Girona City Travel Guide, Catalonia, Spain

Girona is a city and municipality in the northeastern Catalonia, capital of the region of Gironès, it belongs to the area of the Girona counties. Girona is a city on a human scale with all the charm of a larger city. Take a leisurely stroll through the old town, visit the museums and the historic buildings, wander through the streets and squares, and discover the tourist attractions, festivals, restaurants, cultural events, etc.

One of the most interesting in Catalonia, the historic city of Girona invites visitors to trace its more than 2000 years of history through two fortified enclosures, the Força Vella and the Medieval Quarter. The Força Vella dates back to the Roman foundation while the medieval extension of the city walls was carried out during the 14th and 15th centuries. The city’s artistic heritage has been preserved in the numerous monuments that have survived until today. The highlights of Girona are rounded off by the impressive old Jewish Quarter or Call, with its beautiful streets and porticoed squares, and by the exuberant baroque spaces and Noucentisme-style buildings by architect Rafael Masó.

The city is located at the confluence of four rivers (the Ter, the Onyar, the Güell and the Galligants) and at an altitude of 75 m above sea level. Its municipal term limits the north with Sant Julià de Ramis and Sarrià de Ter; to the east, with Celrà; to the southeast, with Juià and Quart; to the southwest, with Fornells de la Selva, Vilablareix and Salt; and to the west, with St. Gregory. The municipality had 101,852 inhabitants in 2019.

Its historic center or old quarter has monumental elements unique to the continent. It is delimited by the so-called Paseo de la Muralla, the circular path of the old Carolingian walls (9th century) and the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries). Its monuments include the callus (ancient Jewish quarter, one of the best preserved in the Iberian Peninsula), the colorful houses of the Onyar, the Arab baths and the cathedral, a huge single nave that is the largest in the world in Gothic style.

Historical heritage
The part of the city that is – or was – delimited by the medieval walls and the bastions of modern times is known as the Old Quarter. It is the Girona of before 1895, prior to the demolition of the walls of the Pla de Girona. Inside, there are the main monuments of Girona and all the original and primitive urbanism of the city. This neighborhood was the subject of a major renovation in 1982 by the city council, which undertook a rehabilitation and recovery, focusing on tourism. After almost two decades, the Old Quarter is the main tourist attraction of the city, with a large part of rehabilitated buildings and recovered urban planning, especially the Jewish quarter.

The Força Vella
In the first century BC, the Romans built a mighty fortress with an almost triangular perimeter (a kind of acropolis) which is known as Força Vella. The fortress was very well protected by a defensive rampart built from large stone ashlars. This was the first city enclosure and it remained unchanged until the year 1000. Parts of this wall can still be seen today.

The Cathedral
The Cathedral is located at the heart of the Força Vella. Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, it includes a series of walls and spaces in different styles, from Romanesque (the cloister and Charlemagne tower) to the baroque façade and steps. Its most singular feature is its large Gothic nave (15th-16th centuries) which, at a width of 23 metres, is the widest of its kind in the world.

Sant Pere de Galligants and Sant Nicolau
The grandeur of the temple, with its basilical plan, and the iconographic interest of the capitals in the central nave and the cloister of this Benedictine monastery (12th century), which is today used as a museum, together with the church of Sant Nicolau (now an exhibition room), form one of Catalonia’s most important Romanesque sites.

The Arab Baths
A singular Romanesque construction (12th century) inspired by Roman baths, its most outstanding elements include the entrance, which was used as a changing room and relaxation area and is covered with a barrel vault, and the cupola covering the central pool, which is supported by slim columns with ornately decorated capitals.

Basilica of Sant Feliu
Girona’s first cathedral until the 10th century is one of its most representative Gothic buildings, above all the slender bell tower (14th-16th centuries). With its castle-like appearance, the Romanesque chevet was completed with Gothic naves and a baroque façade (13th-18th centuries). The church houses some remarkable works of art, such as the eight pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (4th century) and the Recumbent Christ (14th century) by the sculptor Aloi de Montbrai.

Jewish Quarter
Located within the Força Vella, the Jewish Quarter or Call is one of the city’s most emblematic areas. It consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets and patios that have maintained their medieval atmosphere. It is one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in the world and clear evidence of the importance of the Jewish culture in Girona.

The Medieval Quarter
The medieval city was constructed between the 11th and 15th centuries with new quarters being built to the north of the Força Vella (Sant Feliu and Sant Pere), to the south (Areny and Vilanova) and the west (Mercadal), all protected by new ramparts, of which some sections are still visible today along the city walls walkway.

The Valley and Monastery of Sant Daniel
From Sant Pere de Galligants you can access the valley of Sant Daniel, a large green area beside the city with shady zones and natural springs. The church, which houses the tomb of Saint Daniel (14th century), created by the sculptor Aloi de Montbrai, and the convent’s cloister (12th-15th centuries) are beautiful examples of Romanesque construction with Gothic additions.

The University and Sant Domènec
The Humanities campus and Rector’s Office are housed in the convent of Sant Domènec and Les Àligues building, respectively. The convent of Sant Domènec (13th-14th centuries) was one of the first Gothic buildings in Catalonia, and its most notable features are its church, chapterhouse and large cloister. Only the façade of Les Àligues building (16th century) remains today, offering a rare example of Renaissance architecture in the city.

The Walls
The extension of the Roman walls during the medieval ages today enables visitors to stroll along a walkway following some sections of the longest Carolingian walls in Europe (9th century). The various towers are excellent vantage points offering views over the city and the surrounding areas.

Rambla de la Llibertat
This magnificent long stretch along the River Onyar was developed in the 13th century to hold the market and is characterised by its low-ceilinged arcades and unequal arches. It has long been the main commercial and entertainment centre of Girona and contains many interesting buildings, such as Casa Norat, with its Modernist façade (1912).

Plaça del Vi
This bustling square is enclosed by arcades, by the so called Palau del General, a Gothic-Renaissance building that housed the Catalan government administration of Girona in the 16th and 17th centuries, and by the City Hall and the Municipal Theatre, a remarkable 19th-century theatre that is among the most interesting in Catalonia.

Sant Martí Sacosta
Girona has managed to preserve numerous medieval and modern spaces with an exceptional atmosphere and beauty where time seems to have stood still. This is certainly true of the space enclosed by the church of the old convent of Sant Martí (17th century), with its baroque façade and the steps in front of it, and Casa-Palau Agullana (16th-17th centuries), which provides one of the city’s most unique images with its covered, skewed arch.

Plaça de la Independència
Designed by Martí Sureda on the site of the old convent of Sant Agustí, this is Girona’s most popular square. A porticoed square in neoclassical style, Plaça de la Independència is a busy place due to the large number of restaurants here. In the centre of the square stands a monument (1894) commemorating the 1809 defenders of the city of Girona, created by the sculptor Antoni Parera.

