A twelve-minute drive from Mdina, Buskett is Malta's only genuine woodland — a surprise of shade and greenery in the dry Wied il-Luq valley. The Knights of St John planted it in the 16th century as a private hunting and game reserve, and their summer palace, Verdala, still looks down over the trees from the ridge. It is a place for walking, breathing and doing nothing in particular.
The woodland itself
The dense pine, carob and citrus trees of Buskett feel genuinely surprising on an island that is otherwise dry and open. Walk the paths through the valley, sit in the shade and hear birdsong — it is quite unlike anywhere else in Malta. Wied il-Luq, the valley floor, is particularly rewarding in spring when the wildflowers are out.
Verdala Palace
The woodland was planted by the Knights of St John as a private hunting ground, and Verdala Palace — a late 16th-century castle built for Grand Master de Verdalle — rises above it on the ridge. The palace is the official summer residence of the President of Malta and is not open to the public, but it is impressive from the road and the gardens below.
The Feast of Imnarja
On the 29th of June each year — the feast of St Peter and St Paul — Buskett hosts Imnarja, Malta's oldest and most exuberant folk festival. Families camp overnight, folk music plays, and bareback horse and donkey races run at the adjacent Rabat track in the morning. If your dates align, it is not to be missed.