Gozo
With an eclectic history and exciting culture, Gozo has an array of museums for all the family to enjoy during your vacation.
MUSEUMS MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY
Location : Mdina Door Street, The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The museum is housed in a seventeenth century building, Palazzo Bondi, which originally served as a town hall where the Knights of St John used to receive their distinguished visitors. It is a showcase of archaeological finds from the 11 phases of Gozo’s history and contains a section for items discovered at sea, off the Gozitan coastline.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
FOLKLORE MUSEUM
Location : Melite Bernardo De Opuo Street, The Citadel, Victoria
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Folklore Museum is accommodated in a cluster of medieval houses probably built around the beginning of the 16th century. It houses a wide range of exhibits depicting the domestic, rural and traditional ways of life in the agrarian economy of Gozo centuries ago.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
GHARB FOLKLORE MUSEUM – GHARB
Location : 99, Gharb Church Square, Gharb.
Opening Time : Monday to Saturday from 0900 hours to 1600 hours; Sundays from 0900 hours to 1300 hours.
Description : The privately-owned museum is housed in an early 18th century historical house with 28 rooms. The museum includes the printing press used for Gozo’s first newspaper, the miller's room, a carpenter's workshop and a myriad of other old tools and clothes.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 2.91
THE NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM
Location : St. Martin Quarter’s Street, The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The museum is situated behind the Law Courts in the Citadel of Victoria and is hosted in an old house with origins dating back to the Aragonese period. It houses various collections pertaining to a variety of subjects including important collections of fossils, minerology, marine life, botany, ornithology and insects.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
THE OLD PRISONS
Location : Cathedral Square, The Citadel, Victoria.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Old Prison is situated adjacent to the Law Courts, to which it was originally connected. It was in use from the mid-16th century until the beginning of the 20th century and the complex is divided into two sections: the entrance hall, which served as a common cell in the 19th century and a free-standing block with six individual cells. The prison is well preserved and its walls and corridors are covered with graffiti.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
TA’ KOLA WINDMILL
Location : Bambina Street, Xaghra.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : Ta’ Kola Windmill is one of the few surviving windmills on the Maltese Islands dating back to 1725. It is a fine example of the rural economy and domestic life of Gozo in past centuries, and houses original milling mechanism, miller’s tools, as well as the blacksmith’s and carpenter’s workshop. The living quarters provide a glimpse into domestic life in bygone times.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 6 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
GOZO CATHEDRAL MUSEUM – VICTORIA
Location : The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Saturday from 1000 hours to 1300 hours and from 1330 hours to 1630 hours.
Description : The Cathedral Museum has more than 2,000 items on display including the Cathedral's archives, some magnificent paintings, clerical vestments and a silver vault. It holds paintings of well-known local artists including George Hyzler, Michele Busetti and Tommaso Median.
Admission :
Website : www.gozocathedral.org.mt
Location : Mdina Door Street, The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The museum is housed in a seventeenth century building, Palazzo Bondi, which originally served as a town hall where the Knights of St John used to receive their distinguished visitors. It is a showcase of archaeological finds from the 11 phases of Gozo’s history and contains a section for items discovered at sea, off the Gozitan coastline.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
FOLKLORE MUSEUM
Location : Melite Bernardo De Opuo Street, The Citadel, Victoria
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Folklore Museum is accommodated in a cluster of medieval houses probably built around the beginning of the 16th century. It houses a wide range of exhibits depicting the domestic, rural and traditional ways of life in the agrarian economy of Gozo centuries ago.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
GHARB FOLKLORE MUSEUM – GHARB
Location : 99, Gharb Church Square, Gharb.
Opening Time : Monday to Saturday from 0900 hours to 1600 hours; Sundays from 0900 hours to 1300 hours.
