PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN

Departing from the quayside, we drive to Bellver Castle. Bellver means ‘beautiful view’, which reflects the castle’s position on a raised plateau some 112 metres (365 feet) above sea level.

Departing from the quayside, we drive to Bellver Castle. Bellver means ‘beautiful view’, which reflects the castle’s position on a raised plateau some 112 metres (365 feet) above sea level. Built in 1300 by order of Mallorcan King James II, the construction took nine years to complete and the ornamentation longer still. In 1931, the Government gave the building to Palma City Council. It has now been turned into the History Museum. The Spanish Village of Palma de Mallorca is a reproduction of houses, buildings and monuments from different Spanish regions, surrounded by a medieval wall. Among the many monuments are the Christ of the Lanterns of Cordoba, the Golden Tower of Seville, the Court of the Myrtles of the Alhambra, and the Bisagra’s Gate of Toledo. The Gothic Cathedral, 750 years old, is the second largest in Spain. The ‘Seo’, as it is known locally, was built on the site of a pre-existing mosque. The main body of the church is set in the middle of a mass of pillars and spires, behind which lies a double row of arches. The bell tower still remains unfinished even today. The main façade, which overlooks the Almudaina Palace, was destroyed during the 1851 earthquake but later reconstructed; the Renaissance door miraculously emerged unscathed. Severe in style, the Cathedral nevertheless has magnificent stained-glass windows and an interior that gives an impression of great spaciousness. During this tour, there is a total of approximately 2¾ hours of walking, split between the three locations. At the Cathedral there is approximately 40 minutes walking with approximately 80 steps to reach the cathedral, in addition there are some steps at the Spanish Village to negotiate.