Things to Do in Girona, Spain: A Walking Guide to the Old Town

Girona is one of those small cities that rewards you for slowing down. Plenty of people see it on a quick day trip from Barcelona, and you will get a feel for the place in a few hours. But we have been back to Girona more times than we can count over the years, and we still find something new every visit.

The city packs an enormous amount into a compact medieval centre: one of the best preserved old towns in Catalonia, a handful of excellent museums, a cathedral with the widest Gothic nave in the world, and one of the finest restaurants on the planet. It also makes an excellent base for the wider Costa Brava coast and the Catalan Pyrenees.

This guide is built around how the old town actually fits together. Rather than a flat list of sights, we have set our favourite things to do in Girona along a walking route, so you can see how one stop leads to the next and plan a visit that doesn’t waste time backtracking.

 

Girona at a Glance

If you only have a few hours, Girona works well as a half day visit. The historic core is small and almost entirely walkable, and an afternoon is enough for the cathedral, the Arab Baths, the city walls and the Jewish Quarter. To do the city justice, and to use it as a base for the Costa Brava, give it two days.

Here is the quick version:

• How long you need: a few hours covers the old town highlights, while two days lets you slow down for the museums, the food, and a day out on the coast.
• The core loop: Pont de Sant Feliu, the Basilica, the Cathedral, the Arab Baths, the medieval walls, the Jewish Quarter and Eiffel’s Bridge form one uphill loop through the old town. Allow half a day at a relaxed pace.
• Getting there: under an hour by train from Barcelona, and Girona has its own airport (GRO).
• Best time to visit: May, for the Temps de Flors flower festival, and September or October are the most comfortable. Summer is hot and busy.
• Don’t miss: the view of the coloured houses from Pont de Sant Feliu, and sunset from the top of the medieval walls.

 

Map of Things to Do in Girona

We have put together a map of our favourite things to do in Girona, which you can see on Google Maps here. It marks every stop on the walking route below, so you can follow along on your phone as you go.

 

A Walking Route Through Girona’s Old Town

Most day trippers arrive by bus and are dropped at the visitor parking area by the river, next to Pont de Sant Feliu, so that is where this route begins. From there it climbs gently up through the old town to the cathedral and the city walls, then loops back down through the Jewish Quarter to the river. Girona is a medieval city of winding streets, so no route is perfectly logical, but walked in this order the main sights link together without much backtracking.

 

Admire the Skyline from Pont de Sant Feliu

If you arrive by bus, there is a good chance you will be dropped at the visitor parking area by the river, under the railway bridge and next to Pont de Sant Feliu. This pedestrian bridge crosses the Onyar and leads straight into the oldest part of town.

Before you cross, stop for the view. The row of coloured houses lining the river here is the classic Girona postcard, and on a still day they reflect almost perfectly in the water. Have your camera ready.

 

The Basilica de Sant Feliu

Cross Pont de Sant Feliu and the Basilica de Sant Feliu rises ahead of you, set above an impressive flight of steps. This was Girona’s main church before the cathedral was built, and it is largely Romanesque, though a Gothic nave and a Baroque facade were added later.

Inside you will find the tomb of St Narcissus, the patron saint of the city, along with a set of eight Roman and early Christian sarcophagi from the 3rd and 4th centuries, set into the chancel walls, and various important Christian artworks.

A combined ticket covers both the Basilica and the Cathedral de Santa María (see below), and includes an audioguide. It costs €7.50 for adults and €5 reduced. You can check the latest details on the official website.

 

The Cathedral de Santa María de Girona

Continue up through the massive old city walls and you reach Girona’s main cathedral, the Cathedral de Santa María. An even grander set of steps leads up to it, and a photo on those steps is a Girona rite of passage. Game of Thrones fans will recognise them, but more on that later.

