Bellver Castle

You won’t believe there’s a place like this in the middle of the city. The Castell de Bellver, meaning in ancient Catalan language “beautiful view castle”, is located in a hill, watching over the city and surrounded by a beautiful forest.

Its construction began in 1300 by order of Jaume II, King of Mallorca, and the works lasted nine years. One of its peculiarities is that it’s one of the few castles in Europe with circular structure, being the oldest of this kind. The edification was formerly conceived as a royal residence and was inhabited by Joan of Aragon and his court. Its use was reconverted in 1717, becoming a military prison and in 1821, when temporarily became a coin factory.

The  building is organised around a central courtyard and two different leves of gothic style. Nowadays it houses the City Museum of History, with an exhibition that goes over Mallorca’s history from the first settlers to the Middle Ages and the Despuig Collection of Classical Sculpture. There are also numerous cultural and recreational activities organised during the years, such as concerts and open air cinema.