The Houses on the River Onyar
Girona offers spectacular images of steep alleyways, porticoed streets and squares and, above all, the brightly painted façades of the houses overlooking the Onyar (the river that crosses the city) which provide the most emblematic image of the city. One of these houses is Casa Masó, which is open to the public. Of particular interest among the bridges that span the river are the slender and lightweight Gómez bridge and the Palanques Vermelles bridge (1827), which was built by the Eiffel company.

Modernist and Noucentist Architecture
The architecture of the Modernisme and Noucentisme cultural movements can be seen in Girona, a reminder of the growth and transformation of the city at the start of the 20th century. A stroll around the city centre and different neighbourhoods allows the visitor to admire apartment blocks, single-family houses and industrial buildings designed by architects such as Rafael Masó (Batlle Apartment Block, Farinera Teixidor, Casa Masó, “la Punxa” and Casa Gispert Saüch), Eugeni Campllonch (Casa Franquesa), Isidre Bosch Bataller (Casa Furest and Casa Noguera), Joan Roca Pinet (Casa Norat and Casa Rigau), Josep Martí Burch (Auguet Apartment Block), and Enric Catà Catà (Regàs Distilleries, etc.).

Castle of Sant Miquel
The castle of Sant Miquel is an architectural ensemble at the top of the hill or mountain of Sant Miquel between the municipalities of Girona and Celrà (Gironès). Its location at the top allows control over large areas of the territory. This complex surrounded by a moat includes a hermitage, called St. Michael the Archangel, and a square-based tower. The site is a perfect example of the successive reuse of this space over time due to changing needs. Currently, the space has been refurbished by Girona City Council, roads have been adapted to access it and routes have been created to get there easily, as it has become a common place for cyclists, runners and families.

Montjuïc Castle
The castle of Montjuïcwas a bastion built in Girona, on the mountain of Montjuïc by order of Philip IV in 1653, to ensure the security of access to the Pla de Girona from the north, together with four defense towers: Sant Joan, Sant Daniel, Sant Narcís and Sant Lluís. The general plan of the castle was square, with an enclosure constructed by four bastions, connected with walls of 150 meters of average length. It was very useful in the so-called French War – especially in the three sieges suffered by the city (first siege of Girona in 1808, second siege of Girona in 1808 and siege of Girona in 1809) until it was finally abandoned.

11 June 1811, being disused in 1814, at the end of the war, by order of Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet, after having built in 1812 the Suchet tower. In 1843, a bombardment by General Prim destroyed it. It is located at the highest point of the mountain of Montjuïc, at 219 meters above sea level. Joan Francesc Molinas i Sicart and Álvarez de Castro were some of its governors. Girona City Council is currently preparing a plan to rehabilitate the castle and to enable it to regain public and tourist interest.

Tower of Alfonso XII
The Tower of Alfonso XII is a large watchtower 160 meters high that allows you to get a magnificent view of the entire city, from south to north, with the Devesa and beyond the Pyrenees, with the Canigó and Puig Neulós, as backdrop, traversing the perimeter enabled as a path surrounding it. It was built in the 19th century on the same site as the former redoubt of the city, also called Sant Narcís or dels Estudiants and built in 1675 as a prominent position of the fort of Condestable within the defensive system of the east and the southeast of Girona. This fort of Condestable was connected with two others, following the highest points of the neighboring hills: that of Reina Anna and that of Capuchins.

The redoubt was blown up by the French in 1814, like the rest of the neighboring fortresses, after the French War. During the Third Carlist War (1872–1876) its interior and stones were used to build the so-called Torre d’Alfons XII, a small fort built in accordance with the defensive guidelines in force at the end of the century. xix. Below the tower we find the source of the Mirador, an ideal stopping point to rest and contemplate the Old Quarter and the emblematic monuments of the city, from an unusual point of view, under the shade of a hawthorn tree.

Telecommunications tower
The telecommunications tower of Girona, popularly known as ” Pirulí ” is a telecommunications tower that can be seen from many places in Girona. Installed in the area of Les Pedreres, between the area of Font de la Pólvora and El Polvorí, it began to be built in August 1990. In September 1991 it was ready and was inaugurated by Minister Borrell on the 25th. January 1992. Telefónica de España’s investment was 700 million pesetas (4,200,000 euros) (25 million for the land) and, in the words of the minister, had become “one of the most the country’s advanced communications infrastructure “.

The bridges over the Onyar
One of the main problems throughout the history of the city has been the union of the two parts separated by the river Onyar: the right bank (Barri Vell) and the left bank (Barrio del Mercadal). That is why bridges have played an important role in the development of the city. None of the medieval bridges that crossed the Onyar remain today and most of the constructions are contemporary. Among them are: the Pont de Pedra, the Pont de Ferro and the pont d’en Gómez.
The Stone Bridge (or Isabel II) dates from 1856, and replaced the medieval bridge of St. Francis (located next to the defunct convent of the Franciscan friars), which connected the two districts of the city. The Pont de Pedra is very representative of the city, and was built with blocks of typical Girona stone, with abundant fossils of nummulites.
The Iron Bridge (or Pont de les Peixateries Velles, or Pont d’Eiffel, in honor of Gustave Eiffel, whose company built the bridge) was inaugurated in 1877, according to the commemorative ceramic plaque. It replaced the old wooden walkways built by a carpenter.
The Pont d’en Gómez (which takes its name from the person who was expropriated part of his house to build the bridge) dates from 1916, and is made of reinforced concrete. It broke with the style of the earlier bridges, with a slender, modern, austere structure. It was designed in 1914, when reinforced concrete was the last construction novelty.
The Pont de Sant Feliu (or Sant Fèlix) dates from 1995 and is the newest in Girona. The bridge connects Passeig de Canalejas and Passeig de la Copa with Sant Feliu, Carrer de Calderers and Carrer de la Barca.
The Pont or Passera de l’Alferes Huarte connects Carrer del Carme with Plaça de Salvador Espriu very close to the León market. The bridge or walkway is named after the lieutenant Hermógenes Huarte Goría who died during the floods of October 1940 on the bridge of Can Vidal while helping the residents of the nearby areas who had been trapped by the floods of the Güell, l ‘Onyar and the Ter. This bridge was built in 1971 and replaces the previous one which was demolished in 1970 because it was considered too low and dangerous when the Onyar was growing.
Right next to the Pont de Sant Feliu is the railway viaduct, built in 1876 and which represented the arrival of modernity and progress in a Girona that is still walled.
The Pont de l’Areny is the one that connects Plaça del Mercat and Carrer del Carme at the start of Carrer de la Rutlla. It is a bridge intended mainly for vehicular traffic.
The Bishop Lorenzana Bridge connects Carrer del Carme at Vista Alegre Street with Bisbe Lorenzana Street. It is a point built with concrete intended exclusively for pedestrians.
The Pont de la Font del Rei connects Carrer del Carme with Plaça dels Països Catalans. It is a bridge for vehicular and bicycle traffic. Right next to it is the Font del Rei footbridge for pedestrians.

