Vittoriosa (Birgu)

Vittoriosa (Birgu) is probably the nicest of the three peninsulas southwards of Valletta. The city was the first settlement around this area. When the Knights of St. John arrived in Malta in 1530 they set up camp in Vittoriosa and started to upgrade the fortifications, including the Fort St. Angelo. After the Great Siege of 1565 they moved to Valletta. Birgu has nowadays a population of 3000 and the fortifications are as impressive as those of Valletta. Behind every corner you can discover something new. The best way to enter the city is through the ‘Couvre Porte’ which was restored in 2002. Above is a modern gate which breaks through the fortification of the ‘Poste de Provence’ and is used as a road for cars.

Paceville

Paceville is the entertainment centre in Malta! There you can find bars, discos, cafes, cinema, shopping complexes/shopping malls(clothing, shoes, books, watches, jewellery, well, just everything), souvenir shops, casinos, nightclubs, bowling, games arcades, restaurants(Maltese, English, Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, etc.), hotels, the Hilton tower(also known as Portomaso Tower), supermarkets, a small beach, a yacht-harbour, and much more. There is also a quite large shopping complex, known as Bay-Street Complex. Spread on four floors, you can find whatever you need.

Cottonera (Three Cities) - the ‘three cities‘: Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea

The word Cottonera describes the three cities: Vittoriosa (Birgu), Senglea (L‘Isla) and Cospicua (Bormla). The peninsula in the middle, Vittoriosa, was the only peninsula of the three peninsulas which was inhabited at the arrival of the Knights of St. John. In the past the city was called ‘Borgo del Castello‘. That‘s where the name Birgu comes from. Valletta didn‘t exist at that time.