Fort Chambray
Within the precincts of Għajnsielem one finds the famous and historic Fort Chambray. This fortress is built on the hill called Ras it-Tafal which is situated between the port of l-Imġarr and that of Xatt l-Aħmar. It was built at the expense of a Norman Count of the Order of St John named François Chambray during the reign of Grand Master Pinto.
Comino
This small island, about one square mile in area, is situated at nearly exactly the same distance between Malta and Gozo. At first glance, Comino strikes one as having a rather barren appearance. The Island is best known by tourists for a stretch of sea with a unique clear turquoise blue water known as the Blue Lagoon. It is simply an undiscovered paradise.
L-Imġarr Harbour
Today, the first impression a person gets of l-Imġarr Harbour is one of bustling activity. The harbour area remains one of great scenic beauty. Approaching Gozo from the sea, one is impressed by the beautiful verdant cliffs and valleys overlooking the harbour. Fort Chambray is conspicuous as it is built on the wooded hill overlooking the two quays.
The new Parish Church and the Titular Statue
By the turn of the century, the old parish church was deemed too small for the needs of a growing village and plans were made to erect a new temple. Little did the villagers know that the building of the new church would dominate their ambitions for over half a century in which they bore the responsibility for a project which few thought they would see completed.
Old Parish Church
The building of the church that eventually became the parish church is related to the vision of Anġlu Grech. It is recorded that Anġlu Grech received a heavenly request to build a church. At that time, Għajnsielem was within the parish of in-Nadur and without loss of time, the people obtained permission from the parish priest of in-Nadur to build the church.
Lourdes Chapel and Lourdes Home
The harbour is dominated by a Gothic church that fits l-Imġarr hill like a royal crown but whose existence may be owed to a mundane traveller. It is said that, in 1879, a visitor pointed out that the rocks of the hill were similar to the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes. Only twenty-one years had passed since young Bernadette was honoured with visions of Our Lady.
St Anthony's Church and Padova Retreat Home
The Custody of the Franciscan Friars took an important decision in its Chapter of the 1899 to build a convent in Gozo. In November 1899, the Franciscan Minors (Ta' Ġieżu) came to Gozo and settled in a house called 'Ta Gliex' at Għajnsielem in St Anthony Street leading to the villages of in-Nadur and il-Qala. This was the first convent for the Franciscans in Gozo.
Apparition Square and the Apparition Monument
The Pjazza tad-Dehra at the end of Wied Simirat is found in the heart of Għajnsielem, both geographically and historically speaking. It was in this square that 'Għajn Salem', the spring that gave its name to the village, used to flow. It was next to this spring that one of the first Għajnselmiżi received a heavenly message from a beautiful lady dressed in immaculate white.
St Cecilia Tower and Chapel
The Tower of l-Imġarr ix-Xini, which was built to safeguard the island, was not adequate and a bigger tower was built inland on the hill overlooking the bay. It is strategically situated midway between l-Imġarr Harbour and the Citadel. Near this Tower, there is a small church known as Saint Cecilia Chapel. It is the best surviving example of the Medieval Chapels.
Ix-Xatt l-Aħmar
On the ir-Rabat-l-Imġarr road, parallel to the towering bell-tower of the parish church, a secondary road on the left leads down to a secluded bay known as ix-Xatt l-Aħmar, literally, the Red Bay because of the reddish-brown colour of the soil in the terraced fields going towards the bay. The building in the middle of the bay is a former Marine Police station built in 1886.
Borġ Għarib
Clearly visible from the same ir-Rabat-ix-Xewkija-il-Qala road, in the area known as il-Gudja, there is a mysterious lofty heap of stones called Borġ Għarib. Legend says that a foreigner lies buried beneath this mound. A story says that, every day at dusk, a mysterious man on a white steed used to ride towards il-Qala to light a lamp in the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tal-Imrejżbiet and Tal-Qigħan Prehistoric Temples
The two sites, Tal-Qigħan and Tal-Imrejżbiet, were probably a single complex with a unique combination of a major temple, a cult centre and one or more settlements but now disjoined and changed by a modern road and twentieth-century buildings. It is indeed a key site worth protecting with utmost vigilance for, in the future, it could be developed into a great attraction.
Belvederes in Għajnsielem
Għajnsielem has several elevated vantage points affording an extensive view of picturesque l-Imġarr Harbour and beyond. The best belvedere is beyond the Pjazza tad-Dehra half-way in Triq il-Ħamri offering a view of the harbour across Wied lil-Kbir. Another Belvedere is situated below in the lower part of Triq Sant'Antnin, in front of the Harbour. The third is the parvis of the Lourdes Chapel.
Gozo Heritage
Situated inside a fascinating old building, Gozo Heritage is a museum that offers a mixture of spectacular historical experience of Gozo together with an appropriately set area where the visitor can buy local crafts or enjoy a cup of coffee. The museum introduces the visitor to 7,000 years of Gozitan history in a leisurely fashion.