Lija

Ħal Lija is a small village in Malta. Together with its neighbouring localities of Attard and Balzan, it forms part of Malta's Three Villages. Lija’s village piazza is dominated by the baroque Parish Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The surrounding area is an urban conservation zone which preserves the charms and historical features of Lija’s grand townhouses with their traditional gallariji (timber balconies), cast-iron pregnant window railings, and carved stonework. Directly opposite the parish church is a pretty avenue dotted with pink and white-blossomed oleander trees, at the centre of which stands the Belvedere Tower, a striking piece of neoclassical architecture that was formerly part of Villa

Gourigion. Due to its tiered cylindrical design, the Maltese have nicknamed the tower ‘The Wedding Cake’.