Girona - municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Girona is an ancient town in Catalonia, Spain, first inhabited over 2,000 years ago. Girona has a small, attractive medieval Jewish quarter and is often overlooked by budget fliers arriving at Girona-Barcelona airport. Girona makes an excellent stop-off as part of a tour of Catalonia or escape from the noise and speed of Barcelona or as a long weekend getaway with one of those budget airlines.

Understand

The town is said to consistently win a country-wide poll of citizens on preferred city to live in. Geographically set at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell rivers, it has been a focal point of this part of Catalonia since before the Roman period.

The Old Town is on the east bank of the river, where its narrow, pedestrianized streets are surrounded by the old city walls. The "Rambla", running parallel to the river, contains many street cafés and touristy restaurants. Tourist information is at the south end of the Rambla, beside the river. The newer town centre on the west bank has wider streets, and contains more shops and hotels, plus slightly cheaper restaurants.

Girona has an ancient and proud Jewish heritage, although in part due to the anti-Jewish policies of the Spanish Inquisition and of secular authorities, few Jews actually live in Girona today. The city has approximately 103,000 people (2020) and it's the capital of Girona Province in Catalonia which includes the counties (comarques in Catalan) of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, Garrotxa, Gironès, Pla de l'Estany, and Ripollès.

Climate

Girona has a mild climate. In winter temperatures can drop to below −5 °C (23 °F). In summer temperatures often soar to 30–40 °C (86–104 °F). Rain is more common in winter and spring and thunderstorms often occur.

In August, the city becomes very quiet on Saturdays and Sundays, as most citizens escape to the sea. If you want to see the near Costa Brava plan your trip for the months between May to October if you want to swim, but all year round to enjoy the area as well.

Get in

Girona is north of Barcelona and can be reached from there by bus, train, or car. There is an airport close to the town with a wide range of connections on Ryanair. It is also 98 km (61 miles) away from Barcelona.

By plane

• Girona Airport (IATA: GRO), 41.900833°, 2.760556°, +34 972 473 681, +34972 186 675. Ryanair mentions "Barcelona" in their description of Girona airport to suggest it being closer to that city than it actually is. In reality the airport is a 1-hr bus ride from Barcelona center. There is also an hourly bus into Girona from the airport, which is a 25-minute ride and connects the airport with Girona's railway station. Buses leave at 30 minutes past the hour from the airport and on the hour from the bus terminal. The high-speed railway line passes within less than a kilometer of the terminal, there is no stop serving the airport.

By bus

Girona is a local hub for bus travel. Buses stop in an underground facility connected to the train station. One of the bus companies is Sagalés.

By train

• Girona train station, 41.977778°, 2.816111°. There are commuter trains to Girona leaving from Barcelona every 30 minutes in peak hours, hourly otherwise. All trains start at Barcelona Sants station with other stops at Passeig de Gràcia and Clot Aragó. Trains run M-F 06:00-22:00, Sa 07:00-22:00, Su 08:00-22:00. The journey takes between 1 hr 20 min and 1 hr 35 min from Barcelona Sants and the ticket costs between €8.50 and €12: MD trains are faster, more comfortable but quite expensive; Regional trains (R) call at almost all stations and their seats are not designed for long trips but tickets are 30% cheaper. There are no round trip discounts but 10 trip travelcards are available, €60 for R trains only, €70 for R and MD trains, valid for 90 days after purchase and allowing multiple passengers on the same trip, so it's convenient for small groups from 4 people upwards or repeating trips. On weekdays there are also some direct trains from the Maresme coastal zone to Girona (Mataró, Arenys, Calella, Santa Susanna...), on weekends changing trains in Maçanet is required and due to poor schedule coordination you may find yourself waiting for 50 minutes in a station far away from everywhere. default Timetables (line R11 and RG1 from Barcelona, RG1 from Maresme region). As almost all trains continue to Figueres, there's also one train every 30 minutes during peak hours. From Portbou and the French border, however, trains run only once every two hours.
  On the other hand, you can use high speed trains coming from either Madrid and Barcelona (AVE) or Paris, Perpignan and several other southern France cities (TGV). The schedule is quite irregular and changes frequently, check with Renfe and SNCF respectively. Both AVE and TGV trains have all compulsory reservation. AVE trains on Barcelona only stop at Sants station and take 38 minutes to reach Girona. Fares are €16 single. A round trip is only slightly more expensive on AVE than MD but the travel time is sharply shorter, however there are no convenient travelcards usable for small groups. From places farther than Barcelona and from France tickets are cheaper if bought well in advance. If boarding an AVE train in Spain you'll need to pass through a security scan and all luggage will be X-rayed: take this into account to get to the station with enough time.
  Other than Madrid, Zaragoza, Lleida and Tarragona, there are no direct trains from other Spanish cities.

