Self-Guided Walking Tour of Birgu (2025)

Marvel at the impressive Couvre Porte, also known as the Covered Gate. Built between 1716 and 1730, it served as one of Birgu’s key defensive gateways, protecting the entrance to the fortified city. Designed by military engineers Charles François de Mondion and Louis François de Tigné, it reflects the Baroque military architecture of the period, complete with bastioned walls, covert ways, and a reverse glacis.

Over the centuries, Couvre Porte evolved with Malta’s history. During British rule, a barrack block was added, which later housed various government offices and now serves as part of the Birgu Local Council. Restoration projects have since preserved its masonry and decorative motifs, including the striking trophies of arms that crown its gateway.

Today, Couvre Porte houses the Malta at War Museum, one of the island’s most compelling World War II sites. Visitors can descend into the underground air raid shelters, view wartime memorabilia, and learn about Malta’s resilience under siege. This site perfectly sets the tone for your Birgu tour—where layers of history, from the Knights to the modern era, coexist in stone and story.

Dominating the central square of Birgu, St. Lawrence’s Church is one of Malta’s most important religious buildings. The Knights of St. John worshipped here before moving to Valletta, and it served as the Order’s Conventual Church during their early years on the island. The original 15th-century church was replaced in 1681 by the grand Baroque structure that stands today, designed by Lorenzo Gafà, the same architect behind Mdina Cathedral.

Inside, the church glows with artistic and spiritual grandeur. Ornate marble altars, gilded stuccoes, and masterpieces by Mattia Preti and other artists adorn the chapels dedicated to various Langues of the Order. The feast of St. Lawrence, held annually in August, fills Birgu’s streets with processions, fireworks, and music—a vibrant continuation of centuries-old tradition.

From the steps outside, visitors can enjoy views of the Grand Harbour and sense the deep bond between faith, the sea, and the city’s people. St. Lawrence’s Church is both a monument to devotion and a reminder of Birgu’s role as the Knights’ first spiritual home.

Housed in the Old Naval Bakery along Birgu’s waterfront, the Malta Maritime Museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through 7,000 years of seafaring history. The museum’s setting—a grand 19th-century industrial building—once supplied bread to the entire British Mediterranean Fleet, linking Malta’s naval past with its maritime heritage.

Inside, exhibits showcase Malta’s deep connection with the sea—from ancient Phoenician trade routes and Roman anchors to naval uniforms, cannons, and intricate ship models. Highlights include a 1950s steam engine, relics from the Knights of St. John, and displays revealing how corsairing, commerce, and faith intertwined to shape the Maltese identity.

The museum’s archives and maritime library make it a key resource for researchers, while Heritage Malta’s “Taste History” events bring history to life through food. A stroll through the museum offers not just history, but atmosphere—echoes of sailors, merchants, and knights who once made Malta their home port.

No walking tour of Birgu is complete without a visit to Fort St. Angelo, the city’s crown jewel. Rising majestically at the tip of the peninsula, this fortress has guarded the Grand Harbour for nearly a thousand years. Originally a medieval castle known as Castrum Maris, it was transformed by the Knights of St. John in the 1530s into a formidable bastioned stronghold.

The fort became the headquarters during the Great Siege of 1565, when Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette directed the Knights’ defense against the Ottomans. Its ramparts bore witness to some of Malta’s most heroic moments, and its success cemented the island’s place in European history. Later, under British rule, it served as a naval command center and headquarters for the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet.

Today, Fort St. Angelo is beautifully restored and open to visitors. Interactive exhibits, ancient chapels, and sweeping panoramic views bring its layered history to life. Walking through its courtyards and bastions is like traversing a living timeline—from the medieval past to modern Malta.

One of Birgu’s oldest and best-preserved buildings, the Auberge d’Angleterre was built in the early 1530s to house the Knights of St. John from the English Langue. It stands as a beautiful example of early Maltese Renaissance architecture, distinguished by its symmetry and simple elegance. The building’s façade, with its traditional Melitan-style mouldings and stone balconies, reflects a blend of practicality and artistry.

After the English Langue was dissolved in 1540 by King Henry VIII during the Reformation, the auberge took on new roles over the centuries. It became a private residence, then a civic building, and eventually the Birgu Public Library, continuing its legacy as a center of learning and knowledge.

Its proximity to the house of Sir Oliver Starkey, the last English knight of the Order and secretary to Grand Master La Valette, deepens its historical significance. Today, the auberge remains a quiet yet captivating site that connects visitors directly with Birgu’s earliest days under the Knights.

A short walk away brings you to the Auberge de France, another key residence built around 1533 for the French Langue of the Order. It’s one of the best-preserved auberges in Birgu and now serves as the Birgu City Hall, a fitting continuation of its civic importance. The building’s Melitan style, with its finely moulded windows and graceful proportions, echoes Malta’s early architectural identity.

