Why Birgu (Vittoriosa), MALTA should be your next travel destination – Treasures in the Three Cities

We explore Birgu, also known as Vittoriosa, one of the beautiful Three Cities of Malta.

We catch the ferry from Sliema over to Valletta and walk through the capital’s streets to the Upper Barrakka Gardens. We use the Barrakka Lift down to the ferry across to the Three Cities. Only 1 euro and it saves a LOT of steps!

Once across the Grand Harbour, we arrive in Vittoriosa. We explore @HeritageMalta ‘s Malta Maritime Museum before having Fort St Angelo almost to ourselves!

We stop for lunch at Birgi on Triq San Lawrenz and then head through the narrow, quiet streets to the Inquisitor’s Palace, a fascinating place.

We shall have to visit Senglea and Cospicua another day…!

Once last look from our hotel @HotelsMalta AX The Palace in Sliema before heading home. Thanks Malta!

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hello welcome back again another day another travel another day in Malta hurray we’re back in Valletta today we are but only briefly yes so we’ve just got the ferry from Sliema but now we’re going straight across Valletta to get another ferry yay ’cause we’re ferry fans today we love ferries, we’re off to the Three Cities to see what we can find over there but first all we need to work out how we get to this next ferry this may take some time that’s rather amazing isn’t it? look at the lovely banners do you think they’re leftover from Holy Week or are they there all the time? they are beautiful and then here just he it’s the ruin of an Amphitheatre Amphitheatre? Hmm I’m going to check my details on that one sounds right yeah but it was then I think it was badly bombed as everything was on Malta and the architect Renzo Piano, which I think is a fantastic name, who designed the Parliament building and the new city gates also redesigned it to become an open air performance space so it’s like theatre allegedly we might be going the right way let’s see let’s go this way fingers crossed though we have found out that signposts seem to have a habit of disappearing quite quickly in this country yes and then you’re on your own ah so here is the man after whom Valletta is named Jean de Vallette thank you Mr Vallette this is Upper Barakka Gardens it’s a lovely shady place when shady places are at a premium here wow is quite a view isn’t it? it is a quite a view look at that ah you we’ve already been here we watched the Saluting Battery do its thing but it’s nice to see it while it’s nice and quiet like this if you haven’t seen that video I’ll pop it up in the top corner about now hello the Grand Harbour there a lift down to the water hello two tickets please thank you it costs one euro each thank you and ‘bip’ them just go thank you I understand thank you oh we get it to ourselves that’s fun down we go oh look we go down past the the depths of the city walls that really draws it into sharp focus of how how thick these walls are and we’re here thank you exit this way so we came from all the way up there now we’re here now we’re walking underneath the city walls not sure if you can hear me it’s quite noisy so you’re walking along underneath this huge expanse of rock that they’ve punched through to make a road and then all of a sudden you walk straight past it there’s a random shrine amazing ta dah! and we’re here there you go well we think we’re here yeah so we’re down by the water hooray we’re on the other side of Valletta and we’re about to get a ferry over to the Three Cities which look amazing from down here don’t they? gosh cue some information about the Three Cities! the Three Cities are the fortified cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. the oldest of these is Vittoriosa which has existed since before the Middle Ages that’s where we’re heading next look at the size of that gin palace wow! oh wonderful wow right best let’s pay attention Naomi before I fall down the stairs! but here we are in the Three Cities well one thereof how lovely there is an awful lot of money sitting in this harbour wow some of them are enormous aren’t they? enormous this one’s rather beautiful we’re at the Malta at War Museum we think doesn’t say but hey ho and given that we’re here in the week of Freedom Day we thought we should come and have a little look let’s go see Tadah oh my so we’ve come into a room not knowing what to expect and suddenly we’re in fantasy land and it’s amazing wow aren’t these gorgeous look at the bicycle little velocipede kind of motorbike wow don’t trip up Naomi! sorry about the flashiness it’s the lighting in here is making it a bit wibbly wobbly look at these beautiful beautiful boats incredible the detail is astonishing HMS Beagle what do you think babe? Was not expecting to see this no we’re still in the middle of the historical museum and then you have these amazing model aircraft and tanks and boats and fantasy figures and cars quite wonderful up we go up we go back to the museum can you hear all the bells? they’re ringing for Midday I couldn’t work out why there was a a film playing on this bed with Lawrence Olivier and ooh what’s ‘er face? oh what was the name of that