Exploring the Three Cities of Malta: Birgu, Senglea & Cospicua

Malta may be a small island, but there is a surprising amount of history packed into it. One area that I particularly enjoyed exploring was the Three Cities, on the other side of the Grand Harbour from Valletta.

The Three Cities are Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, although you will also see them called Birgu, Isla and Bormla. These are their Maltese names and are widely used locally. It can seem a little confusing when you first start planning a visit, but it soon starts to make sense once you are there.

We were staying in Sliema and used public transport to reach the Three Cities. From there, we explored entirely on foot, starting in Senglea, continuing through Cospicua and finishing in Birgu.

We didn't have a long list of attractions to tick off. Instead, we spent around four hours wandering through the old streets, stopping at viewpoints and enjoying the waterfront. It was a lovely way to see a quieter and very historic side of Malta.

Senglea (Isla)

Our Three Cities walk started in Senglea, known in Maltese as Isla. 

One of the first things I noticed was how peaceful some of the streets were. Away from the busier roads, we found narrow streets lined with Malta's familiar honey-coloured limestone buildings, traditional balconies and colourful doors.

There are plenty of steps and little side streets, so it is worth allowing yourself to wander rather than simply following the quickest route through the city. Some of my favourite photographs from Senglea were of ordinary residential streets rather than famous landmarks.

As we continued towards the harbour, we started getting some fantastic views across the water.

One of the most impressive sights is Fort St Angelo, which stands at the end of the Birgu peninsula across Dockyard Creek. The fort has played an important part in Malta's history and was the headquarters of the Knights of St John during the Great Siege of 1565. 

Even if you don't visit the fort itself, seeing it from across the harbour gives you a good idea of its scale and strategic position.

This part of Senglea was one of my favourite sections of the walk. There is something lovely about looking across the harbour with boats in the foreground and centuries-old fortifications behind them.

 

Cospicua (Bormla)

From Senglea, we continued on foot into Cospicua, or Bormla as it is known in Maltese.

One thing that became very clear during our walk was just how closely connected the Three Cities are. There wasn't a point where it felt as though we had finished exploring one city and had to travel somewhere else to begin the next.

Instead, they seem to flow naturally into one another.

The waterfront is a big feature of Cospicua. We walked alongside the marina, where modern boats sit against a backdrop of old limestone buildings and huge fortifications.

One of the more modern landmarks along our route was the large BORMLA sign and boat-shaped installation. After seeing both names used when researching the Three Cities, it was nice to see Bormla displayed so prominently.

We continued through the streets around the waterfront, passing churches, religious statues and some impressive historic buildings.

This was also one of the places where I really noticed the contrast that you see so often in Malta. There are boats and modern waterfront areas sitting right beside buildings and fortifications that tell a much older story.

You don't necessarily need to know the history of every building you pass to enjoy Cospicua. We simply took our time, stopped for photographs and continued towards Birgu.

 

Vittoriosa (Birgu)

The final of the Three Cities we explored was Vittoriosa, more commonly known by its Maltese name, Birgu.

Birgu is perhaps the best known of the Three Cities, and it has a particularly important place in Malta's history. The Knights of St John made Birgu their base when they arrived in Malta in 1530, before Valletta was built. Fort St Angelo subsequently played a major role during the Great Siege of 1565. 

There are several historic attractions that you can visit here, including Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor's Palace. We weren't planning a museum-heavy day, though, so we concentrated on exploring Birgu itself.

And this is a wonderful place simply to wander.

Some of the prettiest streets we encountered during our Three Cities walk were in Birgu. Narrow limestone lanes run between old buildings, with traditional Maltese balconies, colourful doors, plants and little architectural details everywhere you look.

There were times when we had some of these streets almost to ourselves.

The huge fortifications are another reminder of Birgu's past. Walking beside them gives you a much better idea of their scale than simply seeing them from across the harbour.

We spent our time following the streets, stopping whenever something caught our attention and taking plenty of photographs along the way. There is no real need to rush around Birgu. For me, wandering without a strict sightseeing list was part of its charm.

 

Getting to and around Malta's Three Cities

We were staying in Sliema and travelled to the Three Cities by public transport (MPT).

Once we arrived, we didn't use any transport at all. Our route took us from Senglea to Cospicua and then on to Birgu, with the entire journey between the three cities completed on foot.

The walk itself took us around four hours, although that included plenty of stops for photographs and time spent enjoying the harbour views.

There are steps, slopes and uneven streets in places, so comfortable footwear is useful. You can also easily make the visit longer if you want to go inside Fort St Angelo, the Inquisitor's Palace or some of the other historic attractions along the way.

After finishing our walk, we stopped for a meal before catching a bus back. Overall, it worked very well as a relaxed half-day trip from Sliema using public transport.

How Long Do You Need for the Three Cities?

I would allow at least four hours if you mainly want to walk through all three cities, as we did.

That gives you enough time to explore some of the smaller streets, walk along the waterfront and stop at the viewpoints without constantly watching the clock.

If you want to visit museums and other attractions, I would set aside the day for sightseeing. Fort St Angelo alone is a substantial site, so trying to combine several paid attractions with a complete walk through the Three Cities could easily fill much of the day.

The nice thing is that you can adapt the visit to suit the amount of time you have.

Are the Three Cities Worth Visiting?

For me, the Three Cities were well worth adding to our Malta itinerary.

They offered something quite different from some of the island's busier sightseeing areas. There were impressive historic buildings and fortifications, but there were also quiet residential streets, colourful doors, traditional balconies and lovely views across the harbour.

Each city felt slightly different too. I particularly enjoyed the harbour views from Senglea, walking beside the waterfront in Cospicua and exploring the narrow historic streets of Birgu.

Most of all, I liked that we didn't need a complicated itinerary. We simply started walking and made our way through all three cities at our own pace.

If you enjoy historic streets, old architecture, waterfront views and exploring places on foot, Malta's Three Cities are definitely worth setting aside a few hours for.