Nearby, the Auberge d’Auvergne et Provence stands as a testament to the Order’s unity in diversity. Originally two separate auberges that were later joined, this 1530s structure once housed knights from both the Auvergne and Provence Langues. Its stone façade, central doorway, and decorative cornices showcase the craftsmanship of the era, while remnants of earlier foundations suggest layers of even older occupation, possibly Byzantine.

Though parts were lost during the 20th century, both auberges remain evocative glimpses into Birgu’s life before Valletta was built. Their presence side by side reminds visitors that Birgu was once the administrative and spiritual heart of the Knights of St. John.

A short walk from Birgu’s central square brings you to the Armoury of the Knights of Malta, one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings and a fascinating stop on your walking tour. Constructed between 1533 and 1537 during the magistracy of Grand Master Fra Claude de La Sengle, the Armoury was originally built to store the Knights’ vast collection of weapons, armor, and munitions. Its design was purely functional, with four large entrances allowing easy access in times of attack—an architectural reflection of the Order’s military precision.

During the Great Siege of 1565, the building’s purpose shifted dramatically. As the Ottoman assault intensified, the Armoury was converted into a hospital for the wounded, offering a vital refuge for injured soldiers. Its thick limestone walls provided shelter from bombardment, while its open layout allowed the rapid movement of supplies and patients. This moment of transformation highlights the Order’s dual role as both defenders and healers, balancing faith and warfare in their mission to protect Christendom.

The Armoury continued to serve Malta across the centuries, adapting to the island’s changing rulers. Under British administration, it became a military hospital and later barracks, and following World War II, it was transformed into a Primary School, continuing its legacy of public service. Today, though not always open to visitors, the building stands as a quiet yet powerful reminder of Birgu’s resilience and its central role in Malta’s long and storied defense history.

As you continue your walk, you’ll arrive at the formidable St. John Bastion, an asymmetrical stronghold designed in the 18th century by Charles François de Mondion. Originally part of Birgu’s outer defenses, this bastion’s walls once shielded the city from Ottoman and later European attacks. Its modern road arch, added later, now serves as a grand entrance into the historic center.

The bastion was once crowned by the St. John Cavalier, a two-tiered defensive structure that played a vital role during the Great Siege of 1565. Though the cavalier no longer stands, the bastion retains its commanding presence, with courtyards, arched bridges, and old military outbuildings that give visitors a tangible sense of Malta’s military past.

Nearby stands the Advanced Gate, another of Birgu’s principal entrances. The bastion’s open spaces provide scenic vistas over the marina and the neighboring fortified city of Senglea. With its blend of power and beauty, this site perfectly captures Birgu’s dual nature—defensive stronghold and living museum.

Few sites in Europe carry the same blend of intrigue and preservation as Birgu’s Inquisitor’s Palace. Built in the 1530s as the seat of the Order’s civil courts, it later became home to the Roman Inquisition in Malta. Remarkably, it’s one of only a handful of Inquisition palaces worldwide to survive intact, making it a unique window into this powerful institution’s complex past.

The palace’s grand halls, private chambers, and dungeons reveal the delicate balance between faith and fear in 16th- to 18th-century Malta. Visitors can explore the Inquisitor’s living quarters, the courtroom where trials were held, and the small yet haunting prison cells where accused heretics awaited judgment. Notable inquisitors included Fabio Chigi, who later became Pope Alexander VII.

Now managed by Heritage Malta, the palace also celebrates domestic life and art from the Knights’ era. With its blend of grim history and exquisite Baroque architecture, it’s one of Birgu’s essential stops—an evocative reminder of Malta’s role as a crossroads of faith and power.

Next, make your way to Notre Dame Gate, an architectural gem and one of Malta’s grandest surviving gateways. Constructed in 1675 under the direction of the Order of St. John, it once formed part of the Cottonera Lines—defensive walls encircling the Three Cities. Its soaring four-story façade, adorned with ornate Baroque detailing, makes it a landmark that dominates the Floriana skyline.

Originally built as a fortified entrance, the gate’s bombproof casemates and musket-ball marks still bear witness to centuries of warfare. Over time, the structure evolved, serving not just as a military outpost but also as an annex to the nearby Cottonera Military Hospital. During World War I, it played a role in caring for wounded soldiers returning from the Gallipoli Campaign, further cementing its place in Malta’s long military history.

Today, Notre Dame Gate offers visitors panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and surrounding landscape from its rooftop terrace. Step inside to see exhibits detailing the fortification’s history, or simply admire its commanding exterior—a monument to Malta’s enduring resilience and architectural brilliance.