Get around

On foot

Both the Old Town and the New Town across the river are highly pedestrianized. Girona is built on a hill, and most streets in the Old Town feature large cobblestones and steep stairs. Walking in high heels or with rolling luggage is quite difficult at some points, so plan accordingly.

By bus

There are local buses, but their routes can be quite confusing for non-locals. Furthermore, all touristic areas are near one from another. Single ticket is €1.30.

By bicycle

Several pro-cycling teams base themselves out of Girona, and many retired athletes retain connections to the area. There are kilometers of beautiful and well signed trails in and around the city. You'll also find a wide variety of rental options, kit shops, and cafés to suit any taste.

By car

A car is not only unnecessary in Girona, but also quite cumbersome. Rentals are available for those wishing to make day trips to the outlying villages and castles in the area.

Girona has the same automotive issue plaguing other major European cities, although the scale here is more manageable. Narrow streets coupled with a complicated road system can create traffic jams. A good map is essential, as haphazard bridge placement can make crossing the river difficult. Navigating with an average tourist map is frequently misleading, many streets are one-way and left turns can be rare and unpredictable.

See

The town's architecture is varied and atmospheric resulting from the myriad of occupations and invasions with many narrow streets, a castle, and an impressive walled section.

• Banys Arabs (Arab baths), c/de Ferran Catolic, 41.98838°, 2.825693°. Apr-Sep: M-F 10:00-19:00, Su and holidays 10:00-14:00; Oct-Mar: daily 10:00-14:00. A museum, not an actual bath. €4

• Catedral de Girona (Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona), Plaça de la Catedral (there are stairs to the main door of the cathedral on the la Força street), 41.9875°, 2.826389°. Begun in the 11th century in the Romanesque architectural style; continued in the 13th century in the Gothic style. Includes the widest Gothic nave in the world.

• Església de Sant Feliu (Sant Feliu Church), Pda. St. Feliu, 29, 41.987966°, 2.824234°, +34 972 176 861. M Tu 10:00-13:30, W-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-15:30. Second church in the city, built from the 12th century until the 17th century. It retains much of the Romanesque construction, completed later with a Gothic nave and a covered baroque facade. It is notable for its eight Roman and early Christian sarcophagi of the 3rd and 4th centuries, along with the Gothic tomb of Narcissus of Girona who, according to tradition, was one of the early bishops of the see. Adult €7, student or senior €5, under 16 €1.2 2020-09-24

• El riu Onyar (The Onyar river), 41.98455°, 2.82389°. Although it dries up in the summer (and gets a bit stinky!), the houses along it are very pretty. The bridge is by Gustave Eiffel.

• Pont de les Peixateries Velles, 41.9845475°, 2.8239366°.

• Muralles de Girona, 41.9864942°, 2.8284109°.

Do

• Parc de la Devesa, 41.9874439°, 2.8156539°.
• Walk along the ancient walls (yes, you can get on there) for excellent views of the city.
• Enjoy the numerous cafes which are especially atmospheric at night.
• The ancient narrow streets of the old Jewish section.
• Check out Girona's lively "discoteca" club scene.
• Play Golf on all the fantastic courses in the surroundings
• Watch football ie soccer. Girona FC were relegated in 2019 so they now play in Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish football. Their Montilivi stadium, capacity 13,500, is 2 km south of city centre.
• Semana Santa (Holy week). the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Visit Girona when many celebrations take place in the city and Christians march through the streets in the evening with replicas of Jesus on their shoulders and play music. Make sure to book ahead since accommodations fill up quickly during that time and often nothing is left shortly before the celebrations. 2019-04-20

Buy

The old town contains mostly touristy shops. There is also a good selection of modern shops selling the latest clothes.

