Valldemossa

Valldemossa, the charming mountain village is situated in the northwest of the island in the region Serra de Tramuntana. The composer Frédéric Chopin spent the winter of 1838/39 here.

Valldemossa Info

The small town of Valldemossa in the northeast of the Balearic island of Majorca nestles in the natural beauty of the Serra de Tramunta mountain range just 20 km north of the island capital Palma. With a height of 425 metres above sea level, the picturesque mountain village is a good 400 metres higher than bustling Palma. From Palma there is a bus connection to the village, which also includes a small harbour and a beach at the foot of the mountains.
It is not quite clear where the place name comes from. According to a frequently heard opinion, it goes back to the Arab governor Wali Musa, who is said to have lived here in the Moorish period.
For many Mallorca fans Valldemossa is the most beautiful place here on the largest Spanish holiday island. Although the mountain village is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year, it has retained its charm as a grown place in its winding, car-free alleyways characterised by authentic Mallorcan architecture. The lovely details on the walls of these cobbled streets are flower pots set into the walls. The colourful tile with a naive image of the only island saint, Santa Catalina Tomás, inserted next to almost every house entrance is also typical. The pious native of Valldemossaran lived from 1531 to 1574. She was canonized in 1930.
The most famous sight of the place is the Charterhouse of Valldemossa, surrounded by a large garden. This former monastery building dates back to a royal summer residence built in the 14th century. In 1399, the King of Aragon, who ruled over the Balearic Islands, transferred the palace to the Carthusian order. The monks rebuilt the building several times until it received its present appearance in the 18th century. In 1835 the Charterhouse was nationalized like many other church buildings in the course of the so-called "Desarmortisation". It was auctioned off to private individuals to fill the empty state coffers. Today the mighty building serves mainly as a frame for various small museums. Highlight during a passage through the impressive Charterhouse is a visit to the monastery cells in which the most famous visitors to the village were housed in the winter of 1838 /1839: Fréderic Chopin and George Sand. Here Chopin composed his Préludes op. 28 ("raindrops"). His lover, the writer George Sand (Aurore Dupin de Francueil), used this time in the 1842 published story "A Winter in Mallorca". She thus placed Mallorca in perhaps its most important literary monument.

Immediately adjacent to the Charterhouse, the Museo Municipal offers visitors the chance to admire masterpieces by the exceptional Spanish painters Picasso and Miró.
The exhibition at the Centro Cultural Costa Nord on the life of the lovable, eccentric Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator, who lived nearby from 1867, is also highly interesting. Another celebrity in love with the region, the US film star Michael Douglas, was instrumental in founding the Centro Cultural in Av. Palma 6, which is organized as a foundation.
The place with its well-kept bars and restaurants is well positioned gastronomically. And: On Sunday, a stroll through the village's weekly market is actually compulsory in order to enjoy the delicious Mallorcan culinary specialities.
to please.