Es Baluard and the city walls

You end the route on top of Palma's city walls. This bastion, the Baluard de Sant Pere, guarded the city's western flank for centuries; today it houses a museum of modern and contemporary art and one of the best viewpoints over the bay.

1Walls for the age of gunpowder

Medieval walls could not withstand artillery. In 1574 the Italian engineer Giacomo Palearo, known as il Fratino, designed a new circuit with arrow-shaped bastions, and this one was built between 1575 and 1578. In the 17th century it was raised to connect it with the neighbouring bastions, and a highly regarded artillery school operated here.

2The night of the blasts

In 1952 its military use came to an end and the land passed into private hands. The new owners wanted to build, and in 1963 they deliberately brought down much of the western curtain wall. The public reaction was immediate: the site was protected and the state rebuilt it from 1965 onwards.

By the early 20th century Palma had already torn down almost all its walls; the ones you see are those that survived.

The Es Baluard museum opened on 30 January 2004, with works by Miró, Picasso and Barceló. From the top you will see, to the west, the Santa Catalina district, a former fishermen's quarter with its market and the windmills of es Jonquet. On the hill stands the circular Bellver Castle, from the early 14th century: getting there involves a steep climb.

3What to look for

• The wall and its entrance arch.
• The bay and the port, from the top of the bastion.
• Bellver Castle, on its wooded hill.