A church has stood on this site for a very long time. The earlier Romanesque cathedral here was consecrated in 1038, and the single nave Gothic cathedral you see today was begun in the 14th century and worked on for centuries afterwards. Step inside for the headline feature: the widest Gothic nave of any church in the world, just shy of 23 metres across.

There is also a beautiful Romanesque cloister, its columns topped with carved capitals, and a number of tombs dating from the 14th to 18th centuries. The cathedral’s museum and treasury hold the Tapestry of Creation, an 11th century embroidery and one of the most important pieces of Romanesque textile work to survive.

The combined ticket mentioned above covers both the cathedral and the Basilica de Sant Feliu, with an audioguide included.

 

Visit the Arab Baths

A short walk from the cathedral are the Banys Àrabs, or Arab Baths. Built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, they were modelled on Roman baths, Turkish hammams and Jewish mikvahs.

It is a lovely space. Our favourite room is the apodyterium, where bathers would have undressed: at its centre is an octagonal pool ringed by eight slender columns, and above it a dome lets the light pour in.

Entry is €3, with reduced rates of €2 and €1, and it is well worth it. The baths are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and Sundays and holidays from 10am to 2pm.

 

Soak at Aqva

If all that talk of baths has put you in the mood, Aqva is just around the corner from the Arab Baths. This is a working spa rather than a monument, set in Girona’s former hospital. Hospital here in the old sense of a place of hospitality for travellers, not the sick.

The baths are built in the Greco-Roman style, with a range of bathing and sensory experiences, and you can soak among structures dating back as far as the 5th century. We had a lovely time working through the Tepidarium and Frigidarium. Entry to the bath circuit is €32, the experience is timed, and you do need to book ahead, which you can do on the official website.

 

Stroll the Jardins dels Alemanys

A little further up the hill from the cathedral, as you approach the long stretch of city walls, you come to the Jardins dels Alemanys. This free garden is full of trees and plants growing among the ruins of the old city walls and parts of the Roman city that stood here.

This was also the site of the barracks for the German soldiers who fought in the 19th century Peninsular War, and you can still see their ruins today. That is how the garden got its name, the German Gardens.

 

Walk the Medieval Walls and Força Vella

Girona has been around a long time. The city was founded in 79 BC, and when the Romans were expanding their empire they built a large fortress here, Força Vella, enclosed by huge walls that stood largely unchanged until around 1,000 AD. As the city grew, those walls were absorbed into its fabric, and you spot traces of them all over the old town.

The best way to appreciate them is to walk the medieval walls themselves. These date from the Carolingian period, around the 9th century, and extended the original Roman walls. They run from behind the cathedral, alongside the Jardins dels Alemanys, and you can walk along the top for wonderful views, climbing the lookout towers as you go. This is one of my favourite spots in Girona to photograph the sunset.

 

Wander the Jewish Quarter

Girona is old, parts of it more than 2,000 years old, and nowhere gives you a better sense of that than El Call, the Jewish Quarter. Girona had a sizeable Jewish population from at least 982. Its members paid higher taxes than other citizens and were afforded special protection, until they were expelled from the city in 1492. You can learn the full story at the excellent Jewish History Museum in this part of town.

You will already have passed through parts of El Call on the way up to the cathedral, but the best thing to do here is simply to pick a narrow cobbled lane and follow it. Don’t miss Carrer de la Força, home to the Jewish History Museum. Other atmospheric streets include Carrer Manuel Cundaro, Carrer de Sant Llorenç and Carrer del Doctor Oliva i Prat, all narrow, lined with old stone buildings and half hidden doorways.

If you would rather be guided, you can take a walking tour such as this one, which weaves through the medieval streets while a guide fills in the history of the city and its people. There are other walking tour options here too.

 

Take a Photo on Eiffel’s Bridge

From quarters and walls, on to a bridge. The Pont de les Peixateries Velles, also called the Pont Palanques Vermelles and known to most visitors simply as the Eiffel Bridge, is a footbridge of striking red iron latticework across the Onyar.

