Victoria has a walled town on the hill above it. The Cittadella is small, and you can walk the whole circuit of the walls in about 20 minutes.
From the top you see almost all of Gozo at once.
What it was for
It was the refuge for the whole island. Until the late eighteenth century Gozitans were required by law to sleep inside the walls at night.
The reason was raiding. In 1551 an Ottoman force took almost the entire population of Gozo away as slaves, several thousand people in a single raid.
The island was repopulated from Malta and Sicily afterwards, which is why Gozitan surnames and Maltese ones differ.
What is inside
- The cathedral, with a painted ceiling that fakes a dome that was never built.
- Four small museums — archaeology, folklore, the old prison and nature.
- Restored lanes on the south side, and a large area of ruins on the north that was never rebuilt.
Very few people live inside now. The ruined half is open to walk through and is the more interesting of the two.
Walking the walls
The ramparts are free and open. Most people come for the circuit rather than the museums.
You get the whole island below you: the terraced fields, the flat-topped hills, and the domes of the villages one after another. On a clear day you can see Comino and the coast of Malta beyond it.
Go in the late afternoon. The light is better and the coach parties have gone.
There is no shade on the walls and the stone holds the heat. The middle of a summer day is the worst time to be up there.
Getting there
Buses from Mġarr harbour run to Victoria bus station, and the Cittadella is a short walk uphill from there.
The climb to the gate is steep but short. There is a lift from the car park on the north side for anyone who needs it.
Entry to the Cittadella itself costs nothing. The museums are ticketed and share one combined ticket.
How long to allow
- 30 minutes — the walls and the view, nothing else.
- 1 to 2 hours — the walls, the cathedral and the ruined quarter.
- Half a day — adding the museums and lunch in Victoria below.
