The city of Victoria (or Rabat as the people call it) is the best point to start exploring Gozo. Because of its central location on the island, it appears that every route either begins or ends in the city. When you get lost in Victoria's maze of cobblestone alleys, you may rest assured that the Christian saints who have made their homes in the nooks and crannies of the city's buildings will be there to protect you. Spend some time window shopping for authentic Maltese arts and crafts, such as woolens, lace, blown glass, and inexpensive trinkets. This town has a very slow pace of life, unless you happen to visit in the morning when the flea market is going and the square is bustling with activity.

Relax in one of the many charming cafés and sample some of the delicious local fare while taking in the special Gozo vibe. Most guests can not help but head straight for the Citadel, the historic city's fortifications. Circumnavigate the city walls and take in the breathtaking scenery before seeing the city's many museums and historic buildings, such as the formerly incarcerated inmates' cells. With its Neolithic roots as the island's epicenter and its Bronze Age fortifications, it is easy to see why this city has earned the nickname "Crown of Gozo" (1500-700BC).

Three thousand years later, Gozitans were mandated by law to sleep inside the walled city for defense against invaders, and they gradually began to dwell in and around the city, giving rise to its current appearance. It has been established through excavations that the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, and Aragonese all settled in the ancient city. Gozitans still use the city's original name, Rabat, given by the Arabs, despite the fact that it was renamed Victoria by the British, who ruled the island after the Knights of the Order of Saint John and Napoleon.