Palma - Valldemossa

Description

The Bullring and Pearls Factory, Valldemossa, Palma Cathedral, Bellver Castle Bellver

Palma

After we pick you up from the specified address in Palma, we will take you to Plaza de Toros.  Here we will visit the Pearls Factory. We will observe the process of treatment and production of pearls, and then we will have a look around the shop. Immediately after that we will go to the Coliseum Balear (The Bullring). We will have a look from the inside. You can take photos of the arena where the bullfights (Corridas) used to take place.

Valldemossa

Some 15 to 20 minutes later we will arrive in the picturesque mountain town of Valldemossa. Valldemossa is a village and municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is famous for one landmark: the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built in the beginning of the 14th century when the great mystic and philosopher Ramon Llull lived in this area of Majorca.

Since the 19th century Valldemossa has been promoted internationally as a place of outstanding beauty, largely as a result of the affection of the distinguished traveler and cultural writer, the Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator. In the 1830s the Spanish government confiscated the monasteries, and the historic estate was sold to private owners, who have since hosted some prominent guests. These have included the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his lover the pioneering French writer George Sand, who wrote a notable account of A Winter in Majorca, describing their 1838–39 visit and praising the island’s natural beauty, but criticizing what she perceived as the prejudice and vices of the natives.

Later the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío was guest of the Sureda y Montaner families who own the Chartreuse estate. To fight his own nightmares, Rubén Dario would sleep in as monks did; however, his drinking habits caused a rift with his private hosts and, eventually, his departure from the former monastery and from Majorca.
You can explore the museum LA CARTUJA, the historic house museum where Chopin lived, and enjoy a 15-minite piano concert.

The cathedral

When we are ready to move on, we will go to the cathedral. We will pass through La Rambla and Paseo del Borne to get to the old city and its landmarks. We will stop right behind the cathedral. You will have around 30 to 40 minutes to take a walk, to enjoy the magnificent views and to explore the cathedral and the old city. The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu, is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Majorca, Spain, built on the site where an Arab mosque previously stood. It is 121 metres long, 55 metres wide and its nave is 44 metres tall. By way of comparison, the height of the central nave reaches 33 m in Notre Dame de Paris, 38 m in Reims, 42 m in Notre-Dame d’Amiens and 48 m in Saint-Pierre de Beauvais, the highest of all Gothic cathedrals.

Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon back in 1229, but finished only in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma, atop the former citadel of the Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the episcopal palace. It also overlooks the Parc de la Mar and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1901, fifty years after the restoration of the cathedral had started, Antoni Gaudí was invited to take over the project. While some of his ideas were readily accepted, such as the removal of the choir stalls from the middle nave and installing them closer to the altar, as well as the placement of a large canopy, Gaudí abandoned his work in 1914 after an argument with the contractor. The planned changes were essentially cosmetic rather than structural, and the project was cancelled soon after.
Our next stop will be the Bellver Castle.

Bellver Castle was built between 1300 and 1311 for King Jaime II of Mallorca. The views from its terraces are spectacular and its circular shape makes it a unique example of European Civil Gothic.
You can visit and explore the museum, or simply take a walk around the castle and enjoy it from the outside, or get up on the terraces to take in the most breathtaking panoramic view of Palma.
This is where our tour ends. We will take you back to the place where we picked you up, or to a different address you specify.

The tour takes 3.5/4 hours. It costs EUR 180.  (1-4 people)