Buskett Gardens

Buskett Gardens is a wooded valley area in central Malta near the village of Siġġiewi, known as one of the island’s few substantial areas of tree cover and cultivated woodland. The site was developed by the Knights of St John and remains an important green space on the island.

The area offers shaded walking paths, orchards and gardened sections amid Mediterranean woodland planting. At the woodland edge stands Verdala Palace, a late 16th-century hunting and summer residence associated with the Knights of St John.

The grove was planted and maintained by the Knights of St John from the 16th century onward as a hunting reserve and pleasure ground; Verdala Palace was constructed nearby in the late 1500s. The area has since remained one of Malta’s principal managed woodlands and recreational green spaces.

Buskett lies inland in the central-southern part of Malta in the municipality of Siġġiewi, a short drive from the island’s main historic centres and accessible by local roads.

• Knights' hunting reserve: The woodland was originally planted and managed by the Knights of St John as a hunting reserve and ornamental grove in the 16th century.
• Imnarja festival: A public folk festival called Imnarja is traditionally held at Buskett in late June, attracting local visitors for music and food.

What to See #

• Verdala Palace: A late 16th-century hunting palace built by the Knights of St John that sits at the wooded area's edge and today is used for official functions.