Cultural heritage

Cultural Centers of Girona
Cultural centers are architectural spaces intended for cultural events. Many times they are located in historic buildings and aim to promote culture and the arts among the inhabitants of the municipality. In Girona, the Espai Marfà, the La Mercè Cultural Center, the Casa de Cultura, the CaixaForum and the Bòlit stand out.

Marfà Space
It is a newly created municipal facility based on the rehabilitation of the old Marfà yarn factory. The building will combine the uses of a library (Salvador Allende), a civic center (Santa Eugènia) and a new musical project that will concentrate actions and resources on modern music. In addition, the library will host a point of the Youth Information Service. It is therefore a commitment to combine general and local services in the neighborhood of Santa Eugenia (library and civic center) with a strong young personality and music. Surely, this particular idiosyncrasy will enrich the building with an audience of great diversity, generating social and cultural synergies.

La Mercè Cultural Center
The La Mercè Cultural Center is a multi-purpose and multidisciplinary municipal facility that manages a program of cultural activities and hosts various initiatives. The aim of the center is to provide the city with a space open to cultural activity in which knowledge is facilitated and the exchange between artists, intellectuals, students and the general public is enhanced. A welcoming point for all people interested in art and letters. A place that is offered full of activities for the mind and senses.

The cultural facility is framed by the old convent of La Mercè, a building built in the fourteenth century that was used as a military hospital during the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth. Of the old architecture, the building conserves the structure of square plant, articulated around the cloister, and the annexed church with bell tower, in which the most representative architectural elements are concentrated. Since 1984, the space has been a multidisciplinary cultural center with a regular offer in the scenic, humanistic and artistic fields.

At the center is the Municipal School of Art (EMA) where work is carried out in five lines: Artistic workshops, monographs, emaXics, emaArt and emaDisseny. The aim of the school is to provide the city with a space open to cultural activity in which the learning of art is facilitated and, at the same time, a meeting point for all those interested in the art. There is also the Municipal School of Humanities (EMHU) which is a cultural program of Girona City Council which brings culture closer to the public with proposals linked to the arts and the humanities in general. A space for the public, creators and intellectuals in which reflection and knowledge are offered to grow as people. The center also hosts proposals and programs from other cultural agents, such as independent festivals, rehearsals, concerts, conferences, courses, meetings, presentations, exhibitions, etc.

Girona House of Culture
The House of Culture of the Diputació de Girona is a large cultural container whose mission is the promotion, study and dissemination of Girona and Catalan culture -historical and current- to base an identity and a sense of belonging open to the cultures of the world and the citizens of Girona. It wants to be a cultural center of reference at the citizen level, in the counties of Girona and the Catalan Countries (including especially the work with northern Catalonia).

Caixaforum Girona
It is located in the heart of the city’s old quarter and occupies an emblematic building of medieval Catalan civil architecture, popularly known as the Fontana d’Or, and declared a national historical monument in 1921. It is the social and cultural center of “la Caixa” Welfare Projects in the city of Girona. It offers a wide range of social, cultural and educational offerings. Art, music, thought, science, and the performing arts coexist with social, educational, family, and outreach programs. Guided tours of the exhibitions, lecture series, music festivals, social gatherings, theater and dance shows and educational workshops are some of the activities that make up the wide range of possibilities offered by the center.

El Bòlit, Center for Contemporary Art
The Bòlit aims to develop research programs, production and exhibition of contemporary artistic projects carried out by creators and professionals from other areas of local, national and international knowledge, with a strong involvement with their context. The spaces in the city that host its exhibitions and activities are the Sala de La Rambla (Bòlit-LaRambla, Sala Fidel Aguilar) and the Capella de Sant Nicolau (Bòlit-SantNicolau). However, the offices are located on the second floor of the La Mercè Cultural Center in Girona. Eminently dynamic and active, Bòlit offers a program of exhibitions, integrated and linked activities, such as workshops, cycles of conferences, urban interventions, cycles of projections, specific proposals and works in process,

St. Catherine’s Space
Located in the old Hospital de Santa Caterina, in the new building attached to the historic, restored and rehabilitated between 2006 and 2009. It is an exhibition space open to all citizens, where exhibitions related to the institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya itself in Girona, as well as other proposals that may be provided by citizens or entities. Some of the exhibitions that have passed through the Espai Santa Caterina are: Pencils and… action ., by Roser Capdevila; Dalí, breaking news; or Eugeni Xammar, the journalist who told us about the world. Currently, you can visit the exhibition350 years by your side. Memory of the old Hospital de Santa Caterina, which commemorates the 350th anniversary of the laying of the first stone.

Museums

Girona History Museum
Located in the heart of the Barri Vell, in the old Capuchin convent (eighteenth century and later provincial institute (1845 –1968), the museum reviews the entire history of the city of Girona from the first prehistoric inhabitants, passing through the medieval splendor to the present day. In the museum you will find a tour of the history of Girona, from its foundation in Roman times to the present day, in a chronological tour of Roman, medieval, modern and contemporary Girona that is completed with various areas of traditions. Catalan festivals such as La Faràndula, where you will find local festive imagery and the space “La cobla i la sardana. Música i dansa a Girona”. And it also hosts the space “industrial Girona, a pioneering city”. The museum offers a varied program of activities, and temporary exhibitions are held in different spaces within the museum: the exhibition hall, the coal pit, the cistern and the winery.

The museum’s spaces are made up of the main building and the space dedicated to the Civil War, the anti-aircraft shelter of the Kindergarten, which is part of the Network of Democratic Memory Spaces. And by another extension, the Gómez Agency, an establishment of beautiful modernist design, which had housed a notarial archive, a bank office and a notary. The building has witnessed a unique historical trajectory. And it is in itself a real wonder worth discovering. In the 15th century it was an outstanding Gothic house owned by the Cartellà family; later, around 1753, it became the convent of Sant Antoni, of Capuchin friars. It preserves, in magnificent condition, surprising spaces of the old convent, such as the cemetery or desiccator and the cistern (interesting example of a cistern), the cloister and several impressive rooms. At the end of the 19th century it became the Institute of Secondary Education. And, finally, since 1981 it has housed the Girona History Museum.

