Exploring Kalkara with Oh My Malta

We make our way to Kalkara, a fishing village in the south-eastern region of Malta that lies beyond the more popular Three Cities.
In the 19th and 20th century Kalkara developed as a small yet charming seaside resort situated just across the Grand Harbour from Valletta. Although there is some speculation that early Sicilian settlers inhabited the area, the first evidence indicates that Kalkara developed as a suburb of the adjacent fortified city of Vittoriosa (Birgu).
When the Knights of St John came to Malta in 1530 they constructed the Cottonera Lines, a massive line of fortifications that enclosed the cities of Birgu (Vittoriosa), Bormla (Cospicua) and Isla (Senglea) into the area known as Cottonera. This, together with the building of Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara at the mouth of the Grand Harbour reduced the threat of attacks by invadors and allowed Kalkara to develop into a quiet, picturesque fishing village and summer residence for the inhabitants of the Three Cities.
Nowadays Kalkara is considered to be the fourth of the famed Three Cities. The village still boasts picturesque open spaces and a charming atmosphere despite its gradual development as a residential area especially after World War II, when the entire Cottonera area was heavily bombed. Kalkara was declared an independent Parish in December 1897 and to this day still has a relatively small population of about 3,000.
Video: Saviour Cassar