Center of Girona. Legends of a thousand-year-old city. Girona. Girona Tourist Office

Girona (Spain) - the most detailed information about the city with photos. The main attractions of Girona with descriptions, guides and maps.

City of Girona (Spain)

Girona is a city in Spain in the autonomy of Catalonia, the capital of the province of the same name. Located in the north-eastern part of the country on the Onyar River, which divides it into two parts: the left bank is modern buildings, the right bank is the medieval historical center. Girona is one of the oldest cities in Spain with one of the last well-preserved Jewish quarters. Throughout its history, the city has survived several dozen sieges, which explains its powerful fortifications that still surround the historical center. Game of Thrones fans may recognize the medieval stone streets of Girona from Season 6, where they belonged to the city of Braavos.

Girona is often described as the gateway to the popular resorts of the Costa Brava, as well as the departure point for many budget airline passengers heading to Barcelona. The northern borders of the province approach the Catalan Pyrenees, where ski resorts are located. Most tourists immediately go to the coast or to Barcelona, ​​without paying attention to Girona. Which, of course, is in vain! The city has preserved its medieval old center, ancient fortifications and historical atmosphere.

Geography and climate

Girona is located in the far northeast of Spain close to the French border and the Costa Brava. The city is crossed by the Onyar River. The average altitude above sea level is 81 m. The climate is humid subtropical. Summer is hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August. Winters are mild with rare negative temperatures.

Practical information

1. Population - 99 thousand people.
2. Area - 39.14 square kilometers.
3. Language - Spanish and Catalan (Catalan).
4. Currency - euro.
5. Visa - Schengen.
6. Time - Central European UTC +1, summer +2.
7. The tourist information center is located at Rambla de la Llibertat, 1.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit is April-October. In summer it can get quite hot.

Story

On the site of Girona, on the way to Gaul, the Iberians built a fortress. Under the Romans, the fortified city of Gerunda was already located here. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Girona belonged to the Visigoths. In the 715th century the city was conquered by the Moors, but already in 785 it was recaptured by Charlemagne. The Moorish influence had virtually no effect on its architecture. For several centuries, Girona was a stronghold military point in the wars with the Moors.

In the 9th century the city joined Barcelona, ​​maintaining its autonomy until the 13th century. In the mid-14th century, the County of Girona was granted by the King of Aragon to the heir to the throne. Since then, the title "Prince of Girona" became official for the future king. In the 14th-16th centuries the city was one of the most important on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Girona had one of the largest Jewish communities in Spain.

Surprisingly, over its long history, Girona has survived 25 sieges and was captured 7 times. From the 17th to the 18th centuries the city was captured by the French several times.

How to get there

Girona is located 98 km from Barcelona. From the capital of Catalonia you can easily get here by train, bus or car. The airport is located 20 km south of the city. Buses leave every hour for Girona and Barcelona. You can also get there by bus and train from some cities in France and Spain. There are direct high-speed trains from Paris to Barcelona.

Shopping and purchases

Girona's old town mainly contains shops for tourists. Although there is a fairly large selection of stores with famous brands. On Saturday, a market is held in a park northwest of the city center.

Food and drink

Traditional dishes from the province of Girona: small tortillas with bacon, sausages, stew with peas, fried anchovies, hare with chestnuts, soup with mint or thyme, cod dishes, Xuixo (similar to a French croissant), fried potato balls with meat. We recommend avoiding popular tourist spots: Rambla de la Libertat and Plaça Independencia. Many cafes and restaurants do not guarantee the quality of food and service.

Attractions

Girona is the sparkling ancient jewel of Catalonia. This medieval walled city has a rich cultural and historical heritage from the ancient Romans to the Jews. The historical center is located on the right bank of the Onyar River with colorful houses adjacent to the very bank.

Girona's old town has two areas surrounded by ancient fortified walls: Força Vella, which housed the original Roman city founded over 2,000 years ago, and the medieval quarter which expanded it in the 14th and 15th centuries. These atmospheric old districts are filled with narrow pedestrian streets and impressive medieval buildings. Girona's first city fortifications were built by the Romans, strengthened under Charlemagne and in the 14th century. You can not only explore the ancient walls of the city, but also walk along them.

