Victoria (Malta)

Victoria Cathedral

Victoria, also called Rabat is in Gozo. It should not be confused with another town called Rabat on the main island of Malta.

Get in

Rabat lies at the centre of the island and most of the roads pass through it. There are several car parks and bus routes near to the Citadella.

Get around

The main visitor attractions are in the central Citadella, which is inaccessible to cars, so walking is the only option.

Understand

Historically the central Citadella and the surrounding area of Rabat were considered separate towns - "Rabat" in Arabic simply means a suburb outside the fortified part of a town or keep.

In the 19th century, the name 'Victoria' was coined by the British government for the whole settlement. Nowadays, Gozitans generally refer to the settlement as 'Rabat', which can cause confusion with the town of the same name on the island of Malta (which, similarly, is the area outside the walls of the old Maltese capital Mdina).

See

• 1 Citadella. Go up to the Citadella and walk around the entire perimeter and enjoy the very beautiful 360-degree view of Gozo at your feet. Visit the cathedral of Gozo, and the Gozo archaeological museum with Islamic tombstones, ask for Steven, show interest and knowledge and he might give you a personal tour of the museum. The other museums in the Citadella are of considerably less interest. (updated Apr 2015)
• 2 War Memorial (On the Independence Square (Pjazza Indipendenza)). This monument commemorates Gozitans who died in World War II. The monument is a bronze statue of Christ the King made by sculptor Carlo Pisi of Rome. Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the monument on 7 May 1954. (updated Apr 2015)
• 3 Banca Giuratale. The Banca Giuratale is a semi-circular baroque building, which today houses the Victoria Local Council, in Independence Square. The building dates back to 1733 where it served as the official premises of the jurats of Gozo. It was commissioned by Grand Master De Vilhena and the Governor of Gozo. (updated Jan 2018)

Do

• Once a year there are traditional horseraces through the centre of town.

Buy

On the main square of Rabat there is a market during weekdays selling mostly touristic wares.

Eat

• 1 Ta'Rikardu, Triq Iz-Zenqa. In the Citadel when one takes the alley up the left side of the Church there is a door with a barrel next to it with local produce on display on top of it. The place is called Tal' Rikardu. If one goes inside and up the stairs one can order the main dish they do here, a filling plate of fresh farmer food. The menu include fabulous Maltese revioli, and fenkata by order. 

Go next

Ġgantija Temples

• The nearby town of Xaghra houses Ġgantija Temples, which are regarded as one of the oldest freestanding buildings in the world, as such they have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Buses run regularly between Victoria and Xaghra, except on Sundays. A taxi should cost around €18 return.
• Għajnsielem