Archaeological Museum of Girona
The old church and the old convent of Sant Pere de Galligants house the collections of the Girona section of the Museum of Archeology of Catalonia, formerly called the Provincial Museum of Antiquities and Fine Arts. Used as a warehouse for the archaeological excavations of Empúries since 1846, the provincial museum was installed there in 1857 and in 1992 the project to modernize the facilities was made, already as a section of the Museum of Empúries. ‘Archeology of Catalonia. The museum houses all the archaeological material from prehistoric and ancient times (Iberian, Greek and Roman) found in the province of Girona and which was not sent to the warehouses of Barcelona., as is the case of the statue of Aesculapius of Empúries. You can find milestones, tombstones, mosaics and everyday material. The museum also covers the medieval period, with sets of epigraphy.

Art Museum
Founded in 1976, the museum is located in the old episcopal palace of Girona, next to the cathedral. The museum houses art collections from all periods, from the Romanesque to the contemporary era, with works by Ramon Martí Alsina and Joaquim Vayreda. The types of pieces range from sacred art to decorative arts. The main collections are the medieval ones, of which the present one of the Empordà monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes stands out.

Capitular Museum-Treasury of the Cathedral
Museum dedicated to the relics and valuables accumulated by the chapter of the Cathedral of Girona. You can find collections of sacred art, liturgical objects and works of goldsmithing. Among his pieces are the Beat of Lièbana, made in Zaragoza in 975, and the Tapestry of Creation, from the eleventh or twelfth century.

Girona Film Museum
Opened in 1998, it is a unique museum in its category. Created from the donation of private collections by Catalan film director Tomàs Mallol, it houses a wide variety of cinematographic material, such as projection machines, reels, original film material and a very notable collection of posters. The Girona Film Museum is one of the few museums in the world where you can take a journey through 500 years of image history, seeing what the background and origins of cinema were, as a technique and as a visual spectacle, and to know the beginnings of the seventh art until the arrival of television.

Its main objective has been to collect all the elements that make up the prehistory of cinema and its first years of existence to make them available to everyone. The objects that can be seen there explain how the images were represented before the cinema and what was the technical process that led to the invention of the cinema in 1895.

Museum of Jewish History
Located in the middle of the Call de Girona and framed in a remarkable environment, where in the 15th century the third synagogue of which we know is located, we find the Museum of Jewish History, Patronat Call de Girona. Through various objects found in archaeological excavations carried out in the neighborhood and others from donations from private collections, the Museum of Jewish History explains and documents the life of the Girona Jewish community during the Middle Ages, specifically the eleventh century to the progrom of 1391, until the expulsion of 1492. It should be noted that the Museum exhibits one of the most important collections of Hebrew tombstones in theIberian Peninsula and Europe from the Jewish cemetery of Girona to Montjuïc.

Rafael Masó Foundation
Casa Masó is the birthplace of Rafael Masó (1880–1935), one of the most important works of its architecture and the only one that is open to the public of the famous houses on the river Girona. The house has been preserved with the furniture and decoration of the Noucentista period, and also offers unprecedented views of the city.

The house is also the headquarters of the Rafael Masó Foundation, a center that promotes the study, preservation and dissemination of the work of Masó and Catalan Noucentisme, and promotes awareness of the importance of architecture and urban planning for to society and people. That is why it organizes exhibitions, publications, and educational activities for all audiences. The house is only visited in small groups and it is advisable to make a reservation in advance.

Museum of Archeology of Catalonia (MAC)
Located in the old monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, a jewel of the Catalan Romanesque, you can learn about the oldest history of man in the Girona region, from prehistory to the Middle Ages. It has its origins in the Provincial Museum of Antiquities and Fine Arts, founded in 1846 by the Provincial Commission of Monuments, and is therefore one of the oldest in Catalonia. Between 1846 and 1857 the museum had several locations, until in 1857 it was installed in the monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, a place where it has remained until now and which has given it the name by which it is traditionally known..

The first archaeological materials to enter were from much of Empúries, from excavations carried out by the Monuments Commission in 1846. Roman tombstones and sculptures from Gerunda were also deposited, found in the works carried out at the time. in the city, which was recovering from the damage caused by the War of Independence. Other collections entered for the most part during the second half of the 19th century were the medieval epigraphy sets from the city of Girona itself. In addition to the archaeological collections he has held since the 1930s, based on his consideration as a “provincial”, he also founded art collections as a Museum of Fine Arts, until they were segregated in 1976, on the occasion of the creation of the Girona Art Museum, leaving the Galligants museum specializing exclusively in prehistory and archeology.

The building in which it is located is one of the most notable examples of Catalan Romanesque of the century xii. The date of the monastery’s foundation is unknown, but it has been documented since the end of the 10th century. In 1836 it was abandoned by the community of Benedictine monks, in application of the confiscation laws. The current museum occupies the Romanesque cloister and church, and a supercloister built in the second half of the 19th century. Since 1992 it has been part of the Museum of Archeology of Catalonia.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Girona
The future Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art began to take shape in 2014 with the purchase by the Girona City Council of the Santos Torroella art collection. The future museum will be located in the Casa Pastors, located in the heart of the Barri Vell, at the foot of the cathedral of Girona, which until 2012 had hosted the Provincial Court. With the construction of the new Palau de Justícia the building was left vacant and, with the new project on the table, the government of the Generalitat de Catalunya ceded it on June 8, 2015 to the town hall in order to house the new museum.

Despite not being open to the public, this space has already opened its doors a couple of occasions to host theof Girona artists and also of Enric Marquès on the occasion of Girona Temps de Flors. In June 2014, Girona City Council commissioned the current director of the Rafael Masó Foundation, Jordi Falgàs, to direct the project to museumize the Casa Pastors and turn it into a museum of modern and contemporary art of the city. Falgàs, who is an art historian, will focus on the design of the spaces during the architectural remodeling, will decide how to make the space compatible between the exhibition of the Santos Torroella collection and other temporary exhibitions that are to be organized (both public and private) and will also draft the strategic plan and communication plan.

Theaters and auditoriums

Girona Municipal Theater
The city’s first municipal theater is documented in 1769, when Girona City Council decided to use El Pallol as a comedy theater. It was a small room for the type of use that was intended to give it, apart from being very easily flammable and dangerous. With such inadequate facilities, the city council undertook the comprehensive reform of the theater, so it demolished the Pallol and began to build between 1857 and 1860 a modern theater according to the design of the municipal architect Martí Sureda. The new horseshoe-shaped theater with a large stage box followed the patterns of Elizabethan theaterswhich at that time appeared all over Spain. Until 1900, zarzuela and Italian opera dominated the theater scene, as in other Spanish provincial theaters.

From 1900 this monopoly was broken and Wagnerian operas with little or no success were scheduled. The rise of Catalan companies, the consolidation of zarzuela and the rise of the theater of Àngel Guimerà, Serafí Pitarra, Echegaray and Benavente marked the period until 1936, when the theater ceased to be private and became socialized by the CNT. The programming changed radically and works of a pedagogical, socialist, anarchist nature, which exalted the revolution, were performed. With the Franco victory, the theater passed into the hands of the city council (which put the management up for auction), and recovered the old programming.

