This list of the best places to visit in Girona, will help you prepare your visit to one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and Europe.
Historic city of Roman origin, with more than 2000 years old, falls in love with its cobbled streets of the old town where jewels such as the Jewish quarter and the magnificent Cathedral stand out.
In addition to being one of the cities with the best quality of life in the country and setting the mythical series Game of ThronesIn Girona you can enjoy a first class cuisine, which highlights the incredible Celler de Can Roca, several times selected as the best restaurant in the world.
Based on the experience of the many times we have visited this city, we have made a list of what we think, are the 10 places to see in Girona essential. We start!
1. The Houses of Onyar
These houses of brightly colored facades that are hanging on the Oñar River, in the section that runs through the old town, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Girona.
From the Stone Bridge you will have a good first perspective of the beautiful reflection of these houses on the waters of the Oñar River with the background the Cathedral and the tower of the church of Sant Feliu although for us the best view and photo are obtained from the bridge of the Peixateries Velles, an original iron bridge built by the great Gustave Eiffel in 1877.
If you want to enter one of the hanging houses you can visit the fantastic Casa Masó, symbol of the movement of the Novecentismo of the city.
A good way to know the history of the city and not miss anything interesting is to book this free tour of Girona Free! or this full tour with tickets, both with guide in Spanish.
Houses of Onyar
2. The Cathedral
One of the best things to do in Girona is to climb the 90 steps of the impressive baroque style staircase that leave you in front of the fantastic Cathedral.
After seeing the impressive baroque facade and the views from the top of the stairs, you can enter inside through the ticket office (7 euros), located on the left.
The visit with audio guide also includes the cathedral museum, where the Romanesque tapestry of the Creation of the eleventh century is located that will leave you speechless.
After the museum you will enter the gothic nave of the cathedral considered the widest in the world in its style in which in addition to touring all its chapels and stopping in front of the magnificent main altar, we recommend you visit the beautiful cloister.
Girona Cathedral
3. The Call
The Call, located inside the old town, is the Europe's best preserved Jewish quarter and another one of the essential places to see in Girona.
In this neighborhood of narrow cobbled streets and beautiful courtyards, lived one of the most important Jewish communities in the West that made the city prosper to its fullest until its expulsion in 1492.
We recommend starting the route in the Cathedral through the Claveria street and going down the alleys located between it and the Calle de la Força such as Manuel Cundado Street or Sant Llorenç Street, until you reach the Pujada de Sant Domènec.
To know the history of this community you can enter the Museum of Jewish History, located in an old synagogue and another of the places to visit in Girona.
Another more interesting option to know the history of this neighborhood and its curiosities, is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish that includes the visit to the museum.
Museum visiting hours: every day from 10am to 6pm, Sunday and Monday closes at 2pm.
The Jewish Quarter
4. Arab Baths
The Arab Baths, located near the Cathedral, is a Romanesque building from the 12th century and one of our favorite places to visit in Girona.
These owe their name to the inspiration they took from Roman baths and Muslim baths, and by using the steam-style Arab-style system.
After paying the two euros of the entrance you will find the most beautiful room of the bathrooms, which is used as a dressing room, in which one of the most prominent elements is the central pool with a beautiful dome supported by eight columns with richly capitals Decorated From this room you will pass to the cold and hot water zone.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm, Sundays and holidays from 10am to 2pm.
Arab Baths, one of the places to see in Girona
Our recommended hotel in Girona
Our recommended accommodation in the city is the Hotel Ciutat de Girona located in the historic center 10 minutes from the Jewish quarter. In addition to its excellent location, the hotel has parking, heated pool and the rooms have all the comforts.
5. La Muralla, one of the places to visit in Girona
The city of Girona is located in a border and strategic position, which is why it required since its inception the construction of a defensive wall with several towers.
The first wall was built in the first century B.C. by the Romans and it was not until the extension in the Middle Ages that a walk was created that allowed one of the most extensive Carolingian walls in Europe to be explored.
This wall, of which a great section is conserved and offers fantastic views of the city and surroundings, has become another of the most famous places to see in Girona.
