Vittoriosa Things to Do

The fort has never been captured nor even severely damaged - even though over 60 bombs hit it in WWII it survived largely intact, and earlier The Turks failed to capture it during the great siege of 1565.

Another view of some of the buildings inside the fort. There must have been some sort of pageant or festival inside the fort just before we visited because there were still some banners hanging around.

This is a view of some of the surviving buildings within Fort St Angelo. There is very little information around about what the buildings within the fort are, so the best you can do is look and admire.

The views from Fort St Angelo are spectacular, especially those across to the neighbouring cities of Senglea, Valletta and Kalkara. This view is across to Senglea and you can see almost the whole city from here.

At the Malta at War Museum you can explore 1 km of labyrinth-like tunnels and chambers excavated deep into the rock in which the islanders have taken refuge during the dark days of the blitz which took place between 1940 and 1943. The building accomodates a museum which is a British 19th Century military barracks built into the town walls. When the first Italian bombs where dropped on Malta on June 11th, 1940, these islands where found wanting in the way of protection for the civilian population. As a result the government embraked on a national plan for the construction of air raid shelters for the entire population. However there was a shortage of skilled labour and tools therefore old people, women and children would have to cut the rock also by hand.

At the Malta at War museum you can also listen to the sounds and voices of the war. You will also witness how brave people of Malta were as they withstood the incessant aerial onslaught mounted against them. My dad who was about 3 years old at the time of the war still remembers today the trauma of the war. He remembers that when the island would be underattack everyone would panic and and would climb down through this narrow entrance into the shelters that would have been built beforehand. Since he was still a little boy the things obviously impressed. He still remembers the loud noise of the serene in his ears and also the lack of food that there was in Malta at that time.

The guided tours are daily at 11.30 and 14.30hrs. You will be give free handouts in Engslih, German, French or Italian and self guiding facilities with an illustration guidebook. One may make use of the gift shop afterwards.

Opening Hours :- Mon - Sat 10.00 - 16.00hrs

except of major festivities that is Christmas and Easter. Uk bank holidays do not apply in Malta.

Entrance Fees

Adults: Lm1.50
Pensioners & students: Lm1.00
Children under 16 years: 50 cents
Family Gourp (parents and their children under 16 years) : Lm 3.00

The Inquisitor's Palace, sited in the heart of Vittoriosa, is one of the very few surviving palaces of its kind which in the early modern period could be found all over Europe. Many simple succumbed to the ravages of time or were victims of the French Revolution. Fortunately, the Maltese Inquisitor's Palace, throughout its five centuries of history, always hosted officials representing the main powers on the island, who therefore ensured its survival. The palace also managed to survive through the bombings of the Second World War. Today, it is an architectural gem, representative of the chequered history and European heritage of the Maltese Islands.

Here one can see the Torture instruments and chambers from the Middle Ages to the 19th Century ! Some of the pieces exhibited are exteremely rare dating to the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The collection, which includes devices used for torture, capital execution and public humiliation, is complete with illustrations and accessible captions in several languages.

The exhibition will be of the duration of one year starting from July 2004 until July 2005.

Opening Hours :- Monday to Sunday
09.00 - 17.00hrs

Last Admission - 16.30 hours

Closed - 24,25 and 31 December
1st January, Good Friday

Public Transport Bus Nos: 1,2,4, or 6.

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From Vittoriosa you get spectacular views of Senglea, Kalkara, Grand Harbour & Valletta.

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The marina is home to the Malta Maritime Museum as well as cafes & restaurants. I enjoyed walking around it in the sunshine, gazing at the yachts & taking in the stunning views.