Ciutadella was Menorca's capital until the British moved the seat of government to Maó in the 18th century, and it retains the grander feel of a former capital. The old city centre is built around Baroque palaces and a Gothic cathedral, with narrow lanes and an aristocratic character that Maó — more commercial, more harbour-oriented — doesn't have. The old town is compact and largely pedestrianized; walking it takes a morning.
The Plaça des Born, the main square, is overlooked by the town hall, the bishop's palace, and several noble family mansions. The cathedral of Santa Maria was built in the 14th century on the site of the old mosque after the Aragonese conquest and has a rather bare Gothic interior enlivened by a Baroque side chapel. The harbour at Ciutadella is smaller and more intimate than Maó's — a narrow inlet lined with fishing boats and restaurants, where you can eat fresh fish caught that morning at tables overlooking the water.