3 Cities, Malta

Across the Grand Harbour from Malta's capital are the 3 small cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa, and Cospicua (also known as Isla, Birgu, and Bormla respectively) on 3 neighboring peninsulas.

Like many Maltese towns, you'll never get lost strolling through the gridded streets since here you're guaranteed to hit the Mediterranean before too long.

Sandwiched between mainland Europe and North Africa, Malta's location made it a vital asset to the Allies in WWII. British ships refueled, resupplied, and were repaired here. Consequently, Germans and Italians routinely bombed the harbor. The war ships are long since gone, but some of the damage remains.

On a Sunday morning in Birgu, actors reenacted the departure of French troops from Malta.

Enormous bastion walls still encompass parts of Birgu. Its layers of walls helped to hold off a Turkish invasion during the Great Siege of 1565.

The Maritime Museum, pictured below with its clock tower and blue windows, has a great collection of maps, cannons, and other artifacts documenting the country's seafaring history.

Rowing is a proud and competitive tradition in Malta and many towns have their own rowing club. Pausing to admire Senglea's boats one evening, my friend and I were invited into the Senglea Rowing Club's headquarters to see the overflowing trophy room which, our host proudly boasted, was not big enough to hold all of their trophies.

Birgu's main cathedral is a national showpiece. When Pope John Paul II visited the island in May of 1990, the Collegiate Parish Church of Saint Lawrence was among his first stops. Seventeenth century painter Mattia Preti's largest painting, measuring 4 x 5.5 meters, hangs here.

The auberges once used by the different knights who centuries ago called Malta home dot the 3 Cities.

There are fewer tourist attractions in the 3 Cities than in Valletta, but life here is authentically Maltese which made it my favourite place to wander around while in Malta.