Ciutadella - Spain tourist information,travel vacations,tours,hotel reservations

Like Maó, CIUTADELLA sits high above its harbour. Here, though, navigation is far more difficult, up a narrow channel too slender for all but the smallest of cargo ships. Despite this nautical inconvenience, Ciutadella has been the island's capital for most of its history. The Romans chose it, the Moors adopted it as Medina Minurka , and the Catalans of la reconquista flattened the place and began all over again. In 1558, the Catalan-built town was, in its turn, razed by Turkish corsairs. Several thousand captives were carted off to the slave markets of Istanbul, but the survivors determinedly rebuilt Ciutadella in grand style, its compact, fortified centre brimming with the mansions of the rich. To the colonial powers of the eighteenth century, however, Ciutadella's feeble port had no appeal when compared with Maó's magnificent inlet. In 1722 the British moved the capital to Maó, which has flourished as a trading centre ever since, and Ciutadella stagnated - a long-lasting economic reverie that has, fortunately, preserved its old and beautiful centre as if in aspic. The bulk of the Menorcan aristocracy remained in Ciutadella, where the colonial powers pretty much left them to stew - an increasingly redundant, landowning class far from the wheels of mercantile power. Consequently, there's very little British or French influence in Ciutadella's architecture ; instead, the narrow, cobbled streets boast fine old palaces, hidden away behind high walls, and a set of Baroque and Gothic churches very much in the Spanish tradition.

Essentially, it's the whole architectural ensemble that gives Ciutadella its appeal rather than any specific sight, and that, together with some excellent restaurants and an adequate supply of hostales and hotels, makes this a lovely place to stay. Allow at least a couple of days, more if you seek out one of the beguiling cove beaches within easy striking distance of town: Cala Turqueta is the pick of the bunch.

The Town
Ciutadella's compact centre crowds around the fortified cliff face shadowing the south side of the harbour. The main plazas and points of interest are within a few strides of each other, on and around the main square, Plaça d'es Born , in the middle of which is a soaring obelisk commemorating the futile defence against the Turks in 1558. On the western side of the square stands the ajuntament , whose nineteenth-century arches and crenellations mimic Moorish style, purposely recalling the time when the site was occupied by the wali's Alcázar (palace). In the square's northeast corner, the massive Palau Torresaura , built in the nineteenth century but looking far older, is the grandest of several aristocratic mansions edging the plaza. Embellished by self-important loggias, its frontage proclaims the family coat of arms above a large wooden door giving onto an expansive courtyard. The antique interior, however, is off limits, as the house is still owner-occupied - like most of its neighbours.

From Palau Torresaura, c/Major d'es Born leads to the Cathedral (Mon-Sat 8am-1pm & 6.30-9pm; free), built by Alfonso III at the end of the thirteenth century on the site of the chief mosque. So soon after the Reconquest, its construction is fortress-like, with windows set high above the ground - though the effect is somewhat disturbed by the flashy columns of the Neoclassical west doorway, the principal entrance. Inside, light from the narrow, lofty windows bathes the high altar in an ethereal glow, the hallmark of the Gothic style. There's also a wonderfully kitschy, pointed altar arch, and a sequence of glitzily Baroque side chapels.

Cutting down c/Roser from the cathedral, you'll pass the tiny Església del Roser , whose striking Churrigueresque facade, dating from the seventeenth century, boasts a quartet of pillars engulfed by intricate tracery. The church was the subject of bitter controversy when the British commandeered it for Church of England services - not at all to the liking of the Dominican friars who owned the place. At the end of c/Roser, turn left past the palatial, seventeenth-century mansion of Can Saura , which is distinguished by its elegant stonework, and then left again for c/Seminari and the Museu Diocesà de Menorca (Tues-Sat 10.30am-1.30pm, plus May-Sept Sun 10.30am-1.30pm; ¬1.80), housed in an old and dignified convent. Inside, the convent buildings surround an immaculately preserved Baroque cloister, whose vaulted aisles sport coats of arms and religious motifs. The museum's collection is distributed chronologically, and the first three rooms hold the most interesting pieces - a hotchpotch of Talayotic and early Classical archeological finds, notably a superbly crafted, miniature bull and a similarly exquisite little mermaid, both Greek bronzes dating from the fifth century BC.

Behind the museum lies the mercat (market), on Plaça Llibertat, another delightful corner of the old town, where fresh fruit, vegetable and fish stalls mingle with lively and inexpensive cafés selling the freshest of ensaimadas . Alternatively, c/Seminari proceeds north to intersect with the narrow, pedestrianized main street that runs through the old town - here c/J.M. Quadrado though it goes under various names along its route. To the east of this intersection, it boasts a block of whitewashed, vaulted arches, Ses Voltes , distinctly Moorish in inspiration and a suitable setting for several attractive shops and busy cafés. Carrer J.M. Quadrado then leads into Plaça Nova , a minuscule square edged by some of the most popular pavement cafés in town. Continuing east along c/Maó, you leave the cramped alleys of the old town at Plaça Alfons III .

Retracing your steps along c/J. M. Quadrado, turn north down c/Santa Clara for the five-minute walk to the Museu Municipal (mid-April to Oct Tues-Sat 11am-2pm & 7-10pm, Sun 7-10pm; Nov-April Tues-Sat 10am-2pm; ¬1.80), inhabiting part of the old city fortifications at the end of c/Portal de Sa Font. Inside the museum, a long vaulted chamber is given over to a wide range of archeological finds, amongst which there's a substantial collection of Talayotic remains, featuring artefacts garnered from all over the island and covering the several phases of Talayotic civilization. A leaflet detailing the exhibits in English is available free at reception.