Victoria Cathedral

Victoria/Rabat is in Gozo. It should not be confused with another town having the name Rabat on the main island of Malta.

Get in

Rabat lies at the center of the island and most of the roads pass through it.

Get around

Pretty much everything worthwhile is within a small area where cars can't go, so on foot is the only option.

Understand

The town of Rabat was renamed Victoria by the English in the 19th century. In common with many places in Malta and Gozo its foreign name is often ignored and it is referred to in the original Arabic.

This can cause confusion since there is a town of the same name in Malta.

The name Rabat in Arabic is a commonly used term describing the suburb outside the fortified part of the town or keep.

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. As of 2015, the citadella is entirely under renovation. (updated Apr 2015)
• 2 War Memorial (On the Independence Square (Pjazza Indipendenza)). This monument commemorates Gozitans who died in WWII. 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)
• 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.

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. They have recently expanded the menu to include fabulous maletese revioli, and fenkata by order.

Go next

Ġgantija Temples

• Ġgantija Temples are situated in the nearby town of Xaghra. They 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 Sunday's. A taxi should cost around 7-8 Lm (€18) return.