The Mallorcan town that is among the most desired European destinations in 2023

At the foot of the Sierra de Tramontana, surrounded by orchards, fruit trees (mainly orange), olive trees and high mountains, lies

.

Its idyllic natural environment, just five kilometers from the sea, its cultural heritage, its gastronomy and a historic train have placed the town among the 20 most desired destinations in Europe by travelers in 2023, according to the annual survey carried out by the agency European Best Destinations, in which half a million travelers from 178 countries have voted.

The municipality located to the north of the island, about 27 km from Palma, competes in this ranking with other cities such as Warsaw (first on the list), Athens (2), Maribor, Slovenia (3) or Vienna (4).

Among the 20 best destinations are two other Spanish cities: Toledo (position 12) and Tossa de Mar, Girona (16).

Sóller occupies number 20 of said list.

Strolling through the historic center of the town is a must to discover all its charm and, especially, its architecture, a mixture of modernist buildings (designed by the disciples of Gaudí, Joan Rubió y Bellver or Antoni Castanyer), typical Mallorcan mansions and palaces of French influence.

Among its most emblematic enclaves is the

, an impressive temple whose origin dates back to the 13th century with a Baroque structure, modernist façade and neo-Gothic bell tower.

Next to the church is the

, an impressive modernist building from 1899, a symbol of the splendor of the town in the past.

Both enclaves preside over the lively

the nerve center of Sóller and a vibrant meeting point thanks to its many bars, cafeterias and restaurants with terraces.

It is one of the most beautiful squares in Mallorca and the Town Hall (Baroque building) is also located there.

Palaces such as

,

and

, the

and

and its collection of modernist sculptures are other interesting points in the town.

Another recommendation is to go through its longest street:

an old medieval street that today is flanked by modernist buildings, although there are still some from medieval times such as Casa de sa Lluna (15th century), which belongs to the House of Culture. -Sóller Museum;

another historic one is Can Prohom, an inn from 1758. Today the street is a large commercial hub with numerous shops.

historic train

However, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Sóller is the

inaugurated in 1913. It is made up of a wooden train and a historic tram.

This covers the five kilometers that separate this town from the beautiful Puerto de Sóller, the other part of the municipality, on the coast, in a half-hour journey.

The hundred-year-old vehicle, in addition to transporting passengers, has also been used to take boxes of fish from the docks to the market or boxes of oranges to the ships that once sailed to French ports;

also to bring the vegetables from the garden to the town and even to take coal and war materials to the naval base of the Navy.

Sóller tram through the Port area.

For its part,

, which has kept the same appearance since its inauguration, connects Sóller with the Palma de Mallorca station in one hour.

The incredible 27km journey winds through valleys, across mountains and past orange and lemon orchards.

Hours and prices here.

Gastronomy

The gastronomic offer is another of the great attractions of Sóller.

In addition to garden products, oranges and lemons (from which organic jams, orange blossom infusions or candied orange peel are also made) and olive oil, one of the local delicacies is the native red

, caught in the port, in addition to other fresh fish and shellfish.

sopes

(a dry dish based on vegetable broth, spring onions, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, peas, artichoke, cabbage and brown country bread), the Mallorcan frit (fried meat, potatoes, onion, tomato and red pepper ), trampó (onion, green pepper and tomato salad, seasoned with oil and salt) or tumbet (a kind of vegetable pie) are other essential local dishes.

Panoramic of Puerto Sóller.

Among the recommendations for eating are

(Gran Vía, 43; tel.: 971 63 83 98),

(Cetre, 4; tel.: 971 63 51 33) or

(Ctra. de Desviament , 10, Bj; tel.: 971 63 34 16).

Where to sleep

Gran Hotel Sóller

(Carrer de sa Romaguera, 18; tel.: 971 63 86 86).

A few steps from the center of Sóller, this hotel in a building dating from 1880 has 38 rooms.

On its roof, with impressive views of the Puig Mayor and the church of Sant Bartomeu, there is an outdoor pool and a bar.

: from 180 euros.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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