Elegant Girona boasts architecture from the Romanesque, Medieval and Modernism eras, numerous Gothic spires and a beautiful walled medieval quarter. Girona also has one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Spain making it a fantastic destination to explore.
The Girona Travel Summary is segmented into 3 key travel themes to immerse you into everything Girona:
- An introduction and brief history to this wonderful town;
- Itineraries;
- What to See
Hope you enjoy it! Carpe Diem!
1. An introduction and brief history to this wonderful town:
Girona also has an awe-inspiring Gothic cathedral, Art Nouveau-period architecture for lovers of Gaudí who want to extend their repertoire, a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, before he created his famous Paris tower and some excellent museums.
Girona is easily explored by foot and the Barri Vell (Old Quarter) also known as the Golden Triangle is the best place to start your journey through time. The riverside is beautiful with picturesque pastel-hued houses of Les Cases de l’Onyar lining the Ríu Onyar.
The Força Vella Fortress was built by the Romans in the first century BC, which was very well protected by a defensive rampart. It remained unchanged until the year 1,000, and today you can still see parts of the walled fortress.
2. Some great Itineraries:
8am – Enjoy the view of Cases de l’Onyar:
One of the most recognisable images of Girona are the small, picturesque houses with painted facades (in reddish, cream and ochre tones) on the Onyar River, also known as hanging house. The houses were built between the 17th and 20th centuries and in 1983 they were restored and painted in the colours you see today by architects Josep Fuses and Joan M. Viader and by painters Enric Ansesa and Jaume Faixó The one house that stands out because of its white colour is (at 29, Ballesteries de Gironais) is Casa Masó, the architect Rafael Masó birthplace. It is an example of Noucentisme in Girona and is nowadays the headquarters of the Fundació Rafael Maso
11am – Cathedral of Girona:
One of the symbols of the city, the Cathedral of Girona is an imposing building, located on the highest point in the town (86 steps above Plaça de la Catedral) It is famous for its single nave which is the second largest in the world (only surpassed by St. Peter’s in the Vatican)
Afternoon – Wander around monasteries and convents:
The Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, from the 12th century, is one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Girona. From 1857, Sant Pere de Galligants was used as a museum of archaeology and fine arts, one of the oldest in Catalonia. The convent of Sant Domènec de Girona, founded in 1253 by Bishop Berenguer of Castellbisbal, is a monumental landmark made up of two cloisters, the convent and church, all in Gothic style. It has been refurbished in recent years to adapt it to the functions of the University of Girona, which has made it a part of the neo-Romanesque building of the Faculty of Arts.
Evening – Walk the Castle walls:
The 3km majestic medieval walls (Passeig de la Muralla) sit high above Girona and offer splendid views of Girona and the Pyrenees Mountains. Built between 9th and 15th centuries, these medieval walls surround the majority of Girona’s Historical centre. You can climb up a spiral staircase inside the Torre Gironella for a fantastic views over the city. The walls meander high above the rooftops up to the Jardins de la Muralla where the wall ends.
3. What to See:
Cathedral of Girona:
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- One of the symbols of the city, the Cathedral of Girona is an imposing building, located on the highest point in the town (86 steps above Plaça de la Catedral)
- It is famous for its single nave which is the second largest in the world (only surpassed by St. Peter’s in the Vatican)
- Dedicated to Santa Maria, its construction began in the eleventh century and ended in the eighteenth century
Cases de l’Onyar:
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- One of the most recognisable images of Girona are the small, picturesque houses with painted facades (in reddish, cream and ochre tones) on the Onyar River, also known as hanging house.
- The houses were built between the 17th and 20th centuries and in 1983 they were restored and painted in the colours you see today by architects Josep Fuses and Joan M. Viader and by painters Enric Ansesa and Jaume Faixó
- The one house that stands out because of its white colour is (at 29, Ballesteries de Gironais) is Casa Masó, the architect Rafael Masó birthplace.
- It is an example of Noucentisme in Girona and is nowadays the headquarters of the Fundació Rafael Maso
Pont de Pedra
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- Pont de Pedra is one of Girona’s defining experiences – it connects the Barri Vell with the neighbourhood of Mercadal
- Pont de Pedra and the other bridges that span the river Onyar are the perfect place to photograph Cases de l’Onyar
Passeig de la Muralla:
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- The 3km majestic medieval walls (Passeig de la Muralla) sit high above Girona and offer splendid views of Girona and the Pyrenees Mountains
- Built between 9th and 15th centuries, these medieval walls surround the majority of Girona’s Historical centre
- You can climb up a spiral staircase inside the Torre Gironella for a fantastic views over the city
- The walls meander high above the rooftops up to the Jardins de la Muralla where the wall ends
Monasterio de Sant Pere de Galligants
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- The Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, from the 12th century, is one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Girona
- From 1857, Sant Pere de Galligants was used as a museum of archaeology and fine arts, one of the oldest in Catalonia.
- Currently it is the headquarters of the Girona branch of the Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia and includes the archaeological materials found in the excavations of several sites in the Girona region, from prehistory to the Middle Ages
Convent of Sant Domènec
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- The convent of Sant Domènec de Girona, founded in 1253 by Bishop Berenguer of Castellbisbal, is a monumental landmark made up of two cloisters, the convent and church, all in Gothic style
- Sandwiched between the Gironella tower and Sant Martí Sacosta, this is a monastic temple presided over by the Gothic church.
- It has been refurbished in recent years to adapt it to the functions of the University of Girona, which has made it a part of the neo-Romanesque building of the Faculty of Arts
Casa Masó
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- Family home of architect Rafael Masó (1880-1935)
- This is one of his most important architectural works and the only one of the famous houses over the River Onyar that is open to the public
- The house has the furniture and decoration of the from the turn of the 20th century
Arabic Baths
AllThingsTravel Top Pick:
- The Arabic baths were built in the twelfth century and served as public baths following construction parameters of North African Muslims but with Romanesque elements
- The most spectacular parts are the lounge, with an angular vault and the dome supported by columns with Corinthian tops, and the centre pool
4. Photo Gallery:
