For many, Girona is an airport and not a city, a cheap way to get to Spain with Ryanair and nothing else. But Girona is actually a city worth visiting on its own merits.
A popular day trip from Barcelona takes you to Figueres and Girona, giving you the opportunity to see both Girona and the excellent Salvador Dalí Museum in one trip.
Best time to visit Girona
Every time Ryanair has its flights to Girona at very low prices (which is quite frequent).
Things to do in Girona
- Stroll through The Call, the Jewish quarter of Girona.
- Walk along the Onyar River and see the colorful houses stacked on the riverside, Florence-style. They are called penjades cases , or ‘hanging houses’.
- A walk along the 9th and 15th century Carolingian walls offers stunning views of Girona’s old town and the surrounding mountains.
- Take a look at the cathedral. The highlight of the 11th century Girona Cathedral is its stupendous Gothic nave, the largest of its kind in Christendom. The cathedral itself is grandly set on a precipitous cascade of steps.
- On the other side of the cathedral is the Passeig Archeologic, a beautiful set of gardens.
- Watch the world go by in Plaça de la Independencia, Plaça del Vi and Plaça de la Catedral.
- Visit the Girona museums: there is one about art, one about cinema and another about archeology.
- Visit the Arab baths. They actually date from the 12th century, when the Moors had been expelled from the city. Still, they are quite impressive.
How long to stay in Girona
If you come to Girona on one of those Ryanair flights early in the morning, then you should at least spend your first day and night here. You could fill the second day with the museums of the city.
Day trips from Girona
One of the best things about Girona is that it makes many places in northern Catalonia much more accessible than if you were trying to get there from Barcelona, particularly the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
Distance to Girona
From Barcelona: 100 km : 1 hour by car, 1 hour and 30 by train. There is no convenient bus.
From Madrid: 700 km. 7 hours by car. There is no train or bus.
From Seville: 1124 km : 12 hours by car. There is no train or bus.
First impressions
Girona is a perfect first stop for your holidays in Spanish.
Take the short walk from the bus / train station via c / Barcelona and Gran Vía de Jaume I. Cross the river and you will find the tourist information center on Rambla de la Libertat, where you can get a good map of the area .
The streets and squares around the information center, such as c / dels Ciutadans, Plaça del Vi and the aforementioned Rambla de la Libertat, have a number of pleasant cafes and bars. They vary a lot in price and quality – avoid the really cheap stuff geared towards tourists and look for something more than two or three euros more, it will be much better.
Beyond these streets is where things get really interesting, with a series of squares, narrow streets and churches, before crossing the cathedral. But don’t stop there, continue past the cathedral to find beautiful gardens.
Once the interesting sights dry up, turn back, cross the river, and visit Plaza de la Independencia, a vibrant plaza that is perfect to end your walk.
