MALLORCA

Mallorca, located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands and in Spain. The capital is Palma de Mallorca with 400 000 inhabitants. It has 920 000 inhabitants and is the second most populous island in the Kingdom of Spain.

Mallorca is one of the most popular tourist destinations. More than 12 million tourists visit the island every year. Seaside resorts, pleasant climate, beautiful mountains and towns full of history. All this this Mediterranean island offers.

HISTORY

The first settlement of Mallorca dates back to the fourth millennium BC. However, the oldest monuments date back to the third millennium BC.

From the middle of the 7th century BC the Carthaginians, like all the other Balearic Islands, controlled the island. They recruit the dreaded sling-slinging mercenaries known as the Balearic Slingers. They were trained in the perfect use of the sling from childhood. It was said that Balearic mothers would not give their sons anything to eat until they had shot their slice of bread off the wall at a great distance. Twenty years after the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War (146 BC), the Romans took control of the island.

With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Vandals invaded the islands in 426 AD and held out for a hundred years before being driven out by the Byzantines. Three centuries of Muslim rule over the Balearic Islands, which became a vassal of the Emirate of Cordoba in 848, have left their mark on a number of place names (beginning with Bin or Al).

Balearic mothers would not give their sons anything to eat until they had shot their slice of bread off the wall at a great distance

Christianity experienced an upsurge in 1229 during the reign of King James I. Aragon. This event proved to be decisive for the future cultural direction of the islands. The Balearic Islands came under the influence of Catalonia, and today each island speaks its own version of Catalan.

With the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the Balearic Islands became a kind of outpost of the expanding Spanish empire. To protect against attacks by Muslim corsairs prowling the Mediterranean for fat booty and slaves, watchtowers and guard towers known as talaies began to spring up on the islands.

WHAT TO SEE IN MALLORCA?

PALMA DE MALLORCA

Palma is the capital and largest city in Mallorca. Palma is also the summer residence of the Spanish royal family. Nearby is the Son Sant Joan International Airport.

La Seu Cathedral

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture towering over the city like a massive jagged cliff. Construction of the cathedral began in the 13th century but was not completed until the 16th century. Its beautiful rosette windows make it the most radiant cathedral in the Mediterranean. Above the high altar hangs a remarkable wrought-iron canopy in the shape of a crown of thorns, designed by Antoni Gaudí, the creator of Barcelona's Sagrada Família, who spent 10 years working on the cathedral in the early 20th century.

The cathedral is entered through a small museum, which displays magnificent silver monstrances and several medieval paintings. The price of admission ranges from €9 to €25 depending on the type and extent of the excursion. For more information, please visit the website https://catedraldemallorca.org/en/

Palau de l´Almudaina

Next to the cathedral, the 13th-century Palau de l'Almudaina stands on the foundations of an Arab alcázar. It is a perfect combination of Islamic and Catalan Gothic architecture. There is a beautiful courtyard and the Gothic chapel of the Capilla de Santa Ana. The palace is used for official events of the royal family and is decorated with royal portraits.

Castell de Bellver

About 3 km from the centre, in the south-western part of the town, is Castell de Bellver, which has guarded the access routes to Palma since the 14th century. The castle has a circular structure with three towers and several loopholes. It is open all year round and you only pay €4 for admission. For more information, visit https://castelldebellver.palma.es/en/inici.

SÓLLER

Sóller boasts a series of modernist buildings with several pleasant cafés dotted around the main square, Plaça de la Constitució. The town lies amidst orange and lemon groves and is connected to its harbour, 3km north of the town, by a historic tram line. Sóller station is also the terminus of a small wooden train that has been running on the narrow gauge line from Palma since 1912. Tickets for both the tram and train can be bought on the website https://trendesoller.com/eng/index or on the spot.

On Plaça de la Constitució is the 13th-century Church of St Bartholomew. The interior of the church is a combination of medieval Gothic, Baroque and modern architecture. Entrance is free.

VALLDEMOSSA

The ancient Valldemossa is located just 25 km north of the metropolis of Palma de Mallorca. The village dates back to the 2nd century BC, and so there are a number of historic buildings that have been preserved to this day. One of these is the Carthusian monastery of La Real Cartuja de Valldemossa, where George Sand and Frederic Chopin spent the winter of 1838 and 1839. Chopin composed some of his finest pieces here, including the Rain Drops Prelude, although he had only a simple borrowed piano at his disposal at all times. 

Actor Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine-Zeta Jones also spend their holidays in Valldemossa every year

The monastery was founded in 1399, but in 1835 the monks were expelled from here. The frescoes on the ceiling of the neoclassical chapel were painted by Goya's brother-in-law Manuel Bayeu.

The actor Michael Douglas with his wife Catherine-Zeta Jones and children also spends their holidays in Valldemossa every year. He bought a house and founded the Costa Nord cultural center here, which he also finances.

PENINSULA AND CAPE FORMENTOR

This is one of the most visited places in Mallorca. The iconic lighthouse from 1863 is a popular tourist spot, especially thanks to the contrast with the breathtaking rocky coast and massive waves. Unfortunately, the place is very often inaccessible, but it is always possible to at least reach the viewpoint Mirador Cabo Formentor, where there is a beautiful view of the lighthouse. The journey is on a very narrow road with minimal maneuvering space.

DRAGON CAVE

One of the biggest attractions of the island is undoubtedly the Dragon's Cave (Cuevas del Drach), located on the east coast of the island, specifically in the town of Porto Cristo. The cave is 1.2 km long and descends to a depth of 25 m below ground level. The cave houses the large underground lake Martel, which is considered one of the largest underground lakes in the world. The lake was named after the French cartographer and founder of speleology, Alfred Martel, who discovered the lake in 1896.

At the end of the tour, you can enjoy a roughly ten-minute concert of classical music on a romantically lit lake

In 1935, lighting was added to the cave full of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites in the individual rooms of the cave, in which the temperature is surprisingly around 21 °C. It is therefore not necessary to take warm clothes with you, as in other rock systems.

At the end of the tour, you can enjoy a roughly ten-minute concert of classical music on a romantically lit lake. Musicians arrive on the boat with instruments such as cello, harpsichord, violin, and even piano. For example, you can listen to the world-famous compositions of Antonio Vivaldi.

SERRA DE TRAMUNTANA MOUNTAINS

The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, also known as the North Wind Mountains, stretches along the northwest coast for a total length of 90 km and offers breathtaking scenery full of mountain passes, canyons and forested hills. The mountain range with its area of more than 1000 km2 makes up almost 30% of the area of the entire island. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011.

The highest mountain of Mallorca Puig Major (1,445 m above sea level) is located right in its heart. However, the peak is not accessible to the public, as it is part of the military zone. The radar of the United States Air Force is located here, which is used within the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance. There are, however, ten other peaks exceeding 1,000 m in height, which are accessible to the public. The highest accessible peak on the island is the neighboring Puig de Massanella (1,364 m above sea level).

TORRENT DE PAREIS CANYON

The canyon is located in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range and is considered the second largest gorge in the Mediterranean. Magic rocks, caves, semi-caves and lakes. This is what this 4 km long gorge offers. At the beginning of the canyon is the well-known beach of Sa Calobra, on which tens to hundreds of people crowd, especially in the midday hours. So it is good to come early in the morning.

Sometimes it is necessary to take off your shoes and cross the lakes that are located in the canyon

The trail leading deeper into the canyon is moderately difficult. It leads through rugged terrain, where it is sometimes necessary to take off your shoes and cross the little lakes that are located in the canyon. Sturdy footwear and plenty of fluids are recommended. There is also no signal in the canyon itself.