During the period between 1955 and 1975 the theatrical activity was very low and of poor quality, since the city council, when assuming the direct management, preferred to have closed the room, reason why the intellectual groups of the period close to the Girona weekly Presència was called the gray years. Within this group, a theatrical renovation was undertaken by Joan Ribas and the group Proscènium. From 1975 onwards, the theater regained its lost activity and has substantially changed the line it has traditionally followed. Zarzuelas, operettas and operas have lost their place in the hall and the theater – predominantly in Catalan -, classical and modern, has occupied the entire program. Currently, the municipal theater is back in full swing after going through a long process of renovation that lasted from 1999 to 2006.

Girona Auditorium
In May 2006, the Girona Auditorium opened its doors. From the outset, it has wanted to become a benchmark for musical activity, not only in the city of Girona, but also in Catalonia. The Girona Auditorium has a program with its own personality, which is made up of three basic axes: the excellence and quality of its seasons, internationality, through the most prominent names in the international music scene, and Catalanness, through the joint work with agents of our house, promotion of the local artists and programming of the composers of our country.

Along with the stable program, which consists of two stable concert seasons – from January to June and from September to December – and a cycle of concerts in July, the Nits de Clàssica, the Auditori wants to become a dynamic center and promoter of projects, able to bring together the different musical agents of the city and to respond to the needs they pose.

La Mercè Auditorium
The Auditori de la Mercè is located in a church attached to the old convent of La Mercè built in the fourteenth century and which currently houses the La Mercè Cultural Center. Escena Plural is the name given to the programming of innovative, contemporary, multidisciplinary shows… in the field of the performing arts and for all audiences that takes place in the Auditori de La Mercè. Some of the shows are public presentations of creative residencies held at the center that take advantage of the opportunity to premiere. Escena Plural also welcomes proposals from the cultural agents of Girona’s geography, whether they are shows or festivals.

Theater of the Civic Center of Sant Narcís
The refurbished theater – multipurpose room of the civic center of Sant Narcís was inaugurated in 2010. It is a room with complete technical equipment, with very good acoustics, with a retractable bleachers for about 150 people.

Sala La Planeta
Independent theater room that is part of the Metropolitan System of Theaters and Auditoriums. It was created in 1987 in the building that had been for many years the station and garage of the Sarfa bus company, on Passeig Canalejas number 3 in the city of Girona. The management of this cultural facility of private initiative has been, since its birth, by the association Proscenium group, a formation dean of the independent theater of Girona, directed by Joan Ribas, which governs and coordinates the activities carried out carried out in La Planeta.

Sunset Jazz Club
The Sunset Jazz Club is a venue located in the historic center of Girona (Barri Vell) that for the last fourteen years has focused its efforts on offering the best live performances in the city, by national and international artists of the highest level. As a perfect complement to live music, Sunset offers a selection of the best international and home-made cocktails, as well as an extensive menu of Irish and Scottish whiskeys. Our collection of gins and vodkas is also recognized, with the best tonics on the market.

Libraries
The city of Girona has a very complete network of libraries distributed throughout the city: the Antonia Adroher Library, the library of the Historical Archive of Girona, the Library of the College of Architects of Catalonia, the Ernest Lluch Library, the Montfollet School Library, the Just M. Casero Library, the Girona Public Library Carles Rahola and the Salvador Allende Library. The service is complemented by two reading points in Sant Narcís and Torre Gironella. It should be noted that the Carles Rahola Public Library in Girona, inaugurated on 23 December 2014 and designed by the architects Mario Corea, Luis Morán and Sebastián Guerrico, is currently the largest public library in Catalonia.

Congress Hall
The Palau de Congressos de Girona represents the new generation of congress centers of the 21st century. Versatility, harmony, rationality, elegance, comfort, tradition and modernity are some of the adjectives that best define it. In a short time it has consolidated itself as a cultural and business facility of the first magnitude and is already an essential part of the city of Girona. Opened in 2006, it hosts all kinds of congresses, conventions, meetings, conferences, fairs and exhibitions.

The building occupies an area of 10,000 m² at the western end of the Devesa Park, a protected green space in the center of Girona. It is located a 10-minute walk from the historic center and the train station (TAV), offering an unbeatable location and making it easier for attendees to get around. The interior of the Palau de Congressos de Girona has 3 auditoriums with a total capacity of 1,800 people and 13 parallel rooms equipped with the most advanced technology and natural light. The building is complemented by the lobby, the exhibition hall and the terrace, ideal spaces for exhibitions and dining area.

The years of experience in congress activities and successful national and international conferences guarantee the Palau de Congressos de Girona. Numerous companies and companies in the medical, gastronomic and business sectors have played an important role in its development. The multifunctionality of the spaces and the capacity of the rooms allow to offer a great versatility to receive all type of acts. Some of the congresses held there are: X InfinitC Sponsorship Conferences, Impulsa Forum, Connecta Forum, European Cultural Parliament or the Gastronomic Forum.

University of Girona
The University of Girona (also known by its acronym UdG) is a Catalan public university with its main headquarters in the city of Girona. It was officially founded in 1991, although its origins go back to the Estudi General, a body created in 1446 by Alfonso the Magnanimous. The university is made up of three campuses – the most important, the Montilivi and the Barri Vell -, apart from the Science and Technology Park. It has 15,124 students (2013-14 academic year) and has 1,200 teachers (2009-2010 academic year data). In total, the UdG has offered some 3,685 new access places and some sixty degrees in the 2015-2016 academic year. For this course, the new studies of Video Game Design and Development and the double degree in Economics and Philosophy have also been created. The current rector is Sergi Bonet i Marull.

Science and Technology Park
The Science and Technology Park of the University of Girona was conceptualized between 1998 and 1999. The then Rector Josep M. Nadal and President of the Social Council Jaume Casademont sought greater involvement of the University with its environment. These wishes and concerns led to a first proposal drawn up at the end of 1998. On 28 December 2001, the Science Park Foundation was created. The first building, the Jaume Casademont, was started in 2004, later the Center for Underwater Robotics was built (2004), which was to be the Center for New Food Technologies (2005), currently intended for the facilities of a company. private), the Giroemprèn Business Center (2006) and the Catalan Water Research Institute (2007). The Science and Technology Park of the University of Girona brings together the knowledge, research and innovation developed by Catalan companies in the Girona area. It promotes the exchange of technology and experiences between the users of the space, favoring synergies that become new business realities and encouraging joint ventures that strengthen the economic fabric of Girona and, by extension, Catalan.