The Jewish Quarter or El Call is one of the best preserved in Spain. It's a maze of tiny cobbled alleys and stone staircases from the 12th to 15th centuries that you can get lost in. During the Middle Ages, this quarter was home to an important synagogue and centers for the study of Kabbalists.

The Cathedral or Church of Santa Maria is one of Girona's most impressive landmarks. The cathedral was built between the 11th and 18th centuries. It is a combination of different architectural styles, including a Romanesque cloister and a Gothic nave, which is the widest in the world. Inside the cathedral there is a museum displaying important religious works.

The Onyar River crosses the whole of Girona and is an integral part of it. The famous colorful houses that cling to the edge of the river have long become a symbol of the city. We recommend seeing the stone arched bridge Pont de Pedra and the Pont de les Peixateries Velles bridge, designed by Gustav Eiffel.

Arab baths are actually more similar to Roman ones. They were built in the 12th century, inspired by ancient Roman baths. These structures operated until the 14th century. The entrance hall, with its central basin and slender decorative columns, is the most impressive.

Sant Pere is a medieval Benedictine monastery, one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture in all of Catalonia. It was built in the 12th century, but there is evidence that the original structure dates back to the 10th century.

Sant Feliu is an impressive basilica and the first cathedral of Girona. The church was founded in the 10th century. It has a Gothic nave and a Baroque façade from the 13th to 18th centuries. The high bell tower was built between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Sant Domenech was built between the 13th and 14th centuries and is one of the first Gothic buildings in Catalonia. It includes a magnificent old church.

Sant'Daniel is a medieval monastery built on the outskirts of Girona in a lush green valley. The monastery houses the tomb of St. Daniel.

Girona's largest park is Devesa. It covers an area of ​​more than 40 hectares and is considered the largest in Catalonia. This is an ideal place for a walk or even a small picnic.

Museums of Girona

The most interesting museums in Girona:

• Archaeological Museum in the Monastery of Sant Pere.
• Art museum in the old bishop's palace. Contains collections of art from the Romanesque period to the early 20th century.
• Museum of Jewish History - details the history of Jewish medieval communities in Catalonia and the Kingdom of Aragon from the 9th to the 15th centuries.
• Historical Museum - artifacts from Antiquity to modern times. The museum includes 14 exhibition halls.

Without exaggeration, we can say about this Catalan city that it is old. This now Spanish city has already lived for many centuries when Spain itself did not even exist. Its history goes back to such ancient times that it can only be judged by myths and legends, of which there are many about Girona.

There is a beautiful legend about the birth of the city of Girona. Several thousand years ago, the three-headed, six-armed and six-legged giant Geryon came to the lands of Iberia. He liked the place on the banks of the Onyar River, where on a small mountain he built himself a city and called it Geriona. The King of Iberia, in order to drive out the uninvited guest and free his lands, challenged Geryon to a duel, but could not defeat him and died in this unequal battle. Having learned about the death of her father, his daughter, the beautiful Pirene, flees. She takes refuge in the forests in the very north of Iberia. Realizing that the king's daughter is the heir to the throne and will be a source of threat to him, Gerion rushes in search of the fugitive. He soon found out where Pirene was hiding. To put an end to her, Geryon set fire to the forest and, calmed down, becomes the ruler of Iberia.

At the same time, Hercules arrives in Iberia to complete his tenth labor - to find and kidnap Geryon's herd of oxen. By the will of fate, he meets on his way a survivor of a forest fire, but dying from burns, Pirene. Before her death, she managed to tell Hercules her bitter story. Saddened and imbued with the story, Hercules goes to the south of the country, where he finds what he came for - a herd of oxen. Driven by the desire to avenge the death of the beautiful Pirene, he meets Geryon in battle. In a titanic duel, he kills the tyrant, and he leaves the liberated lands to the three sons of Geryon. Having vowed to clear their father's name, the brothers develop the city and expand its borders. So, according to legend, the city of Girona was founded. And the mountains in the north, where the beautiful Pirene hid in the forests and died, were called the Pyrenees - in her honor.