Description : The privately-owned museum is housed in an early 18th century historical house with 28 rooms. The museum includes the printing press used for Gozo’s first newspaper, the miller's room, a carpenter's workshop and a myriad of other old tools and clothes.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 2.91
THE NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM
Location : St. Martin Quarter’s Street, The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The museum is situated behind the Law Courts in the Citadel of Victoria and is hosted in an old house with origins dating back to the Aragonese period. It houses various collections pertaining to a variety of subjects including important collections of fossils, minerology, marine life, botany, ornithology and insects.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
THE OLD PRISONS
Location : Cathedral Square, The Citadel, Victoria.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Old Prison is situated adjacent to the Law Courts, to which it was originally connected. It was in use from the mid-16th century until the beginning of the 20th century and the complex is divided into two sections: the entrance hall, which served as a common cell in the 19th century and a free-standing block with six individual cells. The prison is well preserved and its walls and corridors are covered with graffiti.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
TA’ KOLA WINDMILL
Location : Bambina Street, Xaghra.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : Ta’ Kola Windmill is one of the few surviving windmills on the Maltese Islands dating back to 1725. It is a fine example of the rural economy and domestic life of Gozo in past centuries, and houses original milling mechanism, miller’s tools, as well as the blacksmith’s and carpenter’s workshop. The living quarters provide a glimpse into domestic life in bygone times.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 6 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4.
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
GOZO CATHEDRAL MUSEUM – VICTORIA
Location : The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : Monday to Saturday from 1000 hours to 1300 hours and from 1330 hours to 1630 hours.
Description : The Cathedral Museum has more than 2,000 items on display including the Cathedral's archives, some magnificent paintings, clerical vestments and a silver vault. It holds paintings of well-known local artists including George Hyzler, Michele Busetti and Tommaso Median.
Admission :
Website : www.gozocathedral.org.mt
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
GGANTIJA TEMPLES
Location : Temples Street, Xaghra.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Ggantija Temples ('place of giants') is the best preserved and the oldest free-standing structure in the world. It consists of two megalithic temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall. The temples were cleared around 1826 and comprises of two Neolithic temples dating back to 3,500 B.C.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
GGANTIJA TEMPLES
Location : Temples Street, Xaghra.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday: 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday).
Description : The Ggantija Temples ('place of giants') is the best preserved and the oldest free-standing structure in the world. It consists of two megalithic temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall. The temples were cleared around 1826 and comprises of two Neolithic temples dating back to 3,500 B.C.
Admission : Adults (18 to 59 years): € 8; Students and senior citizens € 5 whilst children (6 to 11 years) € 4
Website : www.heritagemalta.org
CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS SITES
TA' PINU SANCTUARY
Location : Gharb.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday from 0630 hours to 1215 hours and from 0330 hours to 1900 hours.
Description : Ta' Pinu Church is Gozo’s national shrine, with a moving collection of items which have been sent in by people whose lives were touched by the mysterious powers of this site. The origins of the Basilica of Ta' Pinu go back to June 1883 when a peasant woman heard the voice of the Virgin Mary at a 16th Century chapel. The church was consecrated in 1931 and a year later Pope Pius XI raised it to the status of Basilica.
Admission : Free.
Website : www.tapinu.org/main.html
GOZO CATHEDRAL
Location : The Citadel, Victoria, Goz.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The Cathedral was built on the site of an ancient Roman temple and is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture designed by Lorenzo Gafa. Work on the present building started in 1697 and was completed in 1716. The Cathedral houses intriguing art and a flooring made up of marble tombstones and a truly ingenious 3D painting on the ceiling which creates the illusion of the Cathedral having a dome which it clearly does not.
Admission : Free.
Website : www.gozocathedral.org.mt
THE XEWKIJA ROTUNDA – XEWKIJA
Location : Xewkija.
Opening Time : Daily from 0600 hours to 1800 hours.
Description : The Rotunda was built in 1971 and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Its dome, 75 metres high with a 28-metre diameter and a circumference of 85 metres, is the third largest unsupported dome in the world. The interior is richly decorated with fine sculptures and modern paintings, whilst the floor is in polished Carrara marble and the main altar is also carved in precious marble.
Admission : Free.
TA' PINU SANCTUARY
Location : Gharb.