Fairs and Markets
Girona hosts a wide variety of open-air fairs and markets throughout the year, activities that become more attractive to many of its visitors, and that make it an active and lively city. Some of the fairs and markets that can be found there are the Plaça Miquel Santaló Craft Fair, the Pont de Pedra Craft Fair, the Santa Clara Craft Fair, the Painting Fair, the FiraNadal, the Mercagirona, the Mercat de les Flors, the Mercat de la Lleona, the Mercat de Can Gibert del Pla, the Mercat de les Ribes del Ter, the Mercat del Lleó or Mercat de La Volta Art Km 0.

Girona Fair
The Fira de Girona is located next to the Palau de Congressos de Girona, in La Devesa. This means that many large-format events can take place in a complementary way between the two facilities, although usually each has its own schedule. The Fira de Girona has hosted major events throughout history, such as the Equus Catalonia, the Gastronomic Forum, the Girona Bike World, the Fira EcoSí, the ExpoJove, the FiraRebaixa, the FiraTast or castings such as the sixth season of Game of Thrones.

La Volta Art Market Km 0
La Volta is a project made up of several establishments in the Sant Narcís district that welcome proposals linked to artistic and artisanal creation. It consists of a gallery, a shop and different workshops open to the public to promote the neighborhood as a cultural and artistic space of reference. It is transformed monthly into an art market, located in the middle of the porticoed square of the Assumption. The main objective of the La Volta market is to promote direct contact between creators and visitors, under the name of Art Km 0, following the philosophy of the project. Each edition has a program with different cultural activities, concerts, workshops, etc. It can be visited on the second Saturday of each month in the morning.

Ter’s Banks Market
With some 200 stalls selling fruit, vegetables, clothes, footwear, accessories, toiletries, and many other products. The crowds that throng here every week prove that the market is one of the main attractions of the city. Dates: Every Tuesday and Saturday Venue: Parc de la Devesa Time: Morning

Artisan food products fair
Rambla Llibertat. First Saturday of every month. Holy Week, St Narcissus’ Festival and Christmas holiday period.

Weekly art fair
Plaça Miquel Santaló. Saturdays and Christmas holiday period.

La Lleona (Lioness) Market
Dates: First and second Saturday of every month / Saturday 25 January / Every Saturday of December / Every Saturday during Saint Narcissus’ Fair and Festival Venue: Plaça de Sant Feliu and Carrer Jaume Pons i Martí Horari: From 9 am. to 2 pm.

Collectors’ fair
Dates: Sundays and public holidays Venue: Plaça Catalunya Timetable: From 10 am. to 1 pm.

Flower market
Dates: Saturdays and 31 October Venue: Rambla de la Llibertat Timetable: From 9 am. to 2 pm.

Art and Paint Fair
Venue: Plaça del Vi, pujada Pont de Pedra, rambla de la Llibertat and plaça de Catalunya Timetable: From 9 am to 8 pm.

St George’s Day market
Rambla Llibertat and Plaça Catalunya. 23 April.

Craft and Antiques Market
Venue: Carrer Ballesteries, Pujada de Sant Feliu, Plaça de Sant Feliu, Carrer Jaume Pons Martí, Carrer dels Ciutadans Time: From 9 am to 8 pm

Christmas Fair
Venue: Plaça Independència Timetable: From 10.30 a.m. till 9 p.m. The fair opens on the evening of the 29th November. The 25th and 26th December and the 1st January will be closed.

Christmas trees and other festive products
Venue: Rambla de la Llibertat Timetable: All day long

Shopping
In Girona you will find all kinds of shops, ranging from traditional stores to designer boutiques: prestigious international brands, avant-garde decoration, signature jewellery, crafts, antiques, delicatessen products and many others provide a wide variety of options that guarantee a pleasant shopping experience for one and all. The main business district, where most of Girona’s shops and leisure centres are concentrated, runs from Carrer de la Barca in the historic centre right over to Carrer Emili Grahit in the more modern part of the city.

Shops are mostly centred around Rambla Llibertat, Plaça Catalunya, and the following streets: Ultònia, Calvet i Rubalcaba, Cort Reial, Argenteria, Migdia, Ballesteries, Creu, Santa Clara, Sant Francesc, Joan Maragall, Sant Antoni M. Claret and Bisbe Lorenzana. All the city districts also have their own shops that supply local residents.

Flavours of Girona
Girona is known for the outstanding vitality of its cuisine, characterized by a combination of traditional and avant-garde dishes, based on the use of local produce and time-honoured recipes. The city has many restaurants offering a wide range of fare: Catalan, Mediterranean, market and signature cuisine. Girona gastronomy has now become an international model of quality, with Michelin-starred restaurants that include El Celler de Can Roca, proclaimed by the prestigious Restaurant Magazine as the Best Restaurant in the World.

Local products
Xuixo pastries, sold in the best Girona cake shops
Girona apples
Sweet botifarra sausage of medieval tradition, fresh or cured
Chocolates inspired by the legends of the city
Empordà wines and cavas
Ratafia, a sweet liqueur made from local herbs
Salsifies and wild mushrooms
Cured meats
Olive oil and sauces used in Catalan cuisine

El Lleó marketplace
El Lleó marketplace is the city’s centre of distribution for fresh quality produce. It houses a total of 60 stalls selling diverse products: meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, groceries… The market is a vital destination for many of the city’s chefs who shop there for their restaurants, and is a daily meeting point for the citizens of Girona.

Gastronomy events

Gastronomy Forum
Congress, trade fair, demonstrations and multidisciplinary activities for catering professionals and lovers of good food alike.

Gastronomy Week
Restaurants from Girona serve special menus including the best dishes of Girona cuisine.

Gastronomy campaigns
The city restaurants organize campaigns based on seasonal local produce, such as the truffle cuisine, summer cuisine, Rambleja i Tasta (tasting menus on the Rambla and surrounding area), Cinema and Gastronomy cycle…

El Celler de Can Roca
Celler de Can Roca is a Girona restaurant located in the Taialà district, run by the three Roca brothers: Joan, Josep and Jordi, who are in charge of the dishes, wines (sommelier) and desserts respectively. The restaurant was founded in 1986 by Joan and Josep Roca. It has three Michelin Guide stars; and, according to the British publication The Restaurant Magazine, it has been the fifth best restaurant in the world in 2009, fourth in 2010, second in 2011, 2012 and 2014; and first in 2013 and 2015.

Culture and traditions

Sant Narcís festivities or Girona Fairs
The Girona Fairs are held during the week of October 29, the day dedicated to Sant Narcís, the city’s patron saint. The start of the festivities is usually with a parade and the reading of the proclamation from the balcony of the town hall. On the day of Sant Narcís, a solemn major mass dedicated to the saint is celebrated in the church of Sant Feliu de Girona, where the saint ‘s chapel with the supposed remains of his relics is located. The castle day of Sant Narcís, the most outstanding in the city, also takes place there. As for the most playful section, the Devesa parkhosts all the attractions for children and adults, as well as the so-called “Barracks” of fairs on the esplanade of La Copa, where the most powerful musical concerts are concentrated.