But this is a legend, and history speaks of Pompey, who by 77 BC. On the so-called “Road of Hercules” at the confluence of the Onyar and Ter rivers, he built a small fortified city. Later, the Romans founded a city on this site, which they called Gerunda (lat. Gerunda). From this moment the official history of Girona begins. Traces of the fortress walls of those times have survived to this day. The city, located in a strategically important place, was destined for a difficult fate. Girona was constantly attacked and often changed hands. The fortress walls were destroyed and rebuilt. Significant strengthening of the city walls was done between the 15th and 17th centuries. It is these walls that surround the central part of Girona today.

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The fortress walls were completely restored in 1985. You can walk along them, admiring the bird's eye view of the Girona Plain, which began to be built up much later - in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Perhaps the most interesting place in Girona is the medieval Gothic district, located in the historical central part. It is also called the Jewish Quarter or El Kalle (translated from Hebrew as “community”). Gloomy narrow crooked streets, similar to the corridors of Soviet communal apartments, often sandwiched between high walls of untreated lead-colored stone. But in this gloom there is a special charm of the Middle Ages. Gray, strict, monochromatic. Yes, the Jewish Quarter cannot be called bright. This place is thoroughly imbued with centuries-old history, which was not always rosy. Behind every bend of the streets, around every turn, something interesting is hidden here.

The main place in the Jewish Quarter is occupied by the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary. This temple was built long and painfully. First, in the 11th century, a Romanesque tomb was erected on the site of the ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo; three centuries later, a Gothic church was built here, which was rebuilt in the 16th century, equipped with facades in the Baroque style.

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The Jewish Quarter is located on a hill, so it is completely cut by multi-level crooked streets with numerous transitions from level to level. Steps, steps, steps. There are countless of them here. These steps are rough, uncouth, often crooked - they further enhance the heavy atmosphere of this place. Sometimes the streets are so narrow that two people can barely pass on them, and the walls of the houses hanging over them are so high that even on a sunny day there is twilight here.

The first information about the Jewish Quarter, judging by the chronicles, dates back to 889, when several families settled near the current Cathedral. Jews lived in community. They did not pay local taxes and were extensively engaged in trade, which boosted the city’s economy. Over the next two centuries, Girona became the capital of Spanish Jews and by the end of the 14th century the local community numbered about a thousand people. By this time, due to the noticeable successes of the community and the strengthening of Catholicism, disagreements between Jews and other townspeople grew into serious conflicts. In 1391 there was a special pogrom. The angry crowd tore to pieces 40 Jews, and the survivors took refuge on the fortress walls in the Gironella tower.

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The next hundred years became a painful ordeal for the Jews. El Call has effectively become a ghetto. In those days, the Inquisition was strong and especially cruel. Jews were oppressed, forced to convert to the Catholic faith, and those who disagreed were severely punished. At the end of the 15th century, all Jews who did not accept Christianity were expelled from the country.

Since then, the Jewish Quarter has remained virtually unchanged and carefully preserves traces of bygone days.

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Today El Call is considered a prestigious area with the most expensive real estate in Girona. The local elite lives here, there are fashion boutiques, galleries and expensive restaurants. But outwardly this is not at all noticeable. The walls of houses retain their centuries-old appearance and only expensive apartment doors can hint at what is hidden inside.

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The Jewish Quarter does not like unnecessary fuss - it encourages a leisurely walk. An unpredictable labyrinth of narrow streets, with a large number of arches and passages, will captivate even the most skeptical tourist.

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Interesting details await you here at every turn.

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You can look into a door accidentally left open and be surprised to discover an original wooden workshop, the appearance and equipment of which indicate that more than one generation of craftsmen has been working here.

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After the Cathedral, another equally important attraction is the Gothic Church of Sant Feliu. Another local urban legend is associated with it. In this church, the townspeople carefully preserve the relics of St. Narcissus, a bishop who lived in Girona in the 3rd century during the Roman times. He preached Christianity, healed diseases and provided assistance to parishioners.

