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Top 10 Things To Do in Girona

Country
Spain
Best months
May · Jun · Sep
Population
109K
Language
Catalan and Spanish
Budget / day
$90–170
Quick answer

Two days is the honest answer. Give the first to the Barri Vell: the cathedral at the top of its staircase, the Call, the Arab Baths, then a lap of the walls for the rooftop view. Give the second to the Onyar houses, a museum or two and a long lunch. Add a third for Figueres and the Dalí museum, under an hour north by train.

Girona is a small city with a long memory: a Roman road town that became a Catalan cathedral seat, walled, besieged twice by Napoleon, and left with one of the best preserved medieval quarters in Europe. The Onyar splits it, the old stone climbs the east bank, and everything worth seeing sits inside a twenty-minute walk.

The 10 best things to do in Girona

1

Climb to the cathedral and stand under the widest Gothic nave in the world

Landmark· Plaça de la Catedral, 17004 Girona

Romanesque cloister, Gothic nave, Baroque facade, all of it stacked at the top of one long staircase. The single span overhead is the widest Gothic vault ever built, which is why the inside reads as a hall rather than a church. Season six of Game of Thrones used those steps as the Great Sept of Baelor.

Time1.5 hrs
Cost€12 combined with Sant Feliu and the Art Museum, audio guide included
Best atLate afternoon
TipThe same ticket covers the Basilica of Sant Feliu two minutes downhill
Map↗ Website
2

Walk the Call, the best preserved Jewish quarter in Europe

Neighborhood· Carrer de la Força, 17004 Girona

Jews lived on this hillside from the ninth century until the expulsion of 1492, and the lanes off Carrer de la Força are still narrow enough to touch both walls at once. The Museum of Jewish History sits in the middle of it, holding the tombstones and the documents the community left behind.

Time1 hr
CostFree to walk
Best atEarly morning
TipThe museum closes at 2pm on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays
Map↗ Website
3

Do a lap of the walls for the only view that shows the whole city

Free· Passeig de la Muralla, 17004 Girona

Close to three kilometres of Carolingian and medieval rampart, reopened as a walkway above the rooftops. Towers punctuate the route and each one is a different angle: the cathedral from behind, the plane trees of the Devesa, the hills the city was built to watch.

Time1.5 hrs for the full circuit
CostFree
Best atThe hour before sunset
TipSteps are steep and unrailed in places
Map↗ Website
4

Photograph the Onyar houses from the bridge Eiffel's company built

Landmark· Pont de les Peixateries Velles, 17004 Girona

The red and ochre facades hanging over the river are the city's postcard, and the best angle on them is the iron footbridge Gustave Eiffel's company put up in 1877, eleven years before the tower in Paris. Cross at dusk, when the windows start to light.

Time20 min
CostFree
Best atDusk
TipCasa Masó is the one house in the row you can go inside
Map↗ Website
5

Book El Celler de Can Roca far enough ahead to actually eat there

Restaurant· Can Sunyer 48, 17007 Girona

Three Michelin stars since 2009 and twice ranked the best restaurant in the world. Joan cooks, Josep runs the cellar, Jordi does the desserts, and the room takes its own bookings rather than selling seats through a platform. 2026 is its fortieth year.

Time4 hrs
CostTasting menus
Best atDinner
TipTables are released months ahead and go the same day
Map↗ Michelin Guide
6

See the Arab Baths, which are neither Arab nor baths any more

Landmark· Carrer de Ferran el Catòlic, 17004 Girona

Twelfth century and late Romanesque, built to the plan of a Muslim bathhouse by Christian Girona, which is the whole trick of the place. The octagonal pool room under its lantern is what you came for, and it stood in for Arya Stark hiding from the waif in Game of Thrones.

Time30 min
Cost€3, €2 over 65, free under 8
Best atMidday
TipIt closes at 2pm on Sundays and public holidays, so go in the morning
Map↗ Website
7

Give the Cinema Museum an hour of tricks that predate film

Museum· Carrer Sèquia 1, 17001 Girona

Tomàs Mallol spent decades collecting magic lanterns, shadow puppets and optical toys, and the city built a museum around them in 1998, the first of its kind in Spain. It runs in order, so the Lumière brothers arrive as a punchline rather than a beginning.