Since 2013, musical spaces have multiplied, with programming in Plaça de Sant Feliu, the marquee in Plaça Miquel de Palol, the Auditori de Girona, Plaça Calvet i Rubalcaba and Plaça del Vi. The festivities last until the following Sunday in Sant Narcís (2015 was November 1) and close with a spectacular fireworks display, which since 2013 has been run by the winner of the International Fireworks Contest of Blanes. Over time, the festivities of Sant Narcís have become festivals that cover all the municipalities of the lower counties of theProvince of Girona, losing its more urban and traditional character, to exploit the most playful nature.

Girona, Flower Time
This floral festival began in 1955 as a simple exhibition of flowers in the church of Sant Domènec in Girona, organized by the Women’s Section of the FET and the JONS. Over the years the show evolved, until it became a display of floral creations in the aforementioned church. Towards the middle of the 90s of the twentieth century, the city council decided to turn that isolated exhibition into an event that covered the whole city. The city’s monuments were decorated and the owners of private courtyards in the Old Quarter were persuaded to open them during the exhibition. Thus was born the current Girona, Temps de Flors, which has ceased to be a small flower exhibition to become the most important event in the city, bringing more than 200,000 visitors to the last edition of 2015 and promoting collaboration and expansion nationwide and international in cities such as Madrid, Salisbury, Gent or Perpignan.

The floral exhibition, moreover, has gone from being a purely floral event and is already considered a festival, with a multitude of cultural events throughout the city, such as the A Cappella Music Festival or the Day European Opera. In 2015, the festival celebrated its 60th edition, with 168 floral projects spread across 134 spaces in the city. The communication campaign has recently been awarded by ESIC with the Aster Award for Business Communication 2015.

Easter
Easter is the set of celebrations that take place between the Friday before Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Through this vast and rich set of festive practices – processions, theatrical stagings and other liturgical and ritual activities – the Christian community remembers and recreates the last moments of Jesus Christ on Earth, what is known as the Passion, Death and Resurrection. Its location on the calendar changes every year and ranges from March to April, as the date of Easter is set from the first full moon of spring. On Good Friday, in the midst of absolute silence, processions take place that represent the last moments of Jesus’ life. The Holy Burial Procession takes place in Girona with the participation of the Manaies de Girona and the Board of Brotherhoods of Girona

Easter gastronomy. In the past, the Church had imposed the practice of fasting and strict abstinence among its faithful. The use of certain products (“all that is meat”) was forbidden especially in the period between Carnival and Easter; the creation of dishes cooked exclusively with the permitted products was encouraged. One of these permitted products was cod. This white fish, recognized for its nutritional and caloric qualities, is a good substitute for meat and has become a symbol of Lent time. Another typical Lenten product is donuts. Lent fritters are traditionally made on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the Lenten period, are sweet, without a hole in the middle, quite fluffy, and are eaten for dessert.

The Easter is a cake that godparents give their godchild godsons and Easter Monday. The tradition is due to the fact that on this date it was celebrated that the period of fasting and abstinence of Lent had ended. And the most symbolic way to do this was to give a cake to the children (it turns out that the word Mona comes from the Arabic word munna, which means gift). Mona had to have as many eggs as the boy or girl was. Traditionally, the Monkeys were not chocolate, but were simply a cake with hard-boiled eggs on top. Along with the Easter Monkey, the Tortell de Ramsnot missing in any pastry shop for Easter. The Tortell de Rams is consumed on Palm Sunday, returning from work. The tortell has many variants, depending on the pastry, but always with a hole in the middle and made of marzipan.

City of Festivals
In 2013, Girona City Council created the “Girona, City of Festivals” brand, a guide to the city’s main festivals throughout the year. From that embryonic idea, born to provide the city with a stable and transversal programming throughout the year, it has ended up deriving from a brand known and recognized throughout the country and which is synonymous with some of the best festivals of Catalonia. The brand currently consists of 22 festivals: The Pepe Sales Festival, Ibercamera, Black Music Festival, MOT. Literature Festival, Strenes Festival, The Dream Festival, The Cappella Festival, Flower Time, Inund’Art, Festivalot, Milestone Project, Ludivers. Festival of the Cultures of the Imagination, Nights of Classic, Undarius. Festival of Popular and Traditional Culture, Tempo sota les Estrelles, Girona International Mapping Festival, Girona International Amateur Theater Festival (Fitag), Jazz Festival, Festival de Cinema de Girona, Fairs of Sant Narcís (ARC Award to Best Programming of Festa Major 2014), Acocollona’t. Fantastic and Horror Film Week and High Season.

The Ciutat de Festivals brand has also led to the birth of new venues in the city, such as Plaça Calvet i Rubalcaba, or unique shows during Girona 10, Temps de Flors, Sant Jordi, les Girona fairs or events such as the return of Sopa de Cabra to the roof of the Municipal Tourist Office. In addition, since 2014, it has been closely linked to the Club Girona Cultura, from which its members can enjoy unique shows.

Girona, Musical District of Catalonia
In 2013, for the first time in history, a city other than Barcelona hosted the Enderrock Awards Gala, specifically the Girona Municipal Theater. The Enderrock Awards – Catalan Music Awards have been given since the creation of the music magazine, twenty years ago, and are given at a festive gala that brings together audiences and the music industry since 1999, when it was established at the barcelonina sala Bikini. In 2013, coinciding with the fifteenth edition, the organization opted for territorial decentralization, moving the event to Girona, which is also committed to being a musical capital, until at least 2016. The celebration of the Enderrock Press evolved in 2015 with the creation of “Girona, Musical District”, a weekend before the awards ceremony with special concerts of the protagonists, open interviews, screenings of documentaries and other cultural activities, closely linked to the brand “City of Festivals” and “Club Girona Cultura”.

Girona 10
Under the name of “Girona 10” the Girona Hospitality Association launched in 2013 a project to attract visitors on the weekend of 14 and 15 January. The offer was one night in one of the 1,000 places that offered about thirty accommodations for only 10 euros. This was also the price of the menu of many restaurants in the city that signed up for the initiative, which was completed with discounts in shops and free tickets to cultural and museum facilities. From this first edition, which exceeded all expectations to the point of collapse, it led to the concept of a “Girona 10” which no longer meant “at 10 euros” but a “city 10”. This change could be made with the full collaboration of the public administrations, which turned Girona 10 into a city event with dozens of activities and concerts around the city throughout the weekend.

