The sound reaches you before the exhibits do. Sirens, distant engines, an announcer’s voice: the museum builds its atmosphere from recordings as much as from objects, and by the time you reach the shelters, the surrounding streets of Birgu feel much further away.
Why Birgu
Vittoriosa, also called Birgu, is an old maritime city on Dockyard Creek, and during the war its position beside the dockyards made it a target. Half of it was destroyed by bombing. The museum sits in a place that matters to that story: Couvre Porte, a counterguard built in the 17th century as part of the original Birgu fortifications.
In the 18th century casemates were added at Couvre Porte, which later became army barracks. During the Second World War the barracks served first as a police station and then as a civil defence centre, specialising in air-raid precautions. The premises used as shelters now form part of the museum.
The exhibits
You find medals, documents, clothing and uniforms, weapons and many other items, some of them rare. Sounds and chronicles are also featured, which adds to the effect. The museum aims to describe what the Maltese people and their defenders went through during the Malta Blitz of 1940 to 1943, and it does so in plain terms.
The film Malta G.C.
One of the most important records in the museum is footage from Malta G.C., a documentary released in 1943 by the Crown Film Unit at the initiative of King George VI. It was the first film of its kind shot on the island and tells the story of the severe conditions that Malta endured, which led to the award of the George Cross for bravery.
Sir Arnold Bax, the King’s Musician, wrote the Malta Suite for the film, and the text was narrated by Laurence Olivier. To gather enough material, the producers used the working footage of three filming crews that operated on the front lines. The record covers events from Italy’s entry into the war in 1940 until the siege was lifted in 1942. Digital copies of the film can be bought at the museum.
The shelters
Walking through the shelters is the part many visitors remember. They are plain, underground and cool, and show how families lived through nights of raids. Reading the stories alongside the spaces gives them weight.
The museum was renovated and expanded in 2011 and 2012. It is not a simple layout of objects but an attempt to place the visitor in the war years and make the developments of that period felt.
What stays with visitors
The museum is at its best when you slow down. Listen to the recordings, read a few personal accounts in full and look at the everyday objects: ration items, clothing, documents. They remind you that the siege was lived by ordinary households, not only by soldiers. Visitors who arrive knowing little about the period leave with a clear idea of why Malta received the George Cross, and those who know the history well still find details they had not met. Combining the shelters with the film footage gives the fullest picture in one visit.
Practical points
The museum opens daily and closes on a few holidays, including New Year, Good Friday, Easter, 15 August, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Fees are listed for adults and children with a family rate. Check the museum website for the latest information.
Shelters are underground and can feel cool, with uneven floors and steps. Wear flat shoes and take a light layer. Access for wheelchairs may be limited. Leave around an hour and a half so that you can watch the film footage without rushing.
Nearby
The Inquisitor’s Palace, St Lawrence’s Church and Birgu’s fortified gates are all within easy walking distance. The Malta Maritime Museum is close as well. A day in Birgu can start with the war museum, continue with a stroll through the old streets and finish with lunch on the marina.
For visitors interested in the wider wartime story, the Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta show the command side of the same events, and the Siege Bell memorial honours those who died.
Go in the morning, then take the ferry back to Valletta in the afternoon for the harbour view.