Market on Saturday. Cheap goods market along river bank in the park north-west of town centre. Craft stalls in the old town.

• Eat Sleep Cycle, Carrer del Vern, 3, 41.98154°, 2.82402°, +34 972 754 301. M-Sa 09:00-14:00, 16:00-19:00. Full service bike sales and rental shop; road, gravel, and mountain. Come in for repairs, or just to have a coffee and meet a friend. Sells helmets, clothing, shoes, tools, parts—basically anything you might need on the bike. Offers cycling tours in varying lengths depending on your skill level and interests. 2022-10-25

Eat

In the old town, many touristy and non-touristy cafes and restaurants offer menu del dia, even on Sunday. The menu del dia is a fixed price lunchtime menu of three courses, sometimes with a drink, served across Spain Monday to Friday and sometimes during the weekend.

Areas with dense coverage of faceless touristy cafes are: Plaça Independencia; Rambla de la Lliberitat (near cathedrals). However, try to avoid the restaurants at and near Rambla de la Llibertat, they are very touristy, waiters do not speak English and even if you do find menus in English they are usually poorly translated and the dish you get can vary substantially from its description in the menu. Especially avoid tapas at these restaurants, aside that it is not an authentic Catalan dish, you will get just a poorly styled mish-mash at one small plate.

Like any other Catalan city, restaurants are closed from 16:00 until dinner time (about 20:00-20:30). Exceptions are only touristy restaurants at Rambla de la Lliberitat. Generally cafes and bars stay open between 16:00 and 20:00.

Budget

Multiple locations

• König. Modern minimalistic design interior. Combined dishes (salad + main + side dish), salads, focaccia sandwiches, hamburgers, toast sandwiches, pizzas, steak and french fries. 2023-01-19
  • König Midgia, Carrer Migdia, 7, 41.977171°, 2.821091°. 2023-01-19
  • König Sandwiches, c/Calderers 16 (right under Esglesia de Sant Feliu), 41.9878446°, 2.8242283°, +34 972 225 782. Two floors. Well air-conditioned. Outdoor tables. 2023-01-19
  • König Girona Nord, C/ Font de l'Abat, 23, 41.9934470°, 2.8178658°, +34 972 297 504. 2023-01-19

City centre

• Cafeteria Canigó, Carrer Francesc Ciurana, 4, 41.97739662°, 2.8192278°. Super friendly and the sandwiches are great. Very good daily menu. Generous portions, good wine and first class bread. 2023-01-19
• Casal Independentista El Forn, Plaça de Sant Pere, 5, 41.9895599°, 2.8253401°. Original and delicious tapas. A good place for a dinner. 2023-01-19
• La Rosaleda Jardí Degustació, Passeig de la Devesa, 1 (inside the Devesa park), 41.9867304°, 2.8195968°. Bar-restaurant in a special place, in a corner with very nice and quiet gardens. They make very good patatas bravas. Good place also for breakfast. 2023-01-19
• 8de7, Carrer de les Hortes, 10, 41.9846721°, 2.8231819°. The food is all very good and a great variety of tapas. It has a small terrace outside and a small dining room inside. If you want to go there, it's better to make a reservation. 2023-01-19
• Bionbo, C/ del Carme 75, 41.9782015°, 2.8244884°, +34 972 299 309, info@bionbo.com. Informal, fresh modern cuisine with Catalan overtones. 2023-01-19
• Restobar Misky wasi, Carrer Figuerola, 39, 41.9850814°, 2.8186154°. The ceviche is great and so is the grilled chicken, with that touch of charcoal, as it should be in Peru. Very generous dishes. Very good attention. 2023-01-19
• Dolce Vita Girona, Plaça de la Independència, 11, 41.9862240°, 2.8235701°. Italian restaurant. The black cuttlefish risotto is nice. All the staff, especially the manager, are very friendly and attentive. It gets very crowded; reservations are recommended. 2023-01-19

