The Mallorca Guide
 

Activities and Places to see in Mallorca

Our "Must See" Sights in Palma

Le Seu – the Cathedral of Palma

According to legend, as King Jaine I was preparing to recapture Mallorca from the Moors in 1229 a fierce storm threatened to destroy his fleet. The King then made a vow to the Virgin Mary that if he survived this ordeal he would build a church in her honour. He managed to survive the storm and expelled the Moors. In keeping with his promise, he established the Le Seu Cathedral in Palma - right on top of a Great Mosque. The Cathedral was some time in the making, having been started in 1230 and finishing nearly 400 years later. Today this Gothic building, with its flying buttresses, is one of the most imposing buildings in Palma.
Made from golden sandstone the Cathedral is 121 metres long and 55 metres wide. The Cathedral’s central nave is surrounded by two rows of pillars behind which are the double arched flying buttresses. The vast interior of the Cathedral is distinguished by its massive proportions, with the vault of the central nave rising to 44 metres. The two outer naves are each flanked by eight chapels. To the rear of the building is the Royal Chapel which is nearly as large as the church itself. The Cathedral’s original main facade was unfortunately damaged by an earthquake in 1851, though it has since been reconstructed. The finest of the building’s doors is the Portal del Mirador – a great example of Spanish Gothic design. Another good example of Gothic design is the ornate walnut choir-stalls located next to the presbytery.

Behind the choir-stalls is the Chapel of Holy Trinity which houses the tombs of Kings Jaume II and Jaume III, two notable medieval Mallorcan kings. You’ll also find the tombs of some of Palma’s more famous Bishops at the Cathedral. Also worth a visit is the Treasury room with its display of precious 18th century silver. In the last century, Antoni Gaudí was asked to make a few improvements to the Cathedral, the most notable of which was the addition of a massive ‘wrought-iron chandelier’ as if it were a baldachin for the high alters.
The Cathedral is open Monday to Friday 10am – 5:15pm and Saturdays 10am to 2:15pm. Closing times may vary depending on the time of year. The entrance cost is €4.50.

Bellver Castle

Set on top of a hill some three kilometres from Palma is the majestic Bellver Castle. Built in 1300 by King Jaume II, the Castle started life a royal residence. In 1395 King Juan 1 of Aragon fled the plague on the mainland and moved his court to Bellver Castle. Later on in the 1500s it was used as a refuge for nobles escaping a revolt in Palma. For the past 300 years or more it has been used a prison, housing Napoleonic and civil war prisoners.
The circular form of Bellver Castle is very unusual for a medieval building. There is also a marked difference between the austere defensive exterior of the Castle (with its moat added in the 16th century) and its genteel interior (with its wonderful central courtyard).
Today, Bellver Castle is home to the Palma History Museum and the Despuig Collection of Classical Sculpture.

Open April to September, Monday through Saturday 8:30am – 8:30pm (Sunday 10am – 6:30pm) and October to March, Monday through Saturday 8:30am – 7pm (Sunday 10am – 5pm). The entrance cost is €2, though it is free on Sundays when the museums are closed.

Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs)

On the edge of the old town, near the Portella gate on C/ Can Serra are the Arab Baths - one of the few remaining examples of Moorish architecture on Mallorca. The Banys Àrabs date back to the 11th century and it is thought that they may have been part of a Muslim nobleman’s home.

The architecture of the bath room is somewhat eclectic, leading to speculation that some of the building may have been taken from other sources, possibly Roman. The square room has 12 arched columns encircling the area. The room has a double floor. The top layer has several small holes through which hot water and steam would have passed. Unfortunately, the cold bath room no longer exists.

The Arab Baths (C/ Can Serra 7) are open from 9:30am to 8pm from April to November and from 9:30am to 7pm December to March. The entrance cost is €1.5.

Es Baluard - The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Palma

Situated next to the ramparts of the wall enclosing the San Pere quarter of Palma’s old town is the recently opened Es Baluard museum. Built of white concrete to a modern design, the museum blends well with the ancient walls of the old town to create a symbiotic relationship between the old and the new.

Es Baluard houses a fine collection of painting, drawings and sculptures from some of Spain’s best known modern artists including Picasso, Miró, Tàpies and Barceló. Your trip to the museum ends with an exhibition room housed in the restored remains of a medieval water tank.

There is a gift/bookshop at the museum and a bar/cafeteria. The museum is wheelchair accessible. It is open October to May, Tuesday to Sunday 10am -8pm. From June to September it is open daily 10am to midnight. Tickets cost €6, with some discounts available.

Es Baluard, Plaça Porta Santa Catalina 10, 07012 Palma, Mallorca.

Diocese Museum of Mallorca

Housed in the Episcopal Palace behind the Cathedral is the Diocese Museum of Mallorca. The museum has been recently refurbished and has an excellent collection of around 200 Mallorcan religious works of art.

Some of the most noteworthy items on display are Saint George Renedos by Pere Niçard (15th century) and several works of art by Antoni Guadí. These were designed to decorate the Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace. Also worth a look is the St Paul Gothic Oratory by the Master of Bishop Galian. The work dates back to the 15th century, and was later incorporated into the Episcopal Palace. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm and costs €3.

Diocese Museum of Mallorca, C/ Calders 2, 07012, Palma, Mallorca