Opening Time : Monday to Sunday from 0630 hours to 1215 hours and from 0330 hours to 1900 hours.
Description : Ta' Pinu Church is Gozo’s national shrine, with a moving collection of items which have been sent in by people whose lives were touched by the mysterious powers of this site. The origins of the Basilica of Ta' Pinu go back to June 1883 when a peasant woman heard the voice of the Virgin Mary at a 16th Century chapel. The church was consecrated in 1931 and a year later Pope Pius XI raised it to the status of Basilica.
Admission : Free.
Website : www.tapinu.org/main.html
GOZO CATHEDRAL
Location : The Citadel, Victoria, Goz.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The Cathedral was built on the site of an ancient Roman temple and is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture designed by Lorenzo Gafa. Work on the present building started in 1697 and was completed in 1716. The Cathedral houses intriguing art and a flooring made up of marble tombstones and a truly ingenious 3D painting on the ceiling which creates the illusion of the Cathedral having a dome which it clearly does not.
Admission : Free.
Website : www.gozocathedral.org.mt
THE XEWKIJA ROTUNDA – XEWKIJA
Location : Xewkija.
Opening Time : Daily from 0600 hours to 1800 hours.
Description : The Rotunda was built in 1971 and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Its dome, 75 metres high with a 28-metre diameter and a circumference of 85 metres, is the third largest unsupported dome in the world. The interior is richly decorated with fine sculptures and modern paintings, whilst the floor is in polished Carrara marble and the main altar is also carved in precious marble.
Admission : Free.
BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
GOZO CITADEL
Location : Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Citadel has been aptly called the crown of Gozo. It was the centre of activity possibly since Neolithic times but it became the focal point of Gozo around 1500 B.C., when it was first fortified by the Bronze Age people. The north side of the present fortifications date from the times of the Aragonese, while the southern flank, overlooking Victoria, was raised by the Knights of St. John between 1599 and 1603.
Admission : Free.
TA GORDAN LIGHTHOUSE
Location : Ghasri.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The lighthouse was built in 1851 during British rule and rise 161 metres above the sea.
Admission : N/A.
SANTA MARIJA TOWER & SANTA MARIJA BATTERY
Admission : Free but donation is appreciated.
Opening Time : From April to October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1030 hours to 1500 hours, when the Flag is flying and on public holidays.
Description : Built in 1618 by Grand Master de Wignacourt, it formed part of a system of towers providing defence and communication between the Cittadella in Gozo and Mdina.
The site chosen was some eighty metres above sea level. Funds for its construction were raised primarily by means of the sale of Comino brushwood. In the 17th century, Comino served as a place of imprisonment or exile for errant knights. Knights who were convicted of minor crimes were occasionally sentenced to the lonely and dangerous task of manning St. Mary's Tower. The battery was erected in 1715 to protect the south Comino channel. It was equipped with two 24-pounder and four 6-pounder cannon.
Location : Comino
Website : www.dinlarthelwa.org/content/view/54/55/
DWEJRA TOWER
Location : Dwejra, Gozo
Opening Time : Monday to Friday from 0900 hours to 1500 hours, Sundays from 1200 hours to 1700 hours and when the Flag is flying.
Description : Dwejra tower (also called Qawra Tower) was built in 1652 during the reign of Grand Master Lascaris for defending Dwejra coast, but was also used to deny access to Fungus Rock in order to prevent the public from collecting the famous fungus. Situated off the road leading to the small enclosed bay known as the Inland Sea, the Dwejra Tower was also used during the Second World War as an Observation Post.
Admission : Free but donation is appreciated.
Website : www.dinlarthelwa.org/content/view/48/55/
GOZO CITADEL
Location : Victoria, Gozo.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Citadel has been aptly called the crown of Gozo. It was the centre of activity possibly since Neolithic times but it became the focal point of Gozo around 1500 B.C., when it was first fortified by the Bronze Age people. The north side of the present fortifications date from the times of the Aragonese, while the southern flank, overlooking Victoria, was raised by the Knights of St. John between 1599 and 1603.
Admission : Free.
