Yes, it is very easy to let the mind play tricks when exploring a place where unexplainable occurrences are still happening to this very day. But whether they be real, or just imaginary, Palma’s own ‘haunted’ castle, is surrounded by legend and intrigue.

From its prominent hilltop position overlooking Palma Bay, the Castell de Bellver lives up to its name, which translated from Catalan, means ‘beautiful view’. Unique in Spain because of its circular design, Bellver Castle has been standing for around 700 years. It was the brainchild of King Jaume I who dreamt of building a monument to commemorate the dominance of Christianity over the Muslim faith. Unfortunately he didn’t see the finished product during his reign.

As well as serving as a royal residence, over the centuries the castle has been used as a refuge during the plague, a military fortress during the 16th century Germania rebellion, and later on, a prison, it’s walls guarding many an untold story of torture, pain and death. And, of course, no tale of woe and wonderment would be complete without the Knights Templar and their secret conspiracies. The Knights were rewarded with positions of great power by the King after taking part in the Christian invasion of Mallorca.  They supposedly met in secret tunnels which ran below the castle as far as the Cathedral.

The tunnels apparently led into the ‘Coves d’Avall’, a system of excavation caves underneath the castle, where legend has it, Joana the witch lived. She enticed the innocent inside, fed them poisonous figs, removed hunchbacks or inflicted them on the less fortunate.

On several occasions throughout its dark history, as many as seven hundred prisoners were held at the castle at one time, their graffiti still visible on the walls. Certain prisoners were incarcerated in the tower that stands outside the circular structure of the castle, called the ‘Torre de l’Homeage’. Inside, a trapdoor in the floor leads to a dark dungeon or the infamous ‘Olla’ – the pot, into which prisoners were thrown and left to swelter in the summer heat or freeze to death in winter.

Now a historical site open to the public, housing a museum and hosting a music festival every year, it was during these visiting hours that a young couple unknowingly captured ‘The voices of Bellver’ on their video camera. Their non-eventful visit did not appear as such, when on watching the film later, terrifying screams and cries could be heard. It was later investigated by a Spanish television channel who could not offer any suitable explanation.

Bellver Castle is open every day of the year for you to visit, just make sure you leave before it gets dark…