actress? she was Scarlet O’Hara? she used to be married…? Vivian Leigh there you go I couldn’t work out why was here now I realize it’s the old film adaptation of Nelson and Mrs Hamilton this is her bed I don’t know why it’s here but it’s here and that was that I just suddenly realized it’s a massive traction engine or something there is a massive traction engine should we go have a look yep there it is yep ta dah! a handy ‘you are here’ I do love a ‘you are here’ so yeah so let’s wander continue wandering up and go to Fort St Angelo that’s right at the end yeah ? yeah okay this marina is amazing there’s no piffling little boats here they’re all absolutely stonking great big expensive things wow but what a setting and how green the water is yeah compared to blue when we came across what a lovely spot this harbour is gorgeous we have made it to Fort St Angelo which is part of the Heritage Malta let’s go see Neil says there’s a view around this corner oh wow he’s not wrong beautiful so we’re at the top of Fort St Angelo and we’re just going to go and have a look inside apparently this we go off to the Infirmary or the sick bay I wasn’t feeling too bad let’s have a look gosh oh my gosh gosh this is quite a scary place to have an infirmary isn’t it? it’s very cool though isn’t it? it’s very cool in both senses of the word cool sorry there’s the air conditioning units out into the sunshine I’m not sure why I took my sunglasses off here we go ta dah! there’s hardly anyone here it’s so lovely this is the first place in Malta that we’ve felt like we’ve had the place to almost to ourselves back at home in England we we read this morning on the headline news there’s a weather warning for snow we’re here it’s a very big boat here really? there’s a very big boat most places here to be honest let me see this very big boat oh my goodness off he goes that is a very big boat there’s a boat indoors I love how they’ve used the sail as a cinema screen to one of the interpretation centres very cute like it these steps take us right to the top of the fort you can see from up here where they call it the Three Cities 1 2 3 so that was Fort St Angelo what did you think hun? it’s excellent isn’t it? it is absolutely excellent definitely worth a visit oh my gosh yes this is a definite yes not just for the views no but the views the views are amazing but really fascinating yeah really interesting but now we’re off again let’s go and hunt down some grub huh? these little streets are so beautiful and what I like about it is so quiet in Valletta these streets would be absolutely heaving with people we’re now in the Inquisitor’s Palace which is another place looked after by Heritage Malta and it looks lovely don’t know what again don’t know what to expect we’re going to go and investigate great let’s find some history yeah love a bit of history there’s somebody who hasn’t got enough clothes on oh no I recognize that face Wally! the Inquisitor’s Palace has been used by Heritage Malta to create like a folk museum of life on Malta over the centuries it’s also got an art exhibition going on at the moment I think we found the kitchen I love the flu as it goes up and then out and finds a chimney somewhere look at the oven okay we’re going into one of the cells prison cells apologies for the light it’s making it go quite flashy more art no idea what that means either but these cells are quite tall really aren’t they? gosh so there’s another one with again more art the colour makes it look a bit more gloomy in here oh gosh his shoes he seems to be stuck there a lovely shady spot fruit on the trees oh yes limes? lemons? tell us in the comments below ah I see lemons don’t tell us in the comments below they’re lemons! look at that ceiling lovely light space I think we have to go down some stairs darling there’s a little exhibition here of bridal wear in Malta of these three the first one is 1965, middle one is 1952 and the one here with a the long sleeve veil is 1979 and here’s our courtyard again people love a padlock on a bridge don’t they? let’s have a look at the view wow quite lovely time to head back for the ferry eh babe? yep we’ve had a beautiful day but our feet are a little tired now a lot of steps here there are lots of steps you go up and down a lot yes probably my favourite place that we’ve been to in Malta though yes really really nice they’ve got quite a turning circle these little ferries haven’t they? amazing and we’re back hello Valletta so we’re back and it’s time to go back up the lift we’re having our final dinner here at the Palace Hotel where we’re staying and this is our view goodness beautiful light goodness me isn’t this fab? and there’s Valletta looking gorgeous in the evening sun wow [Music] and so with that fabulous view and another excellent meal our week on Malta comes to an end if you’ve enjoyed our travels then give us a thumbs up, share us with your friends and subscribe it’s free to do and we really do genuinely appreciate it thank you if you’d like to see more of Malta then check out the playlist at the end of this video but for now we bid you farewell wish you happy travels and we’ll catch you in our next adventure