Introduction |  |
Over the centuries, countless invasions have seen Girona reborn in numerous guises, including stints as a major Roman trading town and a centre of Arab culture. Half a millennium on and the city boasts a remarkably intact medieval centre and an enduring elegance – something that has gone largely unnoticed by those using its airport as a stepping stone to the occasionally dubious charms of the Costa Brava.
The River Onyar, lined by buildings in red and ochre, divides the old city from the new and, though it rarely amounts to much more than a trickle these days, it’s still a good place to start exploring. Note the Eiffel-designed bridge, the Pont de les Peixateries. A walk up the lively riverside Rambla de la Llibertat takes you towards the city’s spiritual core and major landmark, the magnificent cathedral. Its 1680 baroque façade conceals a graceful Romanesque cloister and what is said to be the widest nave in Christendom. An interesting cathedral museum holds a diverting array of art and artefacts, including the gorgeous 12th-century ‘Tapestry of Creation’ and the Beatus, a beautiful illuminated tenth-century set of manuscripts.
Before their expulsion in 1492, the sizeable percentage of the city’s population that was Jewish had their own district, the Call, and its labyrinthine streets around C/Força are beautifully preserved. The story of this community is told in the excellent Jewish Museum located in the Centre Bonastruc ça Porta (C/Força 8, 972 216 761, www.ajgirona.org/call), built on the site of a 15th-century synagogue.
Nearby, the city’s history museum, Museu d’Història de la Ciutat (C/Força 27, 972 222 229, www.ajgirona.org, closed Mon), is housed in an 18th-century monastery. Look for the alcoves with ventilated seating on the ground floor – this was where deceased monks were left to dry for two years before their mummified corpses were displayed.
Heading north from here, the mudéjar Banys Àrabs (C/Ferran el Catòlic s/n, 972 190 797, www.banysarabs.org, closed Sun), actually a Christian creation, is a 12th-century bathhouse with a unique blend of Romanesque and Moorish architecture. The nearby monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants is one of the finest of the countless examples of Romanesque architecture in Catalonia, with a beautiful 12th-century cloister, rich with intricate carvings. The monastery also houses the Museu Arqueològic (Plaça Santa Llúcia 1, 972 202 632, www.mac.es, closed Mon), with a display of day-to-day objects from the Paleolithic to the Visigothic periods. Continuing from there, the Passeig Arqueològic runs along what’s left of the old city walls, which were intact until 1892.
• Tourist information: Rambla de la Llibertat 1 (972 226 575, www.ajuntament.gi/turisme).
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