Located in a favorable location, the prosperous Girona has always haunted envious people, including the French. In the 13th century, King Philip the Bold, who decided to conquer the city, held a siege for several months, but all he managed to do was capture several blocks outside the fortress walls and the church of Sant Feliu, with the remains of St. Narcissus. Knowing that the Girona people venerated the saint, the French decided to desecrate his grave as revenge for disobedience. When the soldiers opened it, a swarm of unusual green flies, the size of an acorn and with a huge sting, flew out. They attacked the defilers, indiscriminately stinging the soldiers and their horses. Panic began and the French fled in fear. The fly bites proved fatal. In terrible agony after the bites and the epidemic that arose immediately after, 24 thousand soldiers died, among whom were barons and counts, including King Philip III himself.

History says that the episodes with the flies of San Narcissus were repeated several more times, attacking the enemies of the townspeople. Therefore, Girona residents have a special attitude towards flies - they have become a symbol of the city.

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Girona attracts thousands of tourists primarily with its unique contrast of ancient times and modernity. Children play on the streets covered with centuries-old patina, live music flows, and the clink of glasses can be heard from local restaurants. In addition, the thousand-year-old atmosphere is balanced by a large number of young people. Girona is a university city. About 15,000 students live and study here, which is about 20% of the city’s total population.

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The central historical part of the city is quite small. You can leisurely walk around it with a lunch break in just one day.

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You can simply wander the streets, looking into the shops located on them. You can sit on a bench in a shady park. You can walk around half the city along the fortress wall. You can choose any route - the atmosphere of this “immortal” city will not leave you indifferent. The thousand-year history of Girona is worth touching.

See also about Catalonia:

Like many other Spanish cities, Girona owes its birth to the Romans. In 75 AD, legionnaires of the Great Empire founded a military fortress, which was later called Gerunda.

At first it seems that the Catalan city of Girona is very ordinary, but later the true face of the city turns out to be completely different. It is curtained with colorful walls of houses that stretch along the Onyar River. It is thanks to these colorful facades that you can penetrate inside Girona and understand everything connected with its history.

Jews made Girona a prosperous city. It was thanks to them that this city became famous far beyond the Iberian Peninsula.

Girona Cathedral- This is the result of a mixture of styles that date back to the 11th - 18th centuries. From the original Romanesque building, which was built in 1038, only the cloister and some part of the tower have survived. All other elements of the cathedral belong to the church project dating back to the 15th century.

Unusual excursions from residents:

The main attractions of Girona on the map

If you are planning to visit Cathedral Museum, then the famous Tapestry of the Universe XII century and one of the richest collections of medieval items made of silver and gold.

How to get to Girona?

The easiest way to get from Barcelona is by train (renfe.com) or bus from Barcelona (nord) station (www.alsa.es)

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The city of Girona currently has the only public mode of transport: the bus (previously there were trams). The Transport Consortium (CTM) operates TEISA (Transports Elèctrics Interurbans) and TMX (Transports Municipals de Girona) buses, which operate on 11 routes extending beyond the municipality of Girona, covering the neighboring Salt, Sarria de Ter, Quart, Fornells de la Selva and Vilablareiks, which are part of the suburban area. The fare is €1.40. Information about travel tickets can be obtained on the website

Port

The municipality of Girona has no access to the sea, so there is no port on the territory of the municipality. But Girona has long used the port of Sant Feliu de Guixols, 40 km from the city. During the Middle Ages, Girona achieved legal recognition of its rights to the port, gaining control over all taxes and the right to use a small Mediterranean port. Now Girona has no rights to the port of Sant Feliu de Guixols, which has been replaced by the port of Palamos, the main port infrastructure in the province of Girona, also located 40 km from the capital.

