10 Places you must visit in Girona

The capital of Girona Province in Catalonia, it’s an ancient town found in the northernmost side of Spain. One of the major Catalan Cities, having an old town jewish quarter which attracts many tourists.

Girona

Surrounded by Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell rivers, it has been a focal point of this region in Catalonia since before being part of the Roman Empire.

It’s known to be the “sweet escape city” just 98 kilometers away from the busy streets of Barcelona.

• Population : about 100,000 people
• Language : Spanish Catalan, (often french)
• Climate : Summer, 25–35 °C (77–95 °F) Winter, most −3 °C (27 °F) Autumn and Spring 5-14 °C (41-57°F)

How to go to Girona?

• Bus, (€16) from the center of Barcelona, in Estació d’Autobusos Barcelona Nord (Barcelona’s main bus terminal)
• Train, (14€) from Barcelona Estació de Sants take the new high-speed AVE (AVANT) service. About 35 minutes. Media Distancia takes 1 hour 30 minutes and Regional takes 1 hour 45 minutes (7€)
• Taxi, (20€) Airport to train station.
• Car, for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Barcelona to the city center (1 hour from the border of France)

Other Places to visit includes : Cul de la lleona, (Female lion’s butt), Sant Pere de Galligans, Rafael Masó architecture, Museum of Cinema, Museum of Archaeology (Gerona), Sant Pere de Galligants and Sant Nicolau, Sant Martí Sacosta, The Valley and Monastery of Sant Daniel, Modernist and Noucentist Architecture, Plaça del Vi and Rambla de la Llibertat.

Are you confused about Girona and Gerona? here’s the answer for you.

Gerona is with Spanish spelling
Girona, Catalan spelling (preferred by locals, as it’s possible one of the most “deep Catalan” places you might find)

There are also ways on how to better understand the secrets and history of this place through Exploring Girona City.

Here are the top most places that you should never miss when you visit the city.

Top 10, La Cassa Masso

Casa Masó is the only one of the houses that backs on the river Onyarin Girona. Offers singular views of the city, the birthplace of Gerona architect Rafael Masó (1880-1935).

The most important of his works, the family Masó bought and joined together four houses between the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, and its current appearance is the result of work done by Masó himself in 1919.

The house still has the furniture and decoration of the ‘noucentista’ period (from the turn of the 20th century).

Admission fee: Normal entrance: 5 € Reduced entrance: 2,5 € (students, pensioners and unemployed people presenting the relevant accreditation).

Address: Ballesteries, 29 17004 Girona

Phone : 972 413 989
E-mail: info@rafaelmaso.org

Top 9 Museum of Jewish History

This museum tells the story of Catalonia’s medieval Jewish communities, paying special attention to Girona. Of particular interest is a unique collection of medieval Jewish tombstones from the Jewish cemetery of Montjuïc.

Admission Fees: Normal entrance: 4 € Reduced entrance: 2 €

Free entrance on the first Sunday of every month.

Address: Carrer de la Força, 8 17004 Girona

Phone: +34 972 216 761
E-mail: callgirona@ajgirona.cat

Top 8 Independence Square

A portioned square in neoclassical style, Plaça de la Independence is a busy place due to the large number of restaurants here. In the centre of the square stands a monument (1894) commemorating the 1809 defenders of Girona, created by the sculptor Antoni Parera. which refers to the War of Spanish Independence against Napoleon Bonaparte.

Designed by Martí Sureda on the site of the old convent of Sant Agustí, this is Girona’s most popular square.

Surrounded by traditional and typical restaurants on its environs.

Top 7 The Walls

Walls are the various towers are excellent vantage points offering views over the city and the surrounding areas.

The extend of Roman walls during the medieval ages today enables visitors to stroll along a walkway following some sections of the longest Carolingian walls in Europe (9th century).

Address: Carrer dels Alemanys, 20, 17004

Phone: +34 972 41 90 00

Top 6 Pont d’en Gómez and Pont de les Peixateries Velles

Pont d’en Gomez is a bridge from the northern part of Independence Square, access to the Medieval Quarter. You can actually see the houses on the river Onyar. While Pont de les Peixateries Velles or Palanques Vermelles is one of the bridges of Girona.

The construction carried out in 1877 and it is part of Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia. The contractor was the company Gustave Eiffel in Paris.