TA GORDAN LIGHTHOUSE
Location : Ghasri.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The lighthouse was built in 1851 during British rule and rise 161 metres above the sea.
Admission : N/A.
SANTA MARIJA TOWER & SANTA MARIJA BATTERY
Admission : Free but donation is appreciated.
Opening Time : From April to October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1030 hours to 1500 hours, when the Flag is flying and on public holidays.
Description : Built in 1618 by Grand Master de Wignacourt, it formed part of a system of towers providing defence and communication between the Cittadella in Gozo and Mdina.
The site chosen was some eighty metres above sea level. Funds for its construction were raised primarily by means of the sale of Comino brushwood. In the 17th century, Comino served as a place of imprisonment or exile for errant knights. Knights who were convicted of minor crimes were occasionally sentenced to the lonely and dangerous task of manning St. Mary's Tower. The battery was erected in 1715 to protect the south Comino channel. It was equipped with two 24-pounder and four 6-pounder cannon.
Location : Comino
Website : www.dinlarthelwa.org/content/view/54/55/
DWEJRA TOWER
Location : Dwejra, Gozo
Opening Time : Monday to Friday from 0900 hours to 1500 hours, Sundays from 1200 hours to 1700 hours and when the Flag is flying.
Description : Dwejra tower (also called Qawra Tower) was built in 1652 during the reign of Grand Master Lascaris for defending Dwejra coast, but was also used to deny access to Fungus Rock in order to prevent the public from collecting the famous fungus. Situated off the road leading to the small enclosed bay known as the Inland Sea, the Dwejra Tower was also used during the Second World War as an Observation Post.
Admission : Free but donation is appreciated.
Website : www.dinlarthelwa.org/content/view/48/55/
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
DWEJRA, AZURE WINDOW AND FUNGUS ROCK
Location : Dwejra.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Dwejra is perhaps the archipelago's most spectacular natural landmark. Here, geology, time and sea have worked together to produce remarkable scenery on the Islands including the Azure Window, the Inland Sea, Fungus Rock, sheer cliffs and a rocky coastline yielding fossilised remains of sea creatures dating from the Miocene period.
Admission : Free.
CALYPSO’S CAVE
Location : Ramla Bay, Xaghra.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Calypso Cave is assumed to be the cave referred to by Homer in ‘The Odyssey’ where Calypso, the beautiful nymph kept Odysseus as a ‘prisoner of love’ for seven years. The cave's interior and exterior are not too impressive but it has magnificent views.
Admission : Free.
THE BLUE LAGOON – COMINO
Location : Comino.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The Blue Lagoon is located along the coast of Comino, the small island which lies between Malta and Gozo. The lagoon enjoys crisp, clear, turquoise waters that are absolutely perfect for swimming. At both sides of the lagoon there are small sandy beaches and a variety of interesting rocky beaches to explore content.
Admission : Free.
DWEJRA, AZURE WINDOW AND FUNGUS ROCK
Location : Dwejra.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Dwejra is perhaps the archipelago's most spectacular natural landmark. Here, geology, time and sea have worked together to produce remarkable scenery on the Islands including the Azure Window, the Inland Sea, Fungus Rock, sheer cliffs and a rocky coastline yielding fossilised remains of sea creatures dating from the Miocene period.
Admission : Free.
CALYPSO’S CAVE
Location : Ramla Bay, Xaghra.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : Calypso Cave is assumed to be the cave referred to by Homer in ‘The Odyssey’ where Calypso, the beautiful nymph kept Odysseus as a ‘prisoner of love’ for seven years. The cave's interior and exterior are not too impressive but it has magnificent views.
Admission : Free.
THE BLUE LAGOON – COMINO
Location : Comino.
Opening Time : N/A.
Description : The Blue Lagoon is located along the coast of Comino, the small island which lies between Malta and Gozo. The lagoon enjoys crisp, clear, turquoise waters that are absolutely perfect for swimming. At both sides of the lagoon there are small sandy beaches and a variety of interesting rocky beaches to explore content.
Admission : Free.