Girona is a small medieval city about 100 kilometres northeast from Barcelona. Located halfway between the majestic peaks of the Pyrenees and the picturesque Costa Brava, this town is at the heart of Catalonia and has a rich history that dates back to the Roman ages.
Founded by Romans, the city was influenced by different cultures and religions. That is why today it keeps surprising visitors with its diverse and beautiful architecture.
The River Onyar separates the Old City from the modern town, which lies west of the river. Girona is a gorgeous town for a leisurely stroll, as it boasts many museums, shops, and cafés.
It was recently the filming location of many scenes of Game of Thrones Season 6, where it appears as Braavos. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you should definitely join a themed walking tour. Most filming locations are included in my list of things to visit below.
Here is my guide on how to spend a day in the charming medieval town of Girona. Let’s explore the best things to do there!
Visit the Spectacular Girona Cathedral
The Cathedral is located at the heart of the Força Vella (walled old town). One of the best spots for pictures in the city is the view from the bottom of the stairway at Plaça de la Catedral. From there you can admire the baroque façade of the Girona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona.
The cathedral combines architectural styles from several periods. The main layout is Gothic; in fact, it has the widest Gothic nave of any church in the world, and the second largest of all behind St. Peter’s Basilica. Its Romanesque cloister is marvelous and features a series of columns adorned with sculpted capitals depicting fantastic figures and animals, and vegetable motifs.
The entrance charge covers admission to the cathedral, its cloister, the museum, and entrance to the Basilica of Sant Feliu. The museum houses a fine collection of ecclesiastical treasures, including medieval tapestries and manuscripts. One of them is the masterly Romanesque Tapís de la creació (Tapestry of the Creation) dating from the 11th or 12th century. The ticket costs €7 and includes audio guides.
For more info visit the Cathedral’s official website
Take a Walk along the Passeig de la Muralla
One of the best things to do in Girona is a walk along its impressive city walls, the Passeig de la Muralla.
Girona’s imperious walls were built by the Romans, expanded in the early 800s and then enlarged again in the 14th century. They are in a good state today following restoration works, and you can walk along the ramparts around nearly the whole of the old quarter. A stroll around the entire medieval centre will take no more than 2 hours.
Along the walk you will find many watchtowers with stairways up to the best vantage points to enjoy Girona’s skyline. From up there you can see the entire city and the snowy peaks of the Pyrenees in the far distance as well.
Don’t miss the charming Jardins dels Alemanys, another nice spot for pictures.
The River Onyar & Girona Bridges
The River Onyar bisects the city, creating a left and right bank. The right bank is home to the charming and incredibly popular old town with its stone steps and cobbled streets. On the left bank you will find the more modern part of the city with the popular bars and restaurants area of Placa de la Independencia.
Pont de pedra (The stone bridge) is one of the most emblematic bridges in the city of Girona. The original name of the bridge is Pont d’Isabel II (Bridge of Isabel II, during whose reign it was built). It connects the new part of the city with the Barri Vell, the Old medieval town of Girona.
This bridge is the only bridge that also allows bicycles to pass, but it is close to other vehicles. This is the first of the 5 bridges accessing the old town. Coming from the train station, once you have crossed the bridge you will find the Girona Tourism office and La Rambla de la Libertad on your left.
Useful tip – I recommend stopping at the tourist office. They speak many languages and you will get a city map for free, and plenty of great suggestions if you ask.
The Eiffel Bridge is probably the most famous bridge in Girona. It was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1877, only a few years before the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The original name is Pont de les Peixateries Velles and locals call it El Pont de Ferro (the iron bridge). From any of the 5 bridges crossing the river, you can admire the beautiful colourful buildings lined up along the waterfront of the Onyar river. The most recognisable building is Casa Masó, the birthplace of the architect Rafael Masó.
Basilica of Sant Feliu and El Cul de la Lleona
Just downhill from the cathedral stands Girona’s second great church, The Church of St. Felix, with its truncated bell tower.
It was built in honour of Sant Feliu between the 12th and the 17th centuries. Its style is mainly Romanesque, but the church also features a majestic Gothic nave and a baroque façade.
It houses some remarkable works of art, such as the eight pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (from the 3rd and 4th centuries) and the beautiful Chapel of St Narcissus, a marble-and-jasper, late-baroque side chapel where the tomb of the city’s patron is venerated.
Useful tip – Entrance to the Basilica of Sant Feliu is included with the Cathedral tickets. Audio guides are also included.
El Cul De La Lleona – No visit to Girona is complete without a visit to La Lleona– a stone carving of a lioness climbing a pillar – at Placa de Sant Feliu. Kissing the bottom of the sculpture is the most popular tradition among visitors. Follow the custom, and according to the story you will surely come back to Girona one day.
Explore Girona Old City and the Jewish Quarter (El Call)
One of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe, this ghetto took shape around the 1100s and was developed over the next 300 years, to become one of the largest in Spain. It’s a very photogenic area, with stone walls, stairways, and secret gardens. The Museum of Jewish History reveals the story of Catalonia’s Jewish communities.
Arab Baths
Despite their name, these baths are a finely preserved, 12th-century Christian construction. The baths contain an apodyterium (changing room), with a small octagonal pool framed by slender pillars, a frigidarium and a tepidarium (respectively with cold and warm water) and a caladium (a kind of sauna) heated by an underfloor furnace.
Rambla de la Llibertat
La Rambla de la Llibertat, built in 1885, is a wide and elegant pedestrian boulevard parallel to the Onyar. Along the arched portico, you can shop, meet up, go for a coffee or have a great lunch.
Plaça de la Independència
This 19thcentury square in the Mercadal district is surrounded by restaurants and cafes where the locals like to meet up for a chat. There is a monument in the middle of the square dedicated to the people that helped defending the city from the French siege in the early 19thcentury.
Booking.comMonestir de Sant Pere de Galligants
This beautiful Romanesque Benedectine monastery houses the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya–Girona, exhibiting artefacts dating from prehistoric to medieval times, and features a splendid Romanesque cloister dating from 1154.
How To Get To Girona
Girona has its own airport, which is located about 12 km from the city. There are regular Ryanair flights from many destinations in Europe.
From Barcelona, there are regular trains to Girona every day. Depending on the type of train, the journey can take approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Check timetables and book your ticket here
Check out Where To Eat & Drink In Girona
- Hospital Sant Pau: The World’s Largest Art Nouveau Complex - 28 March 2021
- Palau Güell: A Magnificient Example of Gaudí’s Fervent Architectural Imagination - 14 March 2021
- Casa Amatller: A Unique Example of Modernism In Barcelona - 27 February 2021
Leave a Reply