It was built in 1877 by the company of Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer whose Paris tower followed a little over a decade later, in 1889. You can see the family resemblance in the latticework and the material.

The bridge is a lovely place to line up a view along the river. Looking north you get the coloured houses of the old town with the towers of the cathedral and Sant Feliu rising behind them.

 

See Plaça de la Independència

Cross the river and you reach Plaça de la Independència, one of the city’s liveliest squares and a complete contrast to the medieval lanes. Built in the 19th century in the neoclassical style, it is ringed by covered porticoes full of restaurants and cafes, and is popular with locals and visitors alike.

It is a fine place to settle in with a coffee, or a generously poured gin and tonic, and watch the city go by.

 

Kiss the Lion

There is one last thing to do before you leave Girona, and that is to kiss the lion. Not a real one. Back near Pont de Sant Feliu, by the steps up to the Basilica, you will find El Cul de la Lleona: a column topped with a lion statue.

Tradition says that if you kiss the lion’s backside, you are guaranteed to return to the city. We have kissed it, and we have been back many times, so we can report that it works. For the record, this is a replica. The original lives in the city’s Art Museum, and we would advise against trying to kiss that one.

 

More Things to Do in Girona

The walking route covers the heart of the old town, but Girona has more to offer if you have a full day or longer. Here are the other things we would make time for.

 

Tour the Game of Thrones Filming Locations

Game of Thrones fans are in for a treat. Girona stood in for several locations in Season 6 of the show, filmed across the city in 2015.

Most famously, the cathedral steps are where Jaime Lannister halted Queen Margaery’s walk of atonement. Other spots include the area outside the Arab Baths, the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, and Plaça dels Jurats.

You can find the locations yourself, but a guided tour like this one brings the scenes to life, and the guide can usually share what the city was like during filming.

 

Visit the Monastery of Sant Daniel

About a ten minute walk from the centre, in a green valley just outside the old town, is the Monastery of Sant Daniel. It dates from the 11th century, was originally built as a nunnery, and is still an active Benedictine community today.

Because it is a working monastery, access is limited rather than open all day. You can visit the lovely two level cloister on non-holiday Thursday mornings, and on the first Saturday of each month there is a guided tour taking in the church, the cloister, the old kitchen and the cellar. It makes a peaceful change from the medieval streets, but do plan around those times.

 

Explore Girona’s Museums

Girona has an excellent set of museums, and if you are in the city for more than a day we would happily recommend several of them. We have visited all six, and each offers something different. If you visit more than one, you get a 50% saving at every museum after the first. You can find the details here.

 

The Museum of Jewish History

If we have piqued your interest in the Jewish history of Girona and Catalonia, a visit to the Museum of Jewish History will help sate it. Set inside Girona’s 15th century former synagogue, it holds a great deal of information and artefacts on the Jewish history of the city and the surrounding area.

 

The Art Museum

The Girona Art Museum holds the best collection of art in the region, ranging from early Romanesque work through to the 20th century. One of our favourites, and a highlight of the collection, are the Gothic altarpieces, displayed in the former throne chamber. The museum is in the old Episcopal Palace, next to the cathedral.

 

The Archaeology Museum

The Girona Museum of Archaeology sits in the old Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, itself a Game of Thrones filming location. The collection runs from prehistory through to medieval times, taking in objects made by prehistoric people, Roman artefacts and Jewish tombstones. It is the oldest museum in Girona, founded in 1846.

 

The History Museum

To learn about the history of the people and the city, visit the Girona History Museum. Set in the former monastery of St Anthony, it covers Girona from Roman times to the present day, packed with exhibits, dioramas and information panels, and has a terrace with a lovely view over one of the city’s main streets.

 

The Museum of Cinema

Cinema and film buffs will want to check out Girona’s Museum of Cinema. Opened in 1998, it was the first museum of its kind in Spain. A major part of the exhibition centres on the Tomàs Mallol Collection, which Girona council acquired in 1994, covering a 400 year span from shadow puppet theatre to modern cinema technology. Standard entry is €7, or €3.50 reduced.

