Recently I went on a trip to northern Catalunya and Girona was the first stop.
Many of you may have seen pictures of the colourful houses on the Onyar River. This pastel coloured houses are lined up along the river. You can enter the city by crossing several bridges, including the iron bridge, Pont de Ferro, built by Gustave Eiffel. It’s also a perfect spot for cute pictures!
Girona is a medieval city so be sure to bring comfy shoes, you’ll be doing a lot of walking (and stairs but i’ll come back to this later). The Old Quarter is full of narrow streets where you can end up walking during hours and not noticing time go by. One of it’s main attractions is Girona’s Cathedral, built in 1680 having a mix of Baroque, Gothic and Romanesque to it. Make sure you go inside (it’s free) and admire its 11th-century ‘Tapestry of the Creation’.
Girona also offers a Jewish Quarter, El Call. Just walk around, explore the alleys and if you like museums you can even stop at the Museum of the History of the Jews. You will notice that most buildings are made of stone. It has also become an area for antique shopping and dining. The photo below is from one of the city’s most photogenic spot, the arch of the Baroque Agullana Mansion.
Here comes the walking part, as if there hadn’t been a lot of walking already! The city is surrounded by a walking route that used to be the old city walls. There are not that many points of entry so once you start you have to go on until you find the next entrance/exit. But honestly, with the amazing view of the city with the mountains on the background, it is well worth it! I recommend going during the sunset, it’s just breathtaking!!
I was so obsessed with the pastel coloured houses on the river that I had to go back during the night to see how it looked and boy was I surprised… I can’t honestly tell which scene I liked the most. Go and see for yourself 🙂
Let me know if you are planing a visit soon, will be happy to offer you some insights!
··· Tips on how to get to Girona ···
Girona has its own airport offering you the possibility to fly directly to the city.
From Barcelona:
- Car: It will take you approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Train: from Estación de Sants you find trains leaving regularly. The journey takes around 1 hour and a half and tickets cost around 10 EUR each way. Check Renfe’s website for more information.
- Bus: from Estación de autobuses Barcelona Nord you’ll find two companies that do this route, Sagalés y Alsa. Check their website for more information.