Valldemossa Palma Mallorca
Valldemossa is one of the prettiest villages in Mallorca. It’s situation in the hills of the Tramuntana range, at about 17 km from Palma makes Valldemossa an extraordinary day out and is a wonderful cultural visit. Surrounded by forested hills and lush countryside, it’s also a favourite with outdoor enthusiasts.
With a population of around 2,000, Valldemossa is a quiet and traditional town with narrow streets and lanes constructed with blonde stone, as are the houses. Each doorway and street is lined with beautiful green plants and flowers making the town one of the most beautiful in Mallorca. Many doorways of houses feature a religious symbol of Mallorca’s patron saint, Saint Catalina Thomàs to protect their houses from harm, a tradition set many years ago.
The landmark that everyone comes to see is the 13th century monastry which has links to the Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Known as the ‘Real Cartuja de Valldemossa’ this is an old Carthusian monastery, originally founded as a royal residence until changed to a monastery in 1399. Writers, artists and composers found inspiration in Valldemossa including composer Chopin, who lived in Valldemossa during the winter of 1838-39. It was at the Real Cartuja that Chopin spent the winter with French writer Aurore Dupin, who was better known as her alias George Stand.
The village itself is full of charming little streets fileld with cafes, galleries and gift shops. Traditional family bakeries can still be found in Valldemossa and serve up the local delight of ‘coca de patata’ translated to ‘potato cake’. This is infact a sweet cake made with boiled potatoes to form a small and soft bread/sponge textured bun. This is commonly eaten with a coffee or a thick hot chocolate and is a favourite amongst the locals.