 

Casa Masó

The last of the six is Casa Masó, a house museum rather than a collection. It was the home and birthplace of Rafael Masó i Valentí, one of the most important Catalan architects of the early 20th century, who merged four houses into one and reshaped the design over his lifetime. It is the only house along the river in the old town open to the public, and visits are by guided tour.

 

Browse the Mercat del Lleó

If you want to see where locals actually shop, head to the Mercat Municipal del Lleó, home to more than 50 stalls selling everything from fresh vegetables to meat and fish.

It is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 2pm, and Saturdays from 7am to 2.30pm, and is closed on Sundays. You can check the details on the market website, which is in Catalan, so you may need to translate it. We were particularly taken with the vending machine dispensing premium extra virgin olive oil by the can, though that might just be us.

Girona has plenty of other markets too. Stalls selling jewellery and crafts gather on the Pont de Pedra, the bridge linking the old town with the Mercadal neighbourhood, and there is a craft and artisan food fair in Plaça Miquel Santaló and the La Volta market in Assumpció square.

 

Where to Eat in Girona

Girona eats very well for a city its size. It sits in a region with a serious food culture, and it is home to what has, more than once, been called the best restaurant in the world.

That restaurant is El Celler de Can Roca, run by the three Roca brothers. It was named the best restaurant in the world in both 2013 and 2015, and has since been retired into the ranking’s hall of fame. If you hope to eat here, plan a long way ahead: tables open up 11 months in advance, at midnight on the first of each month, and they go fast.

If a table at Can Roca is not in the cards, you can still get a taste of the Roca magic at the Rocambolesc ice cream shop, run by the same family on Carrer de Santa Clara. The flavours are spectacular, and you don’t have to book months ahead for one.

For something more everyday, we have always enjoyed Cafe le Bistrot, going since 1978, which spills out onto the stepped street climbing to the church of Sant Martí Sacosta. It is a lovely spot for an evening meal especially. For coffee, two we recommend from experience are Espresso Mafia, on Carrer de la Cort Reial, and La Fabrica, on Carrer de la Llebre, both serious about their beans.

As for what to order, the Costa Brava region has some excellent local specialities, including fresh fish from ports like Palamós, along with mushroom, vegetable, rice and meat dishes. One of my own favourites, though it is not for everyone, is botifarra, a sausage based on an ancient Roman recipe, often grilled and served with white beans (look for botifarra amb seques or botifarra amb mongetes on the menu). Another staple, served with all sorts of meals, is bread rubbed with tomato and oil, pa amb tomàquet. Look out too for Catalan style cod, patatas bravas, and crema catalana, a set custard similar to a crème brûlée. Xuixo is the local sweet to try: a deep fried, sugar coated pastry filled with crema catalana, and as good as that sounds.

 

Girona After Dark

Most day trippers are back on the bus to Barcelona by late afternoon, which is exactly why staying into the evening is one of the best reasons to base yourself in Girona rather than just passing through.

As the light goes, head up onto the medieval walls or out onto one of the bridges. Sunset over the old town, with the coloured houses along the Onyar catching the last of the light and the cathedral towers above them, is the view that keeps us coming back.

After dark the old town turns quietly atmospheric. The lanes of El Call are lit by lamplight and almost empty, the cathedral steps are floodlit, and the river holds the reflections of the lit up houses. It is a lovely place to just walk.

Dinner in Spain runs late. Many kitchens don’t get going until 8.30 or 9pm, and the porticoes of Plaça de la Independència stay lively well into the night. Cafe le Bistrot, on its stepped street, is a particularly nice spot for a slow late dinner. And if you are out with a camera, a tripod earns its place here: the bridges give you a stable base to shoot the reflections.

 

Best Time to Visit Girona

Girona is a year round city, but some times are more comfortable than others.

