Highlight your August visit to Valletta with one of these top things to do.
There's so much to do in and around Valletta that it can be confusing to figure out where to start! Attractions and special events alike deserve their merit, so here's your August in Valletta in a nutshell.
1. Visit a historic palace or a museum
The entire city of Valletta is an open-air museum, described by UNESCO as "one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world." The city includes wonderful palaces and Auberges from the time of the Knights of Malta. If you feel like a break from the hot sun, you'll know where to go.
You can visit the Grand Master’s Palace or Casa Rocca Piccola to see the essence of Baroque beauty. There are several museums too, two of which are actually housed in Auberges, ex-residences of the Knights of different langues. The Muza museum of art is housed within the Auberge d'Italie and the National Museum of Archeology is housed in the Auberge de Provence. St John's Co-Cathedral is as good as an art gallery, with its gilded gold walls, mosaic tomb floors and Caravaggio painting of the Beheading of St John.
2. Explore visual arts
Throughout August, you can enjoy the visual arts with some special V18 events. Valletta Capital of Culture 2018 brings you Blue Void from 7th to 13th August, Subterranean Matter from 17th August to 23rd September, and From Verse to Screen on 24th and 25th August.
Blue Void explores the relationship between Malta’s coastal landscape and literature with an installation that 'writes' on water. Subterranean Matter uses 3D technology to allow visitors to crawl into digitised tunnels, map the stones and soil, and even smell the humidity in hard-to-access underground spaces in Valletta, a Cold War bunker in Leeuwarden and 21st century aqueducts in Friesland. In addition, a documentary about Maltese subterranean places will be shown. Poetry on Film brings Malta's rich literature to life with moving images that adapt Maltese poems into short films.
3. Go to a performance
There's plenty of opportunities to enjoy great performances in Valletta this August. Relish Gypsy Jazz by the Hot Club of Valletta band at Pjazza Regina on 3rd and 24th August. Trio presents 20th century and contemporary trios, duos and solo piano works at the historic Manoel Theatre on 11th August. Witness a showcase of the evolution of traditional music and singing through medieval music, traditional Maltese Għana and contemporary rap on 18th August with Serata Ghana u Lejla Rap. The local Island of Enchantment musical, an original score on the Gozo-related theme of Calypso and Ulysses runs throughout August.
4. Dine at the Valletta Waterfront
The Valletta Waterfront is a charming place. The historic Pinto Wharf has been converted to accommodate a wide variety of establishments on the water's edge of the Grand Harbour, overlooking the Three Cities, their lit up fortifications shimmering on the water. Al fresco dining doesn't get better than this. A huge highlight is the traditional folk dancing and Terramaxka (street organ) music together with artisan market stalls, falconry displays and reenactments during the Maltese nights at the Valletta Waterfront that run every Thursday.
5. Drink wine... lots of it
This August, there's not just the quaint Valletta wine bars tucked away in the city's cellars to indulge in. The Upper Barrakka Gardens, with their beauty and excellent location overlooking the Grand Harbour and Three Cities, are the venue of the Delicata Wine Festival from 9th to 12th August. A local winemaker for over 100 years brings you entertainment, Maltese food and a variety of local wines for a true taste of the Mediterranean summer.
BONUS: Embark on a literary journey
The Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival is running from 23rd to 25th August. The festival features 12 writers reading their work as well as Maltese and foreign poetry films, live bands, a book stall, food and drinks.