St. Paul's Catacombs

Underground Roman and early Christian burial complex. Agape tables where early Christians held funeral feasts with wine. Where faith and wine intersected.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Find the Agape Tables Where Christians Shared Wine History · Price: low

   Agape tables are flat stone surfaces where early Christians held funeral feasts with wine - "agape" means "love feast," communal meals celebrating the deceased's life. Enter St. Paul's Catacombs in Rabat (€6 for adults) and ask your guide to point out these carved stone surfaces with channels cut for wine to flow during libations. Paul converted Malta to Christianity in 60 AD after his shipwreck, but wine remained central to worship. Touch the table edge if permitted and imagine early Christians gathering here by candlelight, passing wine, singing hymns. Over 1,000 bodies were buried in this underground complex - each got a wine feast 2,000 years ago.

   Backup: If doing self-guided tour, agape tables are near the main burial chambers. Look for flat horizontal surfaces carved into the rock with channels.

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2. 2 Walk to L'Enoteca and Drink in a Cave Older Than the Catacombs Wine · Price: moderate

   After seeing where Romans and Christians shared wine underground, drink wine in a cave that's even older. L'Enoteca wine bar (Triq il-Kullegg, Rabat, opened 2019) occupies a historic cave dating back thousands of years - possibly used since Phoenician times. Walk from catacombs toward Mdina (5-minute walk, follow signs), find L'Enoteca on a side street before the gate, and descend into the cave bar. Order something Maltese (Gellewza or Girgentina grape wines) and ask: "How old is this cave?" The concept completes your journey: catacombs showed wine's sacred history, L'Enoteca shows wine's present - same underground architecture, same ritual of gathering to drink, 2,000 years apart.

   Backup: If L'Enoteca is full, Grotto Tavern (St Paul's Square, Michelin-recommended since 2023) also has a cave dining area dating to 1962 - Malta's first wine bar.

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3. 3 Walk the Mdina Walls at Sunset - Free Roman Views Adventure · Free

   Mdina is the "Silent City" - Malta's ancient capital built on a hill the Romans called Melita, where St. Paul walked after his shipwreck in 60 AD, converting Roman governor Publius to Christianity. Enter Mdina Gate (free, 5-minute walk from catacombs through Rabat) and turn right immediately onto the bastion walls. Walk counter-clockwise around the Silent City - the walls are publicly accessible with no ticket required. At the western bastions, watch sunset over Malta's agricultural heartland. Below you spread the same fields where Maltese farmers grew grapes for Roman wine. The view hasn't changed in 2,000 years - just the religion of the people tending it.

   Backup: If walls are crowded, Fontanella Café (on the bastions) has terrace seating with the same views - order a glass of wine to combine adventure + wine categories.

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