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| Ciutadella | ||
| island | Menorca | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 30.588 (2020) | |
| height | 24 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Ciutadella de Menorca, mostly just Ciutadella called (spoken [siwtəðˈeʎə]; Castilian: Ciudadela) is a port city in the west of the spanish island Menorca. She is after Maó the second largest city on the island.
Districts
The entire western part of the island belongs to the municipality of Ciutadella de Menorca. In addition to the historic city center, it includes several settlements, some of which are known as destinations for bathing tourism, in which there are numerous holiday resorts and hotels:
- Cala en Forcat
- Cala en Blanes
- Santandria
- Cala Blanca
- Cap d'Artrutx
- Cala en Bosch
- Son Xoriguer
- Cala Morell
background
Ciutadella, which has a natural harbor on the Mediterranean Sea, was the capital of Menorca from ancient times to the 18th century. The city was founded by the Carthaginians. It was named in ancient times Iamona. In the 4th century it was already the seat of a bishop. Later it came under the influence of the Moors and was considered Medina Minurqa the only major city on the island. In 1287 King Alfonso III took owned the island for the Crown of Aragon.
On July 9, 1558, the city suffered severe damage from an attack by Ottoman pirates. Today's cityscape with its baroque and classicist aristocratic palaces and churches is essentially a relic of the 16th to 19th centuries.
During the British rule of the island, Ciutadella lost its capital city function to Maó (Mahon) in 1722. In 1795, however, the early medieval bishopric of Menorca was revived, which has since had its seat in Ciutadella; thus the city is at least the religious center of Menorca; also an important ferry port and tourist destination.
Due to the special location of the port, a phenomenon sometimes occurs here that is called Rissaga is known. If several meteorological factors come together, tsunami-like giant waves can arise in the port canal. The water is first sucked out of the bay and returns as a giant wave. This is what happened on June 21, 1984, when the giant wave caused millions in damage and on June 15, 2006, as one rissaga Sank 30 boats and damaged 100 more.
getting there
By plane
The island's only airport is at Maó, from there it's a good 45 kilometers to Ciutadella, which takes about 50 minutes to drive. If you don't want to take a rental car, you can use various shuttle offers. On the bus, the journey costs a little more than € 11 per person. A private transfer costs around € 90 for up to 4 people, € 115 for up to 7 people, surcharges have to be paid for special baggage such as golf clubs and surfboards. Shuttle Menorca If you want to save money, you can also take regular buses from the airport to Maó (every half hour, travel time 10 minutes, € 2.65) and from there to Ciutadella (approximately hourly, travel time 60 minutes, € 5.10).
By train
There is no rail transport in Menorca.
By bus
Bus 01 (TMSA) approximately every hour (Sat – Sun only six times a day) to Ciutadella. The journey takes about an hour and costs € 5.10 as a single journey. There is another direct connection from It Migjorn (Line 74, Mon-Fri twice, Wed three times a day).
In the street
Ciutadella can be reached from Maó via the ME-1, the main street of the island, in three quarters of an hour.
By boat
The main ferry connection is from Barcelona. She is delivered twice a day by the shipping company Balearia offered and lasts 5 hours. The crossing costs 45 € for an adult and half for a child. Taking a car with you costs € 95, a motorcycle € 28.
mobility
The Company Torres hosted Bus transport on seven lines within the municipality of Ciutadella. Line 60 runs every hour through the city from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and does not run at all on Sundays and public holidays. Disabled people cannot be taken on all buses. The single trip costs € 1.45. The other lines connect with other districts and suburbs (C.Blanes – Delfines – C.Forcat, Cala Morell – La Vall, Son Blanc Hafen, Caleta – Cala Blanca – Santandri or Xoriguer, Son Catlar – Son Saura, Cala Bosch, Cala en Turqueta). The buses in the surrounding area only run at long intervals.
If you want to go on excursions and be independent, you should get one Rental car to take.
The old town itself with its narrow, winding streets is the best place to be on foot on road. The actual urban area is barely more than two kilometers from one end to the other.
Ciutadella is a good starting point for excursions with the bicycle. However, the paths are not always expressly marked and developed for cycling. The old town itself is rather unsuitable for cycling due to the very narrow streets and height differences between the port and upper town.
Tourist Attractions
Old town
Ciutadella has a historic old town that is well worth seeing and is considered to be one of the prettiest port towns in the western Mediterranean. It is characterized by typical, narrow streets that have strange names like Que no passa ("What does not happen") wear.
- 1 Plaça des Born. The city's main square, high above the harbor. That is what it says on him town hall (Ajuntament), which goes back to the Alcázar, the castle of the Moorish governor, and was given its current form from the end of the 19th century by the architect Josep Maria Sagnier and refers to the Moorish style. In the middle of the square, a white obelisk erected in 1857 commemorates the pirate attack in the 16th century. The place is surrounded by Teatre del Born as well as aristocratic palaces like that Palau Torresaura and the Palau Salort.
- 2 Santa Maria de Ciutadella Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de Ciudadela).
Erected from 1302 to 1362 in the Gothic style, it is the center of the actual old town. It is connected to the Episcopal Palace.
- Former Augustinian monastery, in the south of the old town. Today it houses the Museum of the Diocese of Menorca, see below #Museums.
- 3 Església des Socors. Baroque monastery church.
- 4 Plaça d’Alfonso III. Also called because of their palm trees Plaça de ses Palmeres known, it forms the eastern end of the old town. The square is dominated by a historic windmill that was built in 1778 Molí des Comte.
- 5 Port de Ciutadella (Puerto de Ciudadela).Tramuntana natural harbor.
