Edith Minkner introduces you to the most important Mallorcan places of interest
Edith Minkner – We have been living on our unique island Mallorca for almost 30 years now and have not regretted moving to our sunny island for a second. Even if you are not quite “ready for the island”, but can only visit Mallorca on holiday, you will find that Mallorca breathes culture and history everywhere. Romans, Arabs, pirates and Spaniards from the mainland have left their mark – in the cultivation of the land, with the construction of manor houses and parks, and with monumental or emblematic buildings in the metropolis of Palma and in the interior. My husband and I and our guests also keep discovering new places and sites on our tours of the island. Not all of them are described in travel guides, but they are worth a visit. I invite you to visit the most important sights and places on Mallorca with me. Have fun on our little round trip.
We start our first tour in Palma. To the right and left of Palma’s boulevard Borne, a shady avenue with street cafés and restaurants, the old town impresses with its mighty cathedral, the Almudaina Palace next to it, around which historic noble palaces (palacetes) with inviting patios, art nouveau buildings, small, quiet alleys and the vibrant shopping streets Jaume III and Unió line up. In this environment, the most important sights of the metropolis can be reached – mostly on foot. Accompany me on a visit to Palma Cathedral, La Seu, to the Almudaina Palace, to the town hall square “Plaza Cort”, to the impressive Castell del Bellver, to the emblematic Art Nouveau building of the Gran Hotel, to the old commercial exchange “La Lonja” and to the Arab baths “banys arabs”.
The second tour takes us to the west, north, east, south of the island as well as to the centre of the island. The places I present to you are ideal for day trips. We visit the archaeological sites of the Talaiot settlement of Ses Paisses, then the old cardinal’s residence of La Raixa, we continue to the caves of Porto Cristo, the Albufera Natural Park, the Alfabia Gardens from Arab times and the Fonts Ufanes Natural Monument.
First tour – the most important sights of Palma