Spring is our favourite, and May in particular. That is when Girona holds Temps de Flors, the flower festival, every year for around nine days in the middle of the month. The old town fills with tens of thousands of floral arrangements and art installations, tucked into courtyards, stairways and monuments across the Barri Vell, and it is free to wander. It is a wonderful event, and a popular one, so book your accommodation well in advance if you are visiting then.

Summer, roughly June to August, is hot and brings the biggest crowds, though it is a good time to pair the city with the Costa Brava beaches. Autumn, especially September and October, is mild and quieter, and one of the easiest times to walk the old town in comfort. Winter is cool but rarely freezing, the old town stays atmospheric and uncrowded, and it is when we have come to ski in the nearby Pyrenees.

Temps de Flors is not the only event worth timing a visit around. Girona and the wider region hold festivals through the year, from Sant Jordi to music and light festivals. The Girona events calendar has the current listings.

 

Getting To and Around Girona

 

Getting to Girona

Girona is well connected. The fast train from Barcelona takes under an hour, and the city sits on the main line to France, so you can even reach it directly from Paris. You can check times and book through Trainline. There are also direct buses from Barcelona, which take a little over an hour. By car, Girona is about an hour from Barcelona on the AP-7 toll road.

Girona has its own airport, Girona-Costa Brava (GRO), south of the city, with budget flights from around Europe. The region’s main international airport is Barcelona El Prat (BCN).

Many people visit Girona as a day trip from Barcelona, which was how I first saw the city. If that is your plan, we have a dedicated guide to the day trip from Barcelona to Girona with all the logistics. You can also book a private full day tour that pairs Girona with the medieval village of Pals.

 

Getting Around the City

Once you are in Girona, the old town is for walking. The streets are narrow, cobbled and often steep, and while a couple of routes are technically driveable, it is not advised. If you are driving, park outside the old town and walk in. The larger hotels we recommend have parking, often for a fee, but many apartments and small hotels in the old town do not, so plan ahead.

Girona is a challenge for anyone with reduced mobility, with steps and cobbles throughout, though some areas are accessible with careful planning. The official tourism site has an accessibility page worth checking before you visit.

 

Where to Stay in Girona

We have stayed in Girona a number of times, in both hotels and apartments, and there is plenty of choice for every budget. A few we can recommend:

• Hotel Carlemany – a 4 star hotel a few minutes walk from the old city, with secure on-site parking, lovely rooms and a good restaurant. We enjoyed staying here.
• Hotel Ciutat de Girona – another of our favourites, a 4 star hotel a few minutes from the old town and very close to Plaça de la Independència, with on-site parking and a great restaurant.
• Pensión Borrás – a guest house right in the old town that travellers on a budget will appreciate.
• Bed & Breakfast Bells Oficis – a well rated 2 star bed and breakfast in the old town, with an excellent breakfast included.
• For apartments, we recommend browsing the apartment listings for Girona here.

 

What We’ve Learned From Returning to Girona

We have been back to Girona many times now, in different seasons and for different reasons, and a few things have become clear.

The first is that Girona rewards a slower visit. The day trip version, a quick loop of the old town, works well, but the city is at its best in the early morning and the evening, when the day trippers have gone and the lanes are quiet. Staying a night or two changes the experience completely.

The second is that it is a brilliant base. We have used Girona as a launch pad for the Costa Brava beaches in summer, for the Catalan Pyrenees and skiing in winter, and for medieval towns like Besalú. You get a characterful small city to come back to each evening, with good food and easy transport.

And the third, the simple one: don’t rush the food. It is tempting to treat lunch as a quick refuel between sights, but the eating is one of the real pleasures of this corner of Catalonia. Sit down, order properly, and let the afternoon stretch a little.

 

Girona FAQ

 

How long do you need in Girona?

You can see the highlights of Girona’s old town in around half a day, which is why it works so well as a day trip from Barcelona. The historic core is small and walkable, and a few hours is enough for the cathedral, the Arab Baths, the city walls and the Jewish Quarter.

