Name: Private visit to the Three Cities from Valletta
SKU: 41652
Price: 10 USD
Availability: InStock

Duration: 4h

Activity Level: Easy

Experience: Adventure, Unesco, Historical, Nature

Language: English

Photo permit included

Tour by public transport

Canal Boat tour included

Train tickets included

Suitable for little children

Wheelchair accessible tour

Museum ticket included

Light snack included

Lunch included

Transportation included

Walking Tour

Overview

The historical area known as the Three Cities wait for you on this adventure to share its secrets. Do you know what was the earlier name of Cospicua an why it was changed? Do you know the name of the oldest fortification of the islands? On this tour you will not just find the answers but also will have a chance to admire the local architecture and get closer to the local unique culture. A scenic drive from and back to the port will also allow you to enjoy the views.

What's included

English-speaking guide
Pick-up and drop-off
Transportation

Food and drinks
Boat ticket

Pick-up and drop-off at the port of Valletta
Comfortable footwear required
Sun cream and bottled water are recommended to be taken

Highlights

Birgu

Birgu , also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("Victorious City"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of land with Fort Saint Angelo at its head and the city of Cospicua at its base. Birgu is ideally situated for safe anchorage, and over time it has developed a very long history with maritime, mercantile and military activities. Birgu is a very old locality with its origins reaching back to medieval times. Prior to the establishment of Valletta as capital and main city of Malta, military powers that wanted to rule the Maltese islands would need to obtain control of Birgu due to its significant position in the Grand Harbour. In fact, it served as the base of the Order of Saint John and de facto capital city of Malta from 1530 to 1571. Birgu is well known for its vital role in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565.

Fort St Angelo

Fort St. Angelo is a bastioned fort in Birgu, Malta, located at the centre of the Grand Harbour. It was originally built in the medieval period as a castle called the Castrum Maris. It was rebuilt by the Order of Saint John as a bastioned fort called Fort Saint Angelo between the 1530s and the 1560s, and it is best known for its role as the Order's headquarters during the Great Siege of Malta of 1565. A major reconstruction to designs of Carlos de Grunenbergh took place in the 1690s, giving the fort its current appearance. The fort suffered considerable damage during World War II, but it was later restored. In 1998, the upper part of the fort was handed to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Fort St. Angelo has been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta.

Malta

Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It's a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British. It has numerous fortresses, megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C.

Three Cities

The Three Cities is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Birgu, Senglea, and Cospicua in Malta. The oldest of the Three Cities is Birgu, which has existed prior to the Middle Ages. The other two cities, Senglea and Cospicua, were both founded by the Order of Saint John in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Three Cities are enclosed by the Cottonera Lines, along with several other fortifications. The term Cottonera is synonymous with the Three Cities, although it is sometimes taken to also include the nearby town of Kalkara.

Valletta

Valletta (or Il-Belt) is the tiny capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The walled city was established in the 1500s on a peninsula by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order. It’s known for museums, palaces and grand churches. Baroque landmarks include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, whose opulent interior is home to the Caravaggio masterpiece "The Beheading of Saint John."

Itinerary

09:00

You will be met at the port and guided you to your air-conditioned transportation ready to commence your tour.

Your tour begins at the port from here you will be escorted by coach to discover the historical area known as the Three Cities. The first port of call is the city of Cospicua which is the largest of the Three Cities and is situated on Grand Harbour opposite Valletta. It is known to many by its earlier name, Bormla. The city was renamed by the Knights of St. John because of the brave role played by its people during the Great Siege of 1565. The city suffered extensive damage during World War II and although rebuilt, it has fewer inhabitants than in the pre-war years. The next stop is the city of Vittoriosa which lies on one of the promontories jutting into the Grand Harbour, opposite Valletta. At the tip is Fort St. Angelo, perhaps the oldest fortification on the Islands. Vittoriosa was the first home of the Knights when they arrived in 1530, and as such, contain many important architectural riches. The Knights’ auberges (inns of residence), palaces and churches here are older than those in Valletta. You will be escorted through the quaint narrow streets here to view the historical buildings and churches. From the old quay you will then board a typical harbour ‘fregatina’ for a tour of the famous harbour creeks. Your last port of call is the city of Senglea. Like its sister cities, Senglea also suffered heavy damage during World War II. More than 75 percent of its buildings were destroyed. The city is noted for its superb harbour views across to Valletta from Safe Haven Gardens at Senglea Point. You will visit the stone vedette, also known as il-Gardjola, on the bastion-point. This has served as a look out point to guard the harbour entrance. The sculptured eye and the ear above the windows are symbols of vigilance.

Your tour will then conclude following the escorted coach ride back to the port.

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Private visit to the Three Cities from Valletta