perspective.

Sacred art and collections

St George’s Basilica houses precious works of sacred art. The current building dates from 1678 and was built on the site of older churches. The Il-Ħaġar Museum houses artistic and historical artefacts from the Parish Basilica of St George. The museum also includes the Joseph Vella Music Archive, with 156 original compositions. Sacred art, historical artefacts, and music are presented as distinct cultural themes.

The rooftop bar at Il-Ħaġar is also one of Victoria’s notable viewpoints: from there, you can see St George’s Basilica, the Castello, Victoria’s skyline, and Gozo’s rural landscape. If you’re more interested in architectural history, the basilica is the place to focus on; the Il-Ħaġar collections, by contrast, highlight artefacts and music.

Gardens and festival dates

Villa Rundle Garden has an aviary. Each year in mid-August, Villa Rundle Gardens hosts the Santa Marija Agricultural Show. Another festival tradition is the festa in honour of Saint George the Martyr: it is celebrated around the second week of July, while his feast day falls on 23 April. The celebration and the feast day therefore take place on different dates—a useful distinction if you’d like to plan your trip around a festival tradition.

Walks and getting around

The Old Prison is an eight-minute walk from Victoria’s central streets. The narrow lanes around St George’s Basilica are also among the city’s oldest and make for a pleasant stroll. They offer a different experience from walking along the Cittadella’s walls: here, the focus is on the historic lanes; there, on the fortifications and the sweeping panoramic views. Victoria’s main car park is just south of Republic Street.

Victoria makes it easy to explore different interests: the Cittadella for the history of the fortifications and the views; the basilica and Il-Ħaġar for sacred art and collections; and the garden and festival dates for other cultural highlights. This blend makes Victoria a good base for travellers who place particular importance on historic and cultural experiences when choosing where to stay.

Discover more destinations: Marsaskala, Luqa, Naxxar, Marsalforn, Mdina, Birżebbuġa, San Ġwann, Pembroke

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