The Palace of the Kings of Majorca stands on a hill above the old centre of Perpignan, enclosed within the later Vauban-era bastions that make approaching it feel like entering a fortress-within-a-fortress. The Vauban fortifications are from the 17th century; the palace inside them is 400 years older, a handsome 13th-century structure arranged around a central courtyard. The architectural highlight is the double chapel: the upper chapel built in Gothic, the lower in Romanesque, one sitting directly above the other in a manner that is unusual for the period and region. The great tower at the corner offers a panorama over the city rooftops and, on clear days, south to the Pyrenees and east to the sea.
The palace is not crammed with furnishings — most interiors are largely bare — but the architecture is strong enough to carry the visit without them. The courtyard, the gallery running around it, and the views from the terraces are the reward for the uphill walk. Combined with the time spent crossing the Vauban fortifications outside, allow about 90 minutes at a comfortable pace. The morning light falls well on the courtyard; afternoons can be very hot in summer and the stone retains the heat.