Mid-range

• Txalaka, Carrer Bonastruc de Porta 4, 41.985680°, 2.820226°. Very good Basque restaurant serving pintxos (similar to tapas). Can be crowded with locals in the evening after 22:00, which is a good sign for a restaurant. 2023-01-19
• Zanpanzar, Carrer Cort-Reial, 10, 17004, 41.984806°, 2.825252°, +34 972 21 28 43. Basque cuisine. Fantastic atmosphere, good for a quick tapa and beer. 2023-01-19
• La Poma, Carrer Cort-Reial, 16, 17004, 41.985033°, 2.825082°, +34 972 21 29 09. Cosy and modern place with exquisite dishes and a wide and varied wine list. 2023-01-19
• Le Bistrot, Pujada de Sant Domenec, 4 (halfway on going down from Catedral by either side of Pujada de Sant Domenec), 41.984834°, 2.826156°, +34972 21-8803, info@cafebistrot.com. Outdoor tables on a spectacular staircase in the town. Alternatively, consider indoor seats near backyard windows. Frequented by students of the local university. Menu del dia: €17-20, available on Su also; no traditional menu 2023-01-19
• Vintages, Carrer Cort-Reial, 15, 17004, 41.98484°, 2.825035°, +34 972 206 326. Seasonal products and dishes. Wide wine list. 2023-01-19
• {{eat | name=Mimolet | url=http://www.mimolet.net/ (dead link: December 2020) | email= | address=Carrer Pou Rodó, 12, 17004 | lat=41.988485 | long=2.824616 | directions= | phone= +34 972 202 124 | tollfree= | fax= | hours= | price= | lastedit=2023-01-19 | content=Amazing food with a set menu and wines. }}
• El Cau del Llop, Carrer de Sacsimort, 5, 41.9886785°, 2.8256492°, +34 972 220 211. Traditional and simple cuisine with an accurate selection of the products. 2023-01-19

Splurge

• Divinum, C/Albereda, 7, 41.982217°, 2.824058°, +34 872 080 218. Great wine and cheese tasting, tapas, sometimes live jazz music. Reasonable price. It's a small place, so you might need to book. 2023-01-19
• Arròs i Peix, C/ Ciutadans 20, 41.984435°, 2.825637°, +34 972 426 300. Fish and seafood. Pick out your fresh fish and have it cooked while you enjoy a glass of cava. 2023-01-19
• El Celler de Can Roca, Can Sunyer, 48 17007, 41.993197°, 2.808012°, +34 972 222 157. closed Christmas, Easter, 1 week end Aug/beginning Sept, Sun and Mon. Touted nowadays as "the best restaurant in the world". Reservation required. menu €130-180 (2013) 2023-01-19
• La Massana, Carrer Bonastruc de Porta, 10, 17001, 41.98486°, 2.819566°, +34 942 212820. menu €80, a-la-carte €52-67

Sweet

• Rocambolesc, Carrer Santa Clara, 50, 17001, 41.9847285°, 2.8234599°. Ice cream parlour by one of the brothers of "El Celler de Can Roca". €2-3
• Llagurt, Carrer Argenteria, 3, 41.984639°, 2.824420°. Wide variety of artisan and organic yogurts.
• Xocolateria l'Antiga, Placa del vi 8, 41.983089°, 2.824553°. Charming and classical place in the old town, where you can enjoy a typical cup of "xocolata calenta" (hot chocolate).
• Crepdequè, C/Ballesteries 49 Girona, 41.986514°, 2.824588°. Traditional crêpe place of Girona.