- 6 Torre de San Nicolás, Passeig de Sant Nicolau.Defense tower.
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Another municipal area
Outside the old town there are other sights in the municipality, especially buildings from the early history of the megalithic talayot culture, which was found in the Balearic Islands from the 13th to the 2nd century BC. Lasted.
- The 7 Talayots from Montefí with artificial burial caves (hypogea) are located directly on the eastern outskirts, on the Me-1 in the direction of Maó, in front of the large roundabout (seen out of town on the right of the street). On foot or by bike, it is better to take the narrow one, which is specially designated as a footpath and bike path, so as not to have to go through the industrial park on the big road Camí Vell de Máo ("Old way to Maó"). Details and background in the Wikipedia article.
- 8 Naveta des Tudons, Carretera Maó-Ciutadella, km 40. Es Tudons.most famous megalithic grave structure of the Balearic Islands in the form of a ship's hull lying over the keel. Approx. 5 km east of the old town: by car you drive over the Me-1 in the direction of Maó, after about 4 km there is a clearly visible and signposted junction to the Naveta des Tudons on the right-hand side, where you leave the car in a parking lot and walk the last 400 meters. On foot or by bike you don't have to go along the large Me-1, you can walk parallel to the narrow, but (mostly) paved road Camí Vell to take.
- 9 Torretrencada, Torretrencada.Archaeological site that resembles other Talayotic settlements in its arrangement, i.e. there are round houses, a hypostylon (presumably a former stable or warehouse) and hypogea (artificial burial caves). The 2.70 meter high taula is particularly striking. From the local talayot (tower) you could see the sea and the talayot of Llucassaldent, which is almost 18 kilometers away. It is possible that these towers were used for (tele) communication. One kilometer east of the Naveta parking lot, there is a junction from the Me-1 on the right onto a small, narrow side road (Torretrencada is signposted), after 1 km turn left onto the equally narrow Camí Vell. After 2 km a dirt road branches off to the left to Torretrencada. The last stretch to the site can only be walked. Pedestrians and cyclists can return from the Naveta to Camí Vell and follow it to the junction for Torretrencada.
- 10 Torrellafuda. Another Talayot site, approx. 1 km north of Torretrencada (from where there is no direct connection - due to land in between, which may not be crossed; instead there are 6 km outside) with a protective wall with gates and passages, Remains of circular houses, a large talayot (frustoconical tower made of large field stones) and a taula sanctuary (T-shaped monument made of two large stones). This site can only be reached via a sand runway that branches off from the Me-1. The (small, but signposted) junction is 3 km east of the parking lot on the Naveta or 2 km east of the junction to Torretrencada. From there you reach the parking lot of the site after 800 meters, from there it is only a few steps. Even pedestrians and cyclists only come here via the Me-1, because entering the surrounding private property is prohibited. But the road has a fairly wide shoulder. More on this in the Wikipedia article.
- 11 Son Catlar. Prehistoric or ancient village that was built between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. BC was one of the largest settlements on the island. The decline only took place at the end of Roman times, even during the Moorish rule the place was still used as a residence. This site is the only one in Menorca with a closed "Cyclops Wall", i.e. a wall made of unusually large stones without mortar, which even has a kind of gate. On the outside of the western wall there is a monolith with human-like engravings. Inside the settlement there are four talayots and a taula sanctuary as well as a cistern presumably used for ritual purposes. About 7 km south of Ciutadella: from the large bypass road (RC2 / Ronda Sur) there is a branch to the at one of the roundabouts Camí de Sant Joan de Missa (signposted), follow this, after 3 km keep right at the fork (Son Catlar is already signposted here), after another 3.3 km you will reach a parking lot, from which it is only a few steps to the facility. There is no separate cycle path, but there is very little car traffic, so you can cycle on the road without hesitation; However, the route is not particularly suitable for hiking, as there is no footpath. Also easily accessible from the holiday resorts of Cap d'Artrutx / Cala en Bosc (7 km by bike) or Cala Blanca (8 km). Wikipedia article with background information.
- 12 Cala Morell necropolis. "City of the Dead" from the early phase of the Talayot culture (Bronze Age), consisting of 14 caves that were carved into the rock of a small slope. The caves are designed in a similar way to the houses of this time, sometimes with small courtyards or with columns that demarcate the “rooms”. On the north coast, a good 8 km from Ciutadella. Easily accessible via the Camí de Cala Morell, which branches off to the northeast of the RC-1, has two lanes, with a hard shoulder that is designated as a cycle path. In the village of Cala Morell there are also several restaurants and a very nice bay for swimming.
Museums
- 13 Museu Diocesà de Menorca. In the former Augustinian monastery: this includes the Renaissance church Els Socors, with wall paintings from the 18th century, a baroque organ and a cloister with semicircular arches supported by strong columns. Prehistoric finds are exhibited; old city models and maps; ecclesiastical art treasures, liturgical objects and religious goldsmith's work from the 17th to 20th centuries. In the former dining room of the monastery there is also a department for painting, including works by the Ciutadella-born Catalan painter Pere Daura with figurative and abstract art from the beginning of the 20th century. Partly changing exhibitions with contemporary art.
- Casa Museu Pintor Torrent
activities
- Fixed and regular events
- Processó des Tres Tocs. On January 17th every year: procession in memory of the capture of the city by King Alfonso III.
- Festes de Sant Joan. Equestrian games known throughout Spain on St. John's Day (June 24th).
shop
- 1 Fish and meat market, at the Plaça de la Llibertat. Here you can get different types of the local specialty, the Menorcan one Queso (Cheese).