Airport

The airport, serving both the city itself and the entire province - Girona-Costa Brava - is located in Vilobi d'Oniyar, 12 km from the city. Since the airport's founding in 1969, all infrastructure has been made for local flights and charters only. It was then upgraded to tier one in 2003 for new airlines offering low-cost flights. Thanks to this, Girona-Costa Brava Airport has ceased to be just a provincial airport, becoming a state-level airport. It is the main hub in Southern Europe for one of the largest airlines, Ryanair. Girona Airport is often used as an alternative to Barcelona Airport due to its good connections between the cities (you can get there by direct bus or train).

Trains

Girona is home to the ADIF (formerly RENFE) railway station, which connects the national railway network with a rail width of 1668 mm.

There are three types of trains arriving in the city:

• Regional trains (Regional/Catalunya Express): connect the city with Portbou, Figueres, Barcelona and other municipalities of the Province of Girona and the neighboring province of Barcelona.
• Long-distance trains (Talgo/Estrella): connect Girona with the main cities of the Mediterranean and Madrid.
• International trains: connect Girona with Perpignan, Narbonne, Montpelier, Limoges, Orleans, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Turin and Milan.

Train tracks cross Girona from north to south. With the launch of High Speed ​​Trains in the city, a project arose to dismantle these tracks and the existing transport station, building a new station for passengers in the same place where it is now.

Highway

Many routes cross the territory of the municipality of Girona, passing through the Costa Brava and the interior to the French border. Among the national routes, Girona can be reached via the toll AP-7 (Mediterranean Autostrada), which has a large capacity and connects coastal cities with the French border, and along the A-2 (formerly N-II), the old national radial route, which little by little turns into a highway. This route crosses the municipality of Girona through rural areas, the Valle de San Daniel. The construction of this route, crossing Girona through the most valuable and beautiful terrain, took place in 1990-1992. caused loud protests.

Autonomous highways passing through Girona:

• S-65, S-66, N 141, S-25 is nearby. The C-65 connects Girona with the coastal town of Sant Feliu de Guixols, the C-66 with Palafrugell and Bisbal del Ampurdão, Banyolas and Besalu, where it intersects with the A-26 state highway.
• The N-141 connects Girona with Bescano and Anglès, following the river Ter.
• S-25 - from Santa Coloma de Farners, Vich, Manresa and Cervera, where it unites with A-2.

Recently, small provincial highways have been built with the support of the Girona City Hall, connecting small settlements with the capital.

A number of metropolitan, regional and national buses run along all routes, connecting Girona with other cities. There are regular flights from Girona to Sant Feliu de Guixols, Santa Coloma de Farners, Lloret de Mar, as well as to all medium-sized and small towns along the route. The central bus station, from where all buses depart, is located next to the train station.

The largest city in northern Catalonia and the capital of the richest province of Spain - Gerona (Gerona, Girona, the Spaniards say Girona, the Catalans call their city Gerona, or Girona) grew up on the site of the ancient settlement of Gerunda, the date of its founding is not thoroughly known.

Girona is often called the “Immortal City” because it withstood 25 major sieges and attacks. The fortress walls serve as a kind of calling card of the city - you can walk along them and almost completely see the old city of Warri-Wel from above.

Sights of Girona

Embankment of the Onyar River is perhaps the most picturesque place in Girona - the facades of numerous old houses literally end up towards the river.

The main attraction of the city is the giant Gothic Girona Cathedral(XI-XVII centuries) with the largest Gothic nave in the world (22 meters in diameter) and Cathedral Museum of Medieval Art(Museu-Tresor de la Catedral, the second richest in Spain after Barcelona's MNAC). In a nearby complex Episcopal Palace located Girona Art Museum with a rich collection of religious art. From here you can climb to one of the main landmarks of the city - the tower Church of Santa Feliu(XIII century, in the 16th century it was “beheaded” by lightning and was never restored) or go to the perfectly preserved Arab baths(XII-XIII centuries).

Also worth attention City Archaeological Museum in the old Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, Museum of the History of Girona, nearby Archaeological passage, beautiful Plaza Independencia with numerous restaurants, shops and Cinema Museum, Jardins del Alemanis Park, iron bridge over Onyar works by Gustav Eiffel himself, as well as the best-preserved Jewish quarter in Western Europe - Kal, which is a kind of independent city within Gerona.