What to visit

Girona

Carrilet I Route

Carrilet II Route

Narrow-Gauge Railway Route II

Carrilet I greenway

Tren Pinxo route

1. THE HISTORIC CITY

The Historic City of Girona evolved out of two fortified enclosures, the original Roman foundation known as Força Vella and the medieval quarter that grew up when the city walls were extended during the 14th and 15th centuries. The large, remarkably well-preserved historic city holds several historic buildings, among which the following can be pointed out:

  • The Cathedral (11th-18th centuries): Its unique feature is its 23-metre wide Gothic nave (15th-16th centuries), the widest rib-vaulted space in the world.
  • Jewish Quarter(12th-15th centuries): It is one of the best preserved in Europe. The Jewish History Museum recalls the history of the Jewish communities in Catalonia in the Middle Ages, with particular emphasis on Girona, and displays a collection of medieval Hebrew tombstones from the former Jewish cemetery in Montjuïc.
  • Basilica of Sant Feliu (12th-17th centuries): It is one of the city’s most representative Gothic buildings, mainly because of its slender bell tower which once was a defense tower at the same time (14th-16th centuries).
  • Sant Pere de Galligants(12th century): This Benedictine monastery, with its magnificent basilican plan church and interesting iconographical capitals in the central nave and cloister, is one of the major Lombard Romanesque sites in Catalonia, together with the nearby chapel of Sant Nicolau.
  • Arab Baths (12th century): Its most outstanding features include the annular-vaulted entrance, used as a changing room and rest area and the dome over the central pool, supported by slender columns with ornately decorated capitals.
  • The City walls:The ramparts walk affords privileged views over the city and enables visitors to follow the medieval city walls (14th-15th centuries) that protected the city. The original sandstone Roman walls dating from the 1st century BC are still visible today at Plaça de Sant Feliu, Sobreportes and Rufí city gates, and Gironella tower.
  • The Houses on the River Onyar:the brightly painted façades of the houses overlooking the River Onyar (the river that flows through the city centre), which together with the Cathedral and Sant Feliu in the background provide the most emblematic view of Girona. Of particular interest among the bridges spanning the river is the Peixateries Velles Bridge, built by the Eiffel company in 1877. On the other hand, Casa Masó (1911-12 / 1918-19), family home of architect Rafael Masó (1880-1935) and one of his most important architectural works.

 

2. THE VALLEY AND THE MONASTERY OF SANT DANIEL

The valley of Sant Daniel is a large green area near the historic center of the city with shady places, streams, torrents, water sources and a monastery as epicenter that, according to tradition, was built to welcome and venerate the remains of Sant Daniel, Armenian hermit monk and dead beheaded the year 888 in Arles de Provence during the Arab domain. The monastery of Sant Daniel, founded by Countess Ermessenda, dates from the ninth century, and has housed Benedictine monks for thousands of years throughout its history, and is still inhabited today. Stands out for two Romanesque elements (with Gothic additions) of great importance: the cloister (s.XII-XV) and the church, in which there’s the tomb of Sant Daniel (s.XIV), and it’s in gothic style and polychrome alabaster, made by the teacher Aloi. The environment surrounding the monastery is ideal for practising outdoor activities and is characterized by its diversity of landscapes: the riverbank forests on either side of the Galligants river path, the Gavarres forests dominated by pines and cork oaks, and the fields with scattered farmhouses that were formerly inhabited by families that lived on subsistence agriculture, complemented by livestock and the use of forests. From the viewpoint of Can Garcia we can appreciate all this mosaic of landscapes and enjoy views of the entire valley, with the bell towers of the monastery of Sant Daniel and the cathedral in the background. Other refreshing places surrounded by nature that cannot be missed are the Plaza de las Sardanas, whose name is due to the presence of the remains of an old stepped building destined for the musicians who played in the couplets, and the Ferro fountain, an area of rest and ideal picnic to recover forces in the middle of which there is a source of special geological interest due to the presence of iron and carbon dioxide in solution that give a spicy flavor to the water.

 

3. THE WETLANDS OF SANTA EUGENIA

These wetlands were opened to the public in October 2008. They are the result of a wetland recovery project carried out amidst the park of Santa Eugènia’s vegetable gardens, located on municipal land. They are part of the Natura 2000 network and occupy a surface of one hectare. This natural area was dried out long ago when the natural areas were converted into vegetable gardens. The wetland area consists of two ponds: one of them is open to the public, and the other is only accessible for research work in order to ensure the protection of the flora and fauna of the area. The water that fills them comes from the irrigation channels that water the vegetables gardens before returning to the river Ter. The flows behind the hillock, and is flanked by a lush forest of alders, poplars and ash trees.

AddressGirona (Oficina de Turisme)
Rambla de la Llibertat, 1

Cathedral of Girona and the stairs

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