Time1 hr
Cost€2.50 reduced, free under 14
Best atA rainy afternoon
TipFree on the first Sunday of the month, and last admission is 45 minutes before closing
Map↗ Website
8

Cross the river to Sant Pere de Galligants for Romanesque and archaeology

Museum· Plaça de Santa Llúcia, 17007 Girona

A twelfth-century Benedictine monastery whose cloister capitals would be worth the ticket on their own, now holding the Girona wing of Catalonia's archaeology museum. It is also the quiet end of the walls, five minutes from the cathedral crowds.

Time1 hr
Cost€7, €5 reduced
Best atMorning
TipClosed Mondays, and it shuts at 2pm on Sundays and public holidays
Map↗ Website
9

Stop at Sant Feliu for the sarcophagi nobody queues to see

Landmark· Pujada de Sant Feliu, 17004 Girona

Girona's main church before the cathedral took the title: Romanesque below, a Gothic nave above, a Baroque front. Eight Roman and early Christian sarcophagi are set into the sanctuary walls, and the Gothic tomb of Sant Narcís, the city's patron, is here too.

Time30 min
CostCovered by the cathedral's combined ticket
Best atAfter the cathedral
TipIt sits at the foot of the cathedral steps
Map↗ Website
10

Book ahead for Casa Masó, the only Onyar house open to visitors

Museum· Carrer de les Ballesteries 29, 17004 Girona

Rafael Masó was born here in 1880 and rebuilt the house as his own argument, a precursor of Noucentisme working against the grain of Barcelona modernisme. It is the one house in the riverfront row you can enter, still furnished as the family kept it.

Time1 hr
Cost€10 adults
Best atTuesday to Saturday
TipGuided visits only, in groups of eight, so reserve ahead by phone or email
Map↗ Website

Girona, mapped

Girona · 10 spots
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Girona travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Girona?+
Two full days covers the old town without rushing: the cathedral, the Call, the walls and a museum on the first, the riverfront and a long lunch on the second. A third buys Figueres and the Dalí museum, or a stretch of the Costa Brava.
Is Girona worth visiting from Barcelona?+
Yes, and the high-speed train makes it about 40 minutes each way from Sants. A day trip works, but the old town is at its best in the evening once the coach groups have left, so a night here is the better version of the same idea.
When is the best time to visit Girona?+
Mid-May to mid-June and mid-September to mid-October, warm without the August heat. May also brings Temps de Flors, when the courtyards fill with flower installations and the city is at its busiest and its best looking at once.
Do you need to speak Catalan in Girona?+
No, but it is worth knowing that Catalan is the everyday language here and Spanish is the second one, not the first. Hotels, restaurants and museums all work in English, and a bon dia and a gràcies go further than they should.
What is Girona famous for?+
Its medieval old town: the best preserved Jewish quarter in Europe, close to three kilometres of walkable walls and a cathedral with the widest Gothic nave anywhere. Also for El Celler de Can Roca, and as the winter base of professional cycling.
Where to eat

Best restaurants in Girona

Six kitchens beyond the three-star one, from Basque pintxos to the daily catch on ice.
All 6 restaurants →
Plaça de la Independència

Casa Marieta

Traditional Catalan

One of the oldest dining rooms in the city, doing Catalan standards under the arcades.

Map↗ Website
Carrer Bonastruc de Porta

Txalaka

Pintxos and tapas

A tavern that runs Basque pintxos and Catalan plates off the same counter.

Map
Plaça del Vi

Arròs i Peix

Seafood and rice

Pick your fish off the ice at the door and say how you want it cooked.

Map
Barri Vell

Divinum

Contemporary Catalan

Seasonal cooking in the basement of the old casino, and the city's usual answer for a long dinner.

Map
Barri Vell

Vadevins

Wine bar

A wine bar with a deep local list, cured meat, cheese and tapas that take some risks.

Map
El Call

Tasca del Call

Tapas

Traditional tapas in the Jewish quarter, on a lane most visitors only photograph.

Map
Drinks and coffee

Best bars & cafes in Girona

Where the city drinks, plus the two cafes that turned Girona into a coffee town.
All 5 bars & cafes →
Barri Vell

Sunset Jazz Club

Live jazz

Red velvet, low light and live sets at weekends. The best room in town after dark.

Map
Carrer de la Llebre

La Fàbrica

Coffee and brunch

A carpenter's workshop turned cycling cafe, opened by the pro rider Christian Meier and his wife Amber.

