Sòller
A walk in the mountains of Mallorca
Sòller is a town located on the north coast of the island of Mallorca. The city as a whole is formed by Sòller, in the hinterland, and by Port de Sòller, which is located in a large valley with access to the sea. The two units are connected by a famous tram, the Tranvìa de Sòller, designed by Pedro Garau in 1913.
The city is connected to the capital by the historic railway, the Ferrocarril, and by a motorway with a toll tunnel.
The focal point of the city is Plaça Costituciò, surrounded by cafes, restaurants, trees and a central fountain. This was the site of the historic history of the tram, a number of years ago for the construction of a museum dedicated to Picasso and Joan Mirò. The square is enclosed by three historic buildings:
-Tthe Church of San Bartolomeo, dating back to 1236. The structure was restored between 1688 and 1733. The façade was last restored in 1904 by Giovanni Rubio i Bellver in order to harmonize this with the bell tower remained neo Gothic.
- The Banco de Sòller, a modernist building dating back to 1912, littered with wrought-iron works by the Catalan architect Bellver.
- City Hall
Other places of interest that are worth a visit are:
- the Botanical Garden with plants is a flagship of the Balearic islands and which houses the museum of natural sciences
- The Monastery of Our Lady of Lluc (it is the most sacred place in the whole of Mallorca and inside is the Moreneta, a dark-faced Madonna who calls pilgrims from all over the island. Of the Serra de Tramuntana, in a step dress and tranquility Considered sacred since ancient times, it was chosen by the Romans as a place of worship, but with the Catalan domination it became necessary to transform it into a place of Christian worship, a legend that tells of the finding of the statue of a Madonna in a cave by a pastor, it was repeated three times, until the event is interpreted as a divine message and the Madonna is left in her place.
The city is also very famous for the production of oranges. It is true that the economy of the city is revenue brought by tourism but the agricultural economy given by olive and orange trees is getting better every year. In fact, wandering through the streets of the city it is easy to come across improbable signs that invite you to taste some homemade orange juice in some places. My advice is to not think about it too much to get in touch with the locals.
