Castell de Bellver, Palma

Castell de Bellver (Castle of the Beautiful View) sits on a pine-forested hill 3 kilometers west of Palma's historic center at an elevation of 112 meters, commanding panoramic views over the city, Palma Bay, the Tramuntana mountains, and on clear days the island of Cabrera 45 kilometers to the south. Completed around 1311 for King James II of Mallorca, the castle is one of the few circular medieval castles in the world — its unusual design, unique in European Gothic military architecture, comprises a perfectly round main body with three circular towers in the perimeter and a fourth, slightly detached tower connected by a raised arch. The interior is organized around a two-story circular courtyard open to the sky, its graceful Gothic arcades creating an aesthetic sophistication unexpected in a purely military structure. The castle houses the Municipal History Museum of Palma (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat), tracing Palma's history from prehistoric times to the 20th century through archaeological finds, maps, coins, and documents. The museum circuit occupies the upper floor galleries with views outward through the Gothic windows. The castle's most celebrated modern chapter came from 1808 to 1814 when Spanish Enlightenment intellectual Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was imprisoned here by royal order, leaving extensive writings about the castle and Mallorcan society. The pine forest walking trail from the Avinguda Joan Miró provides a 30-minute uphill approach to the castle through fragrant woodland — a pleasant alternative to driving directly to the hilltop car park.