Top 5 Jewish Quarter

Located within the Força Vella, the Jewish Quarter or Call is one of the city’s most emblematic areas. It consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets and patios that have maintained their medieval atmosphere.

It is one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in the world and clear importance of the Jewish culture in Girona.

Top 4 Art Museum

The Girona Art Museum in the incomparable setting of the old Episcopal Palace.

It has the most important collection of art in the diocese and province of Girona, dating from the Romanesque age to the dawn of the 20th century.

Admission Fee: Normal entrance: 4.5 € Reduced entrance: 3.5 € (students, pensioners, unemployed people and groups of 20 people or more).

Address : Pujada de la cathedral, 12 17004 Girona

Phone: +34 972 203 834
E-mail: museuart_girona.cultura@gencat.net

Top 3

Basilica de Sant Feliu

With its castle-like appearance, Girona’s first cathedral until the 10th century is one of its most representative Gothic buildings, above all the slender bell tower (14th-16th centuries).

The church houses some remarkable works of art, such as the eight pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (4th century) and the Recumbent Christ (14th century) by the sculptor Aloi de Montbrai.

Admission fee: Normal entrance: 7 € (includes audio guide) Reduced entrance: 5 € pensioners and students with ID (includes audio guide)

Free entrance: children under 7, members of religious orders and natives/residents in Girona.

Address: Plaça de la Catedral 17004

Phone:+34 +34 972 427 189
E-mail: visites@catedraldegirona.org

The Houses on the River Onyar

Girona offers spectacular images of steep alleyways, portioned streets and squares and, above all, the brightly painted facades of the houses overlooking the Onyar (the river that crosses the city) which offer the most emblematic image of the city.

One of these houses is Casa Masó, which is open to the public.

Top 2

The Arab Baths

A singular Romanesque construction (12th century) inspired by Roman baths, its most outstanding elements include the entrance.

Which used as a changing room and relaxation area and covered with a barrel vault, and the cupola covering the central pool, which supported by slim columns with ornately decorated capitals.

The building is captivating for its forms and, once inside, to the beauty of the play between light and darkness. The building is in the Romanesque style but follows the model of Roman baths, the Arab baths and the Jewish mikvah from a tradition that restored during the 11th century, with development of the urban areas and the need to improve hygiene.

Admission fee: Normal entrance: 2 € Reduced entrance: 1 € (students, pensioners and children under 16)

For student groups accompanied by professors, the price will be 1 € for each visitor, with a 30 € maximum charge per group.

Address: Ferran el Catòlic s/n 17004 Girona

Phone: +34 972 213 262

Cathedral Treasury Museum

This museum houses important works of religious art, such as the Beatus manuscript (10th century), the famous Creation Tapestry (12th century).

A valuable collection of Gothic sculptures, paintings and silverware and the Renaissance altarpiece of St. Helena (16th century). The tour of the treasury forms part of the cultural tour of the cathedral and of the basilica of Sant Feliu in Girona.

Admission fee: Normal entrance: 7 € (includes audio guide) Reduced entrance: 5 € pensioners and students with ID (includes audio guide)

Free entrance: children under 7, members of religious orders and natives/residents in Girona.

Address: Plaça de la Catedral 17004 Girona

Phone:+34 +34 972 427 189
E-mail: visites@catedraldegirona.org

Top 1 The Cathedral

Symbol of the city, the Cathedral of Girona is an imposing building, at the heart of the Força Vella on the highest point in the town and with a unique feature: its single nave is the second largest in the world (only surpassed by St. Peter’s in the Vatican).

But the temple hides many treasures beyond its dimensions. At the top of a spectacular staircase with 90 steps there is a compendium of 5 centuries of history.

Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, it includes a series of walls and spaces in different styles, from Romanesque (the cloister and Charlemagne tower) to the baroque façade and steps.

Attached to the Church we find the Cathedral Treasury with two notable pieces of great artistic value: the Tapestry of the Creation (one of the few examples of Romanesque textiles) and the Beatus de Girona (a 10th century copy of the Commentary on the Apocalypse made by the Blessed of Liébana, with more than 100 full-page miniatures).

Admission fee: Normal entrance: 7 € (includes audio guide) Reduced entrance: 5 € pensioners and students with ID (includes audio guide)

Free entrance: children under 7, members of religious orders and natives/residents in Girona.

Address: Plaça de la Catedral 17004 Girona

Phone:+34 +34 972 427 189
E-mail: visites@catedraldegirona.org

Official City’s Website