Drink

• Cafetería 1900, C/ Obra, 2 (in a small square, between Pont de Pedra and Pont de Ferro), 41.9838323°, 2.8228211°. Coffees, teas and hot chocolates. Simple selection of pastries and waffle. Reasonably priced and delicious with the bonus of free Wi-Fi. Beautiful place with clean bathrooms. Drinks €1-4
• Il piccolo cafe, Passeig Canalejas. Su-W 09:00-00:00, Th-Sa 09:00-03:00. Very good atmosphere. Next to the river, Plaza Independencia and the car park area, gay-friendly bar and good ambient.
• La Bodega, Carrer Bonaventura Carreras i Peralta, 2. Small winery in the heart of the Old Town, where people stand outside drinking wine or beer. Very good atmosphere. Each cup costs around 2€, with some snacks included.
• The River Cafè, Carrer de les Ballesteries, 23, 17004. Live music, drinks and food. Open all day.
• Context Cafè-Bar, Carrer Pou Rodó, 21. Cafe and book shop: Drinks, good food, books, live music and many other activities.
• Mckiernan's, Rambla de la Llibertat, 32, 17004. An Irish pub, crowded on weekends. Suitable place to have a drink. English friendly.
• Sunset Jazz Club, Carrer de Jaume Pons Martí, 12, 17004. Live music shows, some of the top musicians of the national and international scenes, in addition to the great live jazz shows. Wide selection of the international classics and self-created cocktails. Very cosy place.
• Siddharta, Pedret, 116, 17007. A suitable place to try herbal teas.
• Cu-Cut!, Plaça independència, 10, 17001. Nice place for the first drinks, and maybe the last too.
• Lola cafe, Carrer Bonaventura Carreras Peralta, 7. Spanish rumba pub, every day there is a guest rumba band playing live.

Sleep

Budget

• Room In Girona, Santa Clara, 9 (in the heart of the old quarter), 41.982846°, 2.822839°, +34 972 426 480. From €18
• Xanascat. Alberg Cerverí, Carrer Dels Ciutadans, 9, 17004 (100 m away from the Town Hall and from the Avenue), 41.983739°, 2.825135°, +34 972 21 80 03, alberg.girona@gencat.cat. From €15 including breakfast, internet access

Mid-range

• Bells Oficis, Germans Busquets, 2, 2d floor (Old town, near the river on Rambla Llibertat, at the second flat.), 41.983217°, 2.824047°, +34 972 228 170, info@bellsoficis.com. Small bed and breakfast From €40
• Borràs Guesthouse (Pension Borràs), Travesía Auriga, 6, principal-2ª, 41.982367°, 2.8252°, +34 972 22 40 08, pensionesperezborras@yahoo.es. From €23 one person, €38 two persons
• Ibis Girona Costa Brava, C/ Francesc Ferrer 16-18, 41.997965°, 2.817496°, info@bellsoficis.com. From €39
• Viladomat Guesthouse (Pensió Viladomat), Ciutadans, 5, 41.983691°, 2.825114°. From €23 one person, €38 two persons

Splurge

• Hotel Bellavista, Pujada Polvorins, 1, 41.978699°, 2.829727°. The only 5-star hotel in Girona.
• Hotel Carlemany, Plaça Miquel Santaló, 41.978651°, 2.821209°.
• Hotel Ciutat de Girona, Carrer Nord, 2, 41.984696°, 2.822862°, +34 972 48 30 38. Near downtown. From €80/night
• Hotel Ultonia, Gran Via de Jaume I, 22, 41.985286°, 2.821294°, +034 972 203 850. A modern hotel.

Stay safe

• As is typical with these region of Catalonia, it can get quite hot in the summer. Take care and drink plenty of water throughout the day. There are a number of public water fountains which anyone can make use of and they are clearly marked on the city maps you get from the tourists office.

• As for crime, Girona is generally a very safe town with a vigilant local population. It experiences crime that is typical of any city its size, but visitors have little to worry about from the town itself beyond possibly pickpocketing in large crowds. However, it is not uncommon to see local drunks and other vagabonds at the entrances to the footbridges across the Onyar River, especially on the Old Town side. While they generally keep to themselves, they will often beg for change.

• While not the destination that Barcelona is for "stag" parties from Northern Europe, Girona does see its fair share of them, given that many of them fly in to Girona Airport on their way to Barcelona.

• Don't attempt to jump in to the Onyar River from any of the bridges across it. In addition to being difficult to get back out of, the water simply isn't deep enough for the height, and you will sustain any number of grievous injuries upon landing.

• Girona has often been singled out by the Spanish media as a hotbed for Catalan independence. Do not discuss politics with locals.

Go next

• Barcelona – An hour to the south by train and the capital of Catalonia with an endless list of things to see and do.
• Costa Brava – Rocky cliffs and a mix of pebble beaches and sandy beaches at Blanes, Cadaqués, and Tossa de Mar.
• Girona Pyrenees – Monumental mountain towns, skiing resorts and la Garrotxa volcanoes.