The reformulation of the initiative proved in 2015 to be a success with all the hotel squares and restaurants occupied, and the city boiling with people at a time when traditionally there was nothing to do and therefore was completely empty of tourists. So much so, that the idea has already been copied in several towns in the region, also quite successfully, and the distribution of seats and menus must be done by lottery (2015 live edition by TV3) in the face of high demand.

Movie theater
Due to its urban and heritage characteristics, the city of Girona is widely used for advertising spots, photo shoots, television series and filming of various footage. Among the feature films shot in Girona, Soldados de Salamina (2002), by David Trueba, stands out; The Monk (2010), by Dominik Moll; The Perfume, A Murderer’s Story (2005), by Tom Tykwer; I feel like you (2012), by Fernando González Molina; They died above their means (2013), by Isaki Lacuesta; Two a la carte (2014), by Robert Bellsolà. The city also hosts dozens of shootings for commercials of all kinds annually and, in June 2015, will be released around the world thanks to the filming of much of the sixth season of Game of Thrones. On the other hand, the Girona Film Office organizes the SmartFilms Girona Competition annually, a free-themed short film competition shot with mobile devices and which offers as a first prize € 1,000, the largest amount in Spain Spanish for a contest of this nature

Book of the Union of Remença
The Book of the Remença Union of 1448 contains the minutes of the meetings held by the men of remença, or serfs, of 912 parishes of the Catalan dioceses of Girona, Vic, Barcelona, Elna and Urgell in order to appoint their trustees or representatives who had to negotiate the abolition of the servitude of misuses before King Alfonso the Magnanimous. The meetings of the remences were held between October 13, 1448, and March 10, 1449, and gathered about 10,500 men. These assemblies, authorized by the king, were also to be used to raise the money needed to pay for the process.

In June 2013 the International Committee of the Memory of the World Program met in Gwangju (South Korea) agreed to sign the Book Guild Remença 1448 to the Memory of the World Register of UNESCO. It was the first Catalan document included in the register. Its inscription is based on the fact that the claims of the remences, of which the Book of the Remença Union of 1448 is evidence, forced that for the first time in Europe the servitude was officially abolished in 1486 by means of the arbitral award. of Guadalupe. With this action, the Girona document becomes the first and only one in Catalonia to be part of the register of world memory. Spain has 4 works in this universal register, which consists of just under 300 inscriptions from around the world.

Events and festival

January

Parade of the Three Kings
The Three Kings travel from the Orient to the city and set up their tents in Les Pedreres, where they graciously receive all the children that come to meet them. Afterwards, Their Majesties ride through the streets of the city.

February

Mardi Gras
At carnival time, masked balls are held from Saturday to Tuesday as groups of fancy-dress revellers frolic in the streets. Taste the traditional carnival fare of sausage omelette, lard cakes and egg sausages.

Gastronomy Forum (Biennial)
Every two years, Girona hosts an international gastronomy congress, which includes a trade fair, demonstrations, and multidisciplinary activities for catering professionals and lovers of good food alike.

March

Girona Gastronomy Week
For one whole week, restaurants from Gironès, Pla de l’Estany and La Selva counties serve special menus offering the best of Girona cuisine.

Holy Week
Good Friday: procession of the Burial of Christ, featuring legions of Ancient Roman soldiers (manaies).

April

St George’s Day
Book stalls and flower sellers fill the streets of Girona all day long, celebrating this festival of Catalan culture and the tradition of giving a rose to sweethearts and loved ones.

Spring Festival
The Spring Festival is held on the Rambla on the week before St George’s Day, with a wide range of activities including the hoisting of the Tarlà, the legendary symbol of the city of Girona.

May

Girona, Flower Time
For ten days, the city’s historical buildings, courtyards and gardens are adorned with floral arrangements and art installations, with a programme of cultural events, fine dining and commercial activities.

September

Napoleonic Sieges Festival
All-day activities commemorating the historic events that took place in Girona city during the Peninsular War in the Napoleonic period.

Cinema Festival
A forum where cinema buffs, students and professionals can enjoy the “seventh art” and discover emerging talents.

October

Temporada Alta Theatre Festival
Festival of drama, music and dance, with top international performers and the presentation of new talents.

St Narcissus’ Fair and Festival
The annual festival includes a trade fair, a carnival, musical performances, street fairs and markets, a parade of “giants”, a street fireworks festival (correfoc) and much more.

December

Christmas
The Christmas lights bring joy to one and all. Children’s workshops, the traditional Nativity play (“Pastorets”), and many other activities for all the family.

Natural space

Girona is a privileged place when it comes to natural heritage. Rivers flowing through the city centre, Mediterranean and riverbank woodlands, mountain ranges such as the Gavarres, the pretty valley of Sant Daniel, as well as fields, croplands and vegetable gardens – in a landscape that has harmonised urban growth with the preservation of the natural surroundings. Enjoy all this and more, just a stone’s throw from the city centre.

Activities

On foot
Enjoy a guided walk through the city environs or go hiking in the valley of Sant Daniel.

On wheels
All sorts of cycling experiences are available in Girona: cycle tourism, ATB, road routes, and even electric bikes.

On water
Girona is located at the confluence of four rivers. The river vegetation, flora and fauna offer a wide range of activities.

By air
Enjoy the unique experience of a balloon trip over the city.

Routes

Anella Verda
The Anella Verda (Green Ring) itinerary runs through the eastern sector of Girona municipality, linking up the natural spaces near this part of the city.

Sant Daniel
This circular route takes in the main features of Sant Daniel valley, one of the best-conserved natural spaces in Girona city.

The river Galligants and the mountain of O
This route runs through forest, river, and agricultural landscapes, allowing you to discover three different environments and enjoy the natural surroundings just a stone’s throw from the historic city centre.

The Stone Trail
This route will let you know the city’s ancient quarries, from which the so-called Girona stone, used to build most of the monuments in the city, was extracted.

The Sant Miquel Trail
Passing through the beautiful Sant Daniel Valley, this route will take you to Sant Miquel Castle, from where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view over a large part of the Girona counties.

Devesa and the Ribes del Ter park
This route will take you through two of the most important green areas in Girona, both located in the north-west of the city, on either side of the River Ter.

Hortes de Santa Eugènia
This itinerary will reveal the importance of industry and vegetable gardens (Hortes, in catalan) for the old village of Santa Eugènia de Ter.

Hortes de Santa Eugènia and the Meadows of Salt
This route will allow you to discover the agricultural space of the Hortes de Santa Eugènia (Santa Eugènia vegetable gardens) and the natural area of the meadows of Salt.

Girona’s industrial heritage
This itinerary allows, following the route of the Monar canal, to know some of the main spaces of the city’s industrial heritage.

Orienteering Circuits
Discover the city and its natural surroundings in an entertaining and amusing way. Learn something new. And if you complete a circuit, you can enter a prize draw with an assortment of prizes.