The Royal Carthusian Monastery (Real Cartuja), Valldemossa
Where Chopin spent an infamous winter, and home to classical music concerts
Visit the monastery at Valldemossa, where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838-9. The Real Cartuja (Royal Carthusian Monastery) was originally a royal residence, until Carthusian monks occupied the building from 1399 until 1835.
The origins of the cartuja date back to the time of king Jaume II, who chose this spot to build a palace for his son Sancho. In 1399, it was donated to Carthusian monks.
It has white-arched corridors leading to 'cells' containing museums on various themes. Visit the old pharmacy - you can almost smell the herbs - then look into the library, where the monks would meet for half an hour a week, their only human contact. There is a fine modern art museum, with works by Picasso, Miro and Juli Ramis, and of course there is Chopin's cell...
Read about our Trip to the Ral Cartuja.
Visitor comments
- "Beautiful and very informative. Great for a afternoon outing to learn more about the history of Valldemossa and the monastery" - Trip Advisor
- "We had friends staying with us and now was the time to visit local attractions. This is a place where you can spend a short or a long time depending on how much history you want to absorb. One of my favourite parts was the pharmacy area. There was also a musical concert which is worth going to because you sit down for a short time and then resume the tour." - Trip Advisor
- "A very enjoyable morning to this northern Mallorcan town included a visit to the Carthusian monastery. This is a very worthy take-in, made more so by it's historical association with Frederic Chopin. We were treated to a piano concert of his Preludes before our tour, which was wonderful. The monastery and town afford beautiful views all around, despite an evident design for tourist appeal. The village is charming with cafés & shops for casual and serious shoppers alike. Valldemossa is definitely worth the bus-ride from Palma." - Trip Advisor
When to come
Opening hours are as follows (ticket office closes 30 minutes earlier):
- January & December - 09:30 to 15:30
- February & November - 09:30 to 17:30
- March & October - 09:30 to 18:00
- April to September - 09:30 to 19:00
Sundays only 10:00 to 13:00. Closed on January 1st, December 25th and Sundays in January and December.
How to get passes
Tickets cost 8.50€, with reduced fares for students (6€), seniors (7€), groups over 4 persons (7.50€) and children 10 to 14 years old (4€). They can be booked online.
