Zone: The historic centre

In all coastal cities – most particularly if they are island cities – life revolves around the sea. Palma is no exception. Over the centuries the sea has not only been a source of food and work for locals, but also the threat of life and death. The layout and architecture of Palma bear witness to this – the historic centre stretches along the coastline, and is guarded by its fortifications. And it's from what is left of those very fortifications – the St Peter's Bastion, built in the fifteenth century to protect the city from being shelled by enemy ships – that our excursion starts today. After that we'll see the Stock Exchange, where sailors and merchants once traded the goods they had brought from exotic foreign lands. Our route takes us past the city government and the Maritime Council, where we will see the Royal Palace, as well as some of the oldest architecture in Palma, dating from the Gothic period. Finally we will conclude our trip by the Cathedral – surely some of the most iconic buildings to be found in Palma.