Map↗ Website
Carrer de la Cort Reial

Espresso Mafia

Speciality coffee

The roastery behind La Fàbrica, two minutes away and the better bet for a straight espresso.

Map
Barri Vell

Federal Café

All-day cafe

An old-town building rebuilt as an all-day cafe, part owned by a professional cyclist.

Map
Barri Vell

Vermuteria Lola

Vermouth

Local vermouth and something salty to go with it, which is how the weekend starts here.

Map
On two wheels

Best cycling in Girona

The professional peloton winters here. The shops, the cafes and the two climbs it trains on.
All 5 cycling →
Girona

Eat Sleep Cycle

Rental and tours

Rentals, tours, a workshop and a cafe under one roof, running since 2015.

Map↗ Website
Barri Vell

The Service Course

Bike shop

The shop Christian Meier retired from racing to open, and the one riders send you to.

Map
Canet d'Adri

Rocacorba

12 km climb

The benchmark climb: 12 km at about 6.5 per cent, and a dead end at the top.

Map
Gironès

Els Àngels

11 km climb

The gentler classic, 11 km at about 3.3 per cent to a monastery with a terrace and a coffee.

Map
Girona to the coast

Ruta del Carrilet

Greenway, 41 km

A flat rail trail on a narrow-gauge trackbed: 41 km east to the beach at Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Map↗ Website
Collections

Best museums in Girona

Three more, once the cinema and the archaeology museums are behind you.
All 3 museums →
Next to the cathedral

Museu d'Art de Girona

Art

The diocesan collection in the old bishops' palace, Romanesque panels through to Noucentisme.

Map↗ Website
Carrer de la Força

Museu d'Història de Girona

City history

The city told in order, from Roman Gerunda to the Napoleonic sieges.

Map↗ Website
El Call

Museu d'Història dels Jueus

Jewish history

Tombstones, ritual objects and the paperwork of six centuries in the Call.

Map↗ Website
Green and quiet

Best walks & viewpoints in Girona

Three places to walk off the old town, all of them within reach on foot.
All 3 walks & viewpoints →
West bank

Parc de la Devesa

40 hectares

The largest urban park in Catalonia: 40 hectares under plane trees planted around 1850.

Map
On the walls

Jardins dels Alemanys

Free

The ruined barracks garden behind the cathedral, and the shadiest stop on the walls.

Map
North-east of the walls

Vall de Sant Daniel

20 min walk

A wooded valley beyond the walls with an eleventh-century nunnery at the end of it.

Map
Where to base yourself

Best neighborhoods in Girona

Five districts and what each one is actually like to sleep in.
All 5 neighborhoods →
East bank

Barri Vell

Old town

The postcard: cathedral, Call, walls and steps, and the least quiet place to sleep.

Map
West bank

Mercadal

Central

Pedestrianised, cheaper, and a two-minute bridge from the old town. The Cinema Museum is here.

Map
North

Pedret

Riverside

Just north of the walls, with a river walk on the Ter and restaurants locals actually book.

Map
West

Sant Narcís

Residential

Built as workers' housing in the Franco years and still its own village, low and quiet.

Map
Far west

Santa Eugènia

Residential

A separate town until 1963, now the far west of the city, with market gardens along the Güell.

Map
Out of town

Best day trips in Girona

Girona is the base for the Empordà, and the trains and country buses make most of it easy.
All 6 day trips →
Alt Empordà

Figueres

50 min

The Dalí Theatre-Museum, over 1,500 works in the theatre he was baptised beside. Book online.

Map↗ Website
Cap de Creus

Cadaqués

1 hr 15 by car

White houses on a rock bay, an hour and a quarter by road, and Dalí's own house at Portlligat.

Map
La Garrotxa

Besalú

Bus from Girona

A fortified bridge, a mikveh and a medieval core that takes an afternoon. TEISA runs the bus.

Map
Pla de l'Estany

Banyoles

Bus from Girona

The lake that hosted the 1992 Olympic rowing, with a flat path the whole way round it.

Map
L'Escala

Empúries

Coast

Greek and Roman ruins on the beach at L'Escala, the point where Rome landed in Iberia.

Map
Catalonia

Barcelona

40 min by train

About 40 minutes each way on the high-speed line, which makes the big city the easy day trip.

