Palma de Mallorca, Spanien

Palma surprises visitors who expect nothing more than an airport transit to a beach resort. The city's centrepiece is the Catedral de Mallorca (La Seu) — a massive Gothic cathedral whose buttresses rise directly above the Mediterranean, with interior light effects partly redesigned by Gaudí and a chapel reworked by Miquel Barceló. Below it, the Almudaina Palace (a Moorish-turned-royal residence), the Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs) and the winding streets of the old town recall centuries of Moorish, Catalan and Castilian rule. The Passeig des Born boulevard anchors the city's social life, lined with cafés, luxury shops and plane trees. Palma's food scene has evolved dramatically — the Mercat de l'Olivar and Mercat de Santa Catalina serve as gourmet hubs, and the city holds several Michelin-starred restaurants alongside traditional cellers serving tumbet, sobrasada and ensaïmada. The harbour promenade stretches from the cathedral to the fishing quarter of Portixol, now a fashionable strip of restaurants and boutique hotels. Beyond the city, Mallorca offers extraordinary range: the UNESCO-listed Serra de Tramuntana mountains with hairpin roads through Deià, Valldemossa and Sóller; the turquoise coves (calas) of the east coast; the wine country of Binissalem; and over 200 km of cycling routes that draw professional road-cycling teams for winter training. Palma's airport (PMI) is one of Europe's busiest, with direct connections to virtually every major European city.