Heritage Malta lights three sites in Rabat and Mdina by candle on Saturday 19 September, from 19:00.
Entry is €3 and it covers all three. Last admission is midnight.
The three sites
- Domvs Romana — the Roman townhouse on the edge of Mdina, with its mosaic floors.
- St Paul’s Catacombs — the largest Roman burial complex on the islands, cut into the rock under Rabat.
- National Museum of Natural History — inside the Magisterial Palace in Mdina.
All three are a short walk from each other, so the whole thing is one evening on foot.
What it is like
The sites are lit by thousands of candles rather than by their usual lighting, with live music through the evening.
The catacombs are the ones people come for. Rock-cut tombs by candlelight are a different proposition to the same corridors under electric light.
It is busy from about eight. Going at seven, or after eleven, gets you the quieter version.
Practical notes
Wear something with grip. The catacomb steps are worn stone and they are uneven in low light.
Mdina is closed to traffic. Park outside the walls at Rabat and walk in, and expect the car parks to fill from early evening.
Buses run to Rabat from Valletta and Sliema, but the last ones back are earlier than the event finishes. Check before you commit to staying late.
September evenings are warm and dry, and this is the fortnight when the heat finally breaks.
Check before you go
Heritage Malta publishes the times and any changes on its own What’s On page.
The same event runs in Birgu at a different point in the year, so make sure you are reading the Rabat and Mdina listing.