To access the wall you can take the Arab Baths as a reference and go up the Paseo de Reina Joana following the signs that mark the wall as "Passeig Arqueològic".
We recommend climbing the wall at sunset to see the sunset over the city.
Wall, one of the places to visit in Girona
6. Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligans
Entering the cloister of the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligans in Romanesque style and built in the 10th century, is another of the best things to do in Girona.
This former Benedictine abbey, based in Girona of the Archeology Museum of Catalonia, stands out for the beautiful capitals decorated with plant motifs, the octagonal bell tower and the Romanesque cloister with more meticulously decorated capitals.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm, Sundays and holidays from 10am to 2pm.
Monastery of Sant Pare de Galligans
7. Pujada de Sant Domènec
At the end of Calle de la Força you will reach one of the most beautiful places to see in Girona, the Pujada de Sant Domènec, a stepped street, located in the heart of the Old Quarter, which is surrounded by the Renaissance Palace of Calemany, the Palace of the Agullana and in the background the baroque-neoclassical church of Sant Martí Sacosta. As a curiosity, several scenes of the film were shot on the baroque steps of this staircase "Perfume".
In addition to the church of Sant Martí, another of the prettiest churches to visit in Girona It is the church of Sant Feliu, the first cathedral of Girona.
This church was a cathedral until the 10th century and stands out for its high bell tower, the baroque facade and the eight pagan and paleochristian sarcophagi inside.
And remember that before leaving the square of this church you have to kiss the ass of the sculpture of the lioness, to return to Girona.
Pujada de Sant Domènec
8. Rambla de la Llibertat
Walking along the Rambla de la Llibertat and having a drink on one of its terraces, is another one of the best things to do in Girona.
This commercial street, an old market, has a medieval air with several modernist buildings and a beautiful area of arcades, which make it unique in the city.
Before starting the route along this avenue, we recommend entering the Plaza del Vi, a large space of arcades with some of the main buildings of the city such as the City Hall, the Municipal Theater and the Palace of the General and to finish the walk cross the Pont de Sant Agustí and reach the Plaza de la Independencia, a porticoed square of neoclassical style surrounded by restaurants and terraces.
In this square begins the tour of mysteries and legends, one of the most famous and interesting in the city.
Rambla de la Llibertat
Book the best rated Spanish excursions from Girona by travelers:
- Tour of the Costa Brava and its medieval villages
- Garrocha excursion
- Girona Tour + Dalí de Figueres Museum
- Excursion to the Dalí Museum, Cadaqués and Cap de Creus
- Excursion to Cadaqués and Cap de Creus- More tours and excursions in Girona here
9. Temps de flors
The best time to travel to Girona It is in the middle of May when one of the most beautiful parties we have seen is celebrated: Temps de Flors.
For 10 days the streets, squares, courtyards and main buildings of the old quarter of Girona are decorated with more than 150 beautiful floral sets that fill all corners with color and aroma.
The only drawback of this party is the high influx of tourists, especially on weekends, so it is advisable to visit the city during the week or at less busy times such as early in the day or at lunchtime.
Among the best decorated places to visit in Girona during Temps de Flors are the stairs of the Cathedral, the area of the Arab Baths, the Wall, the Pujada de Sant Domènec and the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligans, among many others.
Flors Temps
10. Game of Thrones Scenarios
Girona in recent years has become even more touristy when filming in several locations in the old town numerous scenes of the sixth season of the emblematic series "Game of Thrones".
Although there is no longer the possibility of meeting with its protagonists in bars and restaurants of the city while filming the movie, you can remember the highlights of the series.
Some of the most famous are that of Queen Margaery making the path of shame on the stairs of the Cathedral or Ayra fleeing from a girl who wants to kill her in the Arab Baths and the Pujada de Sant Domènec, who finally manages to stab her in The Galligants Bridge.
The best way to know all these places and not miss any is to book this tour through the Game of Thrones scenarios with a guide in Spanish.
Galligants Bridge
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Girona essential, add yours in the comments.