To really enjoy the city, though, we would give it two days. That lets you slow down for the museums and the food, see the old town early and late when the day trippers have gone, and use Girona as a base for the Costa Brava coast or the Catalan Pyrenees.

 

Is Girona worth visiting?

Yes. Girona has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Catalonia, a cathedral with the widest Gothic nave in the world, an atmospheric old Jewish Quarter, and a food scene that includes a former best restaurant in the world.

It is compact enough to enjoy on a short visit and characterful enough to reward a longer one. We have been back many times and still look forward to it.

 

Can you visit Girona as a day trip from Barcelona?

Yes, and it is one of the most popular ways to see the city. The fast train from Barcelona takes under an hour, and Girona’s old town is small enough to cover the highlights in an afternoon.

If a day trip is your plan, we have a separate guide to the day trip from Barcelona to Girona that covers the transport options and how to make the most of your time.

 

Is Girona walkable?

Very. The old town is almost entirely pedestrian, and the main sights link together in a single walking loop, which is how we have organised this guide. You will do some climbing, as the cathedral and city walls sit at the top of the old town, but distances are short.

The flip side is that Girona is difficult for anyone with reduced mobility: the streets are cobbled and steep, with steps throughout. Some areas are accessible with planning, and the official tourism site has an accessibility page worth checking first.

 

What is there to do in Girona in the evening?

Girona is lovely after dark, once the day trippers have left. The old town lanes are quietly lit, the cathedral steps are floodlit, and the coloured houses reflect in the river.

Catch the sunset from the medieval walls or one of the bridges, then have a late dinner. Spanish kitchens get going around 8.30 or 9pm, and the porticoes of Plaça de la Independència stay busy well into the night.

 

When is the best time to visit Girona?

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. May is special because of Temps de Flors, the flower festival that fills the old town with floral displays for around nine days in the middle of the month. September and October are mild and quieter.

Summer is hot and brings the biggest crowds, while winter is cool but rarely freezing, and the old town stays atmospheric and uncrowded.

 

Further Reading

We have been lucky enough to visit the Catalonia region many times, including plenty of time in Girona, the wider Costa Brava, Barcelona and the Pyrenees, in winter for the skiing and in summer for the beaches. We have written a great deal to help you plan your own trip, and here are some of the guides you might find useful:

• Our first visit to Girona was on a day trip from Barcelona. You can read about that day trip experience here.
• Lovers of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí will want to visit the many sites linked to him in the region. See our guide to Dalí sites in Costa Brava.
• One experience we recommend to anyone visiting this region is a hot air balloon ride. We have done it twice, and you can see our guide to hot air ballooning in Costa Brava.
• We have a guide to things to do in Palamós, one of our favourite Costa Brava fishing towns, and a guide to things to do in Besalú, a lovely medieval town.
• If you love mountains, spend some time in the Spanish Pyrenees of Catalonia. Start with our guide to the Spanish Pyrenees, and if you are visiting in winter, our guide to skiing in the Spanish Pyrenees.
• We also have detailed guides to the specific regions of the Girona Pyrenees, including La Garrotxa, El Ripollès and La Cerdanya, plus a guide to the Vall de Núria.
• If you are spending time in Barcelona, see our 3 day Barcelona itinerary, our guide to spending a day in Barcelona, our review of the Barcelona Pass, and our detailed guide to Gaudí in Barcelona.
• We also have a guide to visiting Montserrat, one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona.
• If you are looking for a guidebook, we would suggest this DK Eyewitness guide to Barcelona and Catalonia, which covers Girona alongside the wider region.

And that is it for our guide to things to do in Girona. As always, we would love to hear from you, so if you have a question or a tip of your own, just pop it in the comments below.

We have visited Girona and the wider Costa Brava many times over the years, and everything we recommend here is based on our own visits. You can read about how we choose what to feature in our code of ethics.