City Orientation Walk

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Being one of Europe s major holiday destinations, with tourists flocking each year from all around, Palma de Mallorca is a city that still retains much of its heritage and old architecture. The old town of Palma has mostly narrow streets and standing proud in the center of town is a medieval cathedral. The city became a tourist destination in the 1950s and tourist numbers have continually increased in the subsequent years. Take this tour to see the best landmarks Palma has to offer. Guide Location: Spain» Palma de Mallorca # of Attractions: 13 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.4 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "GPSmyCity: Walks and Articles with Offline Maps" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Palma de Mallorca Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Palma de Mallorca. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Palma Cathedral B) Royal Palace of La Almudaina C) La Llotja D) Passeig des Born E) Palau March Museum F) Museum of Mallorca G) Arab Baths H) Convent of San Francisco I) Church of Santa Eulalia J) Ayuntamiento K) Gran Hotel L) Museum of Spanish Contemporary Art M) Olivar Market Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Palma Cathedral (must see) The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu, a title used by many churches, is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma de Mallorca, built on the site of a pre-existing Arab mosque. It is 121 metres long, 55 metres wide and its nave is 44 metres tall. Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 but finished only in 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.--When looked at from sea it looks stunning. 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 adopted moving the choir stalls from the middle nave to be closer to the altar, as well as 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. Address: Palma Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and moi. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - B) Royal Palace of La Almudaina (must see) The Royal Palace of La Almudaina is the Alcázar (fortified palace) of Palma, the capital city of the Island of Majorca, Spain. Having been built as an Arabian Fort, it was claimed as official royal residence in the early 14th century. Inside it has many empty rooms, however, when King Jamie II began restoration, his design plan included the encompassing of the small, Romanesque Chapel of Saint Anne. It stands opposite the dramatic Palma Cathedral with commanding views over the Bay of Palma. It is the summer official residence of the Spanish Royal family and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. Also known as the Marivent Palace, it is open to visitors along with most Royal residences. Address: Carrer Palau Reial, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Antoni I. Alomar Canyelles. Sight description based on wikipedia C) La Llotja (must see) Designed by Guillem Sagrera in the 15th century as Palma's exchange, La Lonja is an outstanding architectural monument. It has two turrets and an angel over the door, and looks like a castle or a church, but in fact it is neither. The construction has octagonal towers at each corner and ten smaller towers that act as buttresses. Since Palma lost its commercial importance, the building's purpose changed. During the War of Independence, La Lonja was used as a place to store guns and various goods. At the end of the 19th century, it became a fine art gallery. Today, La Lonja is a cultural center which holds temporary exhibitions. Address: La Llotja, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and José Luis Filpo Cabana Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - D) Passeig des Born (must see) El Passeig des Born is the most important avenue in Palma. It is considered to be a commercial street with restaurants, different types of shops and bars. The Passeig des Born shows up a beautiful view of the Cathedral La Seu, the king s palace and the marina. Image Courtesy of Flickr and viakali E) Palau March Museum (must see) Palau March Museum is located in the ex-house of the wealthiest Banker in Mallorca. It was designed by Luis Gutierrez de Soto. There can be seen a series of unique contemporary sculptures (works by Rodin, Moore and Chillida), medieval engravings and carvings, and an 18th century Neapolitan nativity scene. Address: Palau Reial 18, Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Olaf Tausch F) Museum of Mallorca Museum of Mallorca (Museo de Mallorca) is considered to be one of the most important museums in Palma de Mallorca. It gives an overview of Mallorcan history, displaying items such as Talaiotic and Roman remains, Christian art, Moorish ceramics, and many more. The museum is housed in a 17th-century building that is worth seeing as well. Opening hours: 10 am 2 pm, 4 pm 7 pm, on Sundays 10 am 2 pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and public holidays. Address: Museum of Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and UggBoy UggGirl PHOTO WORLD TRAVEL Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - G) Arab Baths (must see) The Banys Àrabs, or Arab Baths, one of the few remnants of Palma's Moorish past, are accessed via the quiet Ca'n Serra street near the Convent of the Cathedral, and include the lush gardens of Ca'n Fontirroig, home