Map
What's on

Festivals & annual events in Girona (2026)

Time your trip around the city's biggest dates.
Feb

Black Music Festival

Blues, soul, funk and hip hop across Girona and Salt, running from early February into late March.

Apr

Sant Jordi

On 23 April the Rambla fills with book stalls, and a rose goes with every book sold.

May

Girona, Temps de Flors

Nine days when more than a hundred courtyards, staircases and cloisters open as flower installations.

Jun

Revetlla de Sant Joan

Bonfires, cava and coca on the night of 23 June, the shortest night of the Catalan year.

Sep

Sea Otter Europe

Europe's largest cycling festival takes over the Fira for three days in September, free to walk into.

Sep

Diada de Catalunya

Catalonia's national day on 11 September, marked with ceremonies and closed shops.

Oct

Fires de Sant Narcís

The patron saint's fair: nearly two weeks of concerts, parades and fireworks from late October.

Nov

Girotrònica

The city's technology and gaming fair, three days at the Fira de Girona in late November.

Getting around

Girona transport & airports

How to arrive and move around the city.
GRO

Girona-Costa Brava Airport

Low-cost carriers, and no train station on site. Sagalés runs the bus into Girona, and on to Barcelona Nord in about an hour and a quarter.

Map↗ Website
Renfe

High-speed rail

Girona station is a ten-minute walk from the old town. Barcelona Sants is about 40 minutes away, roughly hourly, and the same line runs north to Figueres and into France.

Map↗ Website
R11

Regional trains

The slow line down the coast route from Portbou to Barcelona, every 30 to 60 minutes. Cheaper than the high-speed train and the simplest way to Figueres.

Map↗ Website
City

On foot and by bus

The Barri Vell is walkable and largely stepped, so wheeled bags are the enemy. City buses cover the outer districts and TEISA runs the country routes to Banyoles and Besalú.

Map↗ Website
Traditional food

Must-try dishes in Girona, Spain

The classics to order before you leave.

Xuixo

Deep fried, sugar coated, filled with crema catalana. Invented in Girona in the 1920s.

Pa amb tomàquet

Bread rubbed with a cut tomato, then oil and salt. Nobody here slices the tomato on top.

Escudella i carn d'olla

The winter stew, served as two courses: the broth and pasta first, the meats after.

Suquet de peix

Fishermen's stew of white fish and potato, thickened with an almond picada.

Mar i muntanya

The Empordà habit of putting sea and mountain on one plate: chicken with prawns.

Anxoves de l'Escala

Salt-cured anchovies from the coast an hour east, eaten with bread and oil.

Botifarra amb mongetes

Grilled Catalan sausage with white beans fried in the same pan. The everyday plate.

Crema catalana

Custard under a burnt sugar crust, and the filling in every xuixo in town.

Girona fact sheet

Girona at a glance

The essentials worth knowing before you go.
Country
Spain
Region
Catalonia, capital of the province of Girona, where the Onyar meets the Ter
Population
108,666 in the city (municipal register, 1 January 2025), about 156,000 across the Girona and Salt urban area
Founded
Roman Gerunda, founded in the first century BC on the road north from Tarragona
Nickname
The city of the four rivers, for the Onyar, Ter, Güell and Galligants
Language
Catalan and Spanish, both official; Catalan is the everyday language here, and hospitality works in English
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET, UTC+1, and UTC+2 from late March to late October
Calling code
+34, with local numbers starting 972
Airports
Girona-Costa Brava (GRO) for low-cost routes, with Barcelona El Prat (BCN) about two hours away by road
Power
230V, 50Hz, plug types C and F
Emergency
112
Ideal length
2 to 3 days
Getting around
On foot in the old town, buses and a bike for everywhere else
Tourism board
Official site

Interesting facts

  • The cathedral nave is the widest Gothic vault ever built, spanned in one go with no central row of columns.
  • Gustave Eiffel's company put the iron footbridge over the Onyar in 1877, eleven years before the tower in Paris.
  • Parc de la Devesa is the largest urban park in Catalonia: 40 hectares under plane trees planted around 1850.
  • Season six of Game of Thrones filmed here in 2015, turning the cathedral steps into the Great Sept of Baelor.
  • The xuixo was invented in a Carrer Cort Reial pastry shop in the 1920s and is now a protected Catalan product.

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