to Sardinian warblers, house sparrows, cacti, palm trees, and a wide range of flowers and ferns. The small two-roomed brick building that once housed the bath is in fact of Byzantine origin, dating back to the 11thcentury and possibly once part of the home of a Muslim nobleman. The bath room has a cupola with five oculi which let in dazzling light. The twelve columns holding up the small room were pillaged from an earlier Roman construction. The floor over the hypocaust has been worn away by people standing in the centre, mainly to photograph the entrance and the garden beyond it. The whole room is in a rather disreputable condition. The other room is a brick cube with a small model of the baths as they once were in the corner. Unfortunately one of the columns in this model has fallen over. Address: Carrer Can Serra 7, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and José Luis Filpo Cabana. Sight description based on wikipedia H) Convent of San Francisco (must see) The Convent of San Francisco was built in 1232 and in 1281, it was remodeled to what is seen today. Jacques de Mallorca, son of King Jacques II de Mallorca, took his vows here in the 13th century. Today, the Convent of San Francisco and the cloister represent one of the best examples of medieval architecture in Palma de Mallorca. The church has a Gothic nave which is surrounded by eight side chapels and a polygonal apse. The most recent ones were built between 1445 and Inside the convent, you will notice a retable, another Gothic masterpiece of the 15th century. To the left of the presbytery, there is the tomb of Ramon Llull, a Majorcan writer and philosopher, logician and a Franciscan tertiary, whose death still remains a mystery. The facade of the church was rebuilt in the 17th century by Francisco de Herrera. The portal is also of Gothic style. The frontal and the round stained-glass window are the works of glazier Pere Comas. The cloister attached to the church was built in the 17th -18th centuries. It Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - is a beautiful architectural ensemble with stunning columns and buttresses. Address: Placa Sant Francesc, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Chixoy I) Church of Santa Eulalia (must see) Built in the 13th century, the Church of Santa Eulalia is a fabulous place of worship in Palma de Mallorca. It is dedicated to the patron-saint of Barcelona a thirteen year old girl who was tortured and later beheaded by the Romans. The first meeting of the General Grand Council of Mallorca was held here, and it was also the place where Prince James, son of James the Conqueror, was recognized as the successor of Mallorca. Later, the church underwent some changes to include the rosace and the carving of Saint Eulalia above the entrance, the work of Guillem Ferrer. In 1893, Joan Sureda i Veri restored the facade of the church giving it a more modern look. Address: Plaça de Santa Eulàlia, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Chixoy J) Ayuntamiento Ayuntamiento is Palma's town hall with a gigantic wooden roof. It was constructed in 1660 in a traditional Mallorcan design. Inside the building itself, can be seen a collection of over-sized manikins that are used for the festivals that take place within the city. Address: Carrer de l'almudaina 7, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and P. Pérez Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - K) Gran Hotel The Gran Hotel was Palma's first luxury hotel, it was built in 1903 according to plans by Catalan architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner. Fundacio la Caixa restored and reopened the hotel in 1993, and now it is an art gallery that holds permanent exhibitions of paintings by Hermen Anglada-Camarasa. On the first floor of the hotel, there is a book shop where one can buy various books about design. Operation hours: Tuesday Saturday from 10 am to 9pm; Sundays and holidays from 10 am to 2 pm; cllosed on Mondays. Address: Gran Hotel, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Perez L) Museum of Spanish Contemporary Art Located at Sant Miquel Street, in the historic quarter of Palma, the Museum of Spanish Contemporary Art (Museu Fundación Juan March) is housed in a majestic 17th-century building. The construction was originally built as a residence and later remodeled several times. The mansion become a museum in The museums collection features works by Picasso, Dali, Miro, as well as contemporary works by Spanish emerging artists. The museum also carries out temporary exhibitions of national and international contemporary works. Operation hours: 10 am 6.30 pm; Saturday am 2 pm; closed on Sundays. There is no entrance fee. Address: Sant Miquel 11, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Olaf Tausch Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - M) Olivar Market Situated in Plaza Olivar, the Olivar Market is one of the biggest covered markets in Europe, it is the place where all the locals shop. The Olivar Market offers great selections of fruits and vegetables, olives and cheeses. If you have never tasted the Chorizo (a spicy sausage) or the Morcilla (a kind of black pudding), the Olivar Market is the place that has plenty of it. It is a place where you can experience the real Mallorcan tradition. Address: Plaza Olivar, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Chixoy Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -