Places to visit and things to do in and around Girona Spain

Nestling in the Costa Brava in North West Spain is the beautiful city of Girona. It is the capital of its own province and one of the most popular cities in Spain for short breaks. The pleasure of walking the ancient streets and the feeling that you have stepped back in time is a real treat, especially in the old quarter which is surrounded by walls dating from ancient times.

Below are some ideas of interesting places to visit in and around Girona.

The Dali Museum at Figueres

The Dali museum/theatre is literally the world's largest surrealist object. It occupies a building that was once a municipal theatre, a 19th century building that was razed to the ground at the very end of the Spanish Civil war. Salvador Dali decided to create his own museum from the ruins and it stands today as a testament to this great man and his eccentric genius.

This museum boasts the largest collection of Dali's works from his entire artistic career, from his earliest surrealistic creations right through the years to the masterpieces he completed in the last few years before his death in 1989. For a taster of this fabulous museum and the man who brought it into existence log onto the dedicated website at Salvador Dali's Museum

Dali's house at Cadaques

After a visit to the museum it is more than likely that you will want to discover more about Dali, and the best place to do this is by visiting his home. Situated in Port Lligat near the village of Cadaques by the French border, this unique and bizarre construction gives an insight to the real Dali and how his mind worked. Instantly recognisable by the giant sculpted eggs on the roof, Salvador Dali's home is in itself a work of art.

This house was Dali's main permanent residence up from 1930 until 1982 when, after the death of his wife Gala, he moved into Pubol Castle. The labyrinth like structure gives the impression of a living organism, which each room being a unique cell. The house combines opulence, colour and minimalism and still contains many of Dali's personal mementoes. Opening times, images and the history of the house is found at Salvador Dali's House

Girona Market

A visit to an authentic Spanish market is a highlight of every trip to Spain, and Girona market is one of the best. The Market takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays on the banks of the River Ter and in the picturesque Parc de la Devesa between the hours of 0900-1300. This market is generally considered to be one of the most representative experiences of the traditional way of trading merchandise.

There is a variety of stalls selling local produce, crafts and clothes, and even if you don't want to buy it is a perfect place to stroll around and absorb the atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of the crowds combining with the shouts of the stallholders makes for a unique experience that is there to be embraced.

Costa Brava Market Opening Times

For up to date information on when Costa Brava markets including Girona are held see the Anglo Info website

Girona Old Town

A stroll around Girona Old Town is a lot more than just walking along old, narrow streets and along the river bank, it's taking a trip back in time. Everywhere you look there are remnants of days gone by, in the form of both cultural and architectural remains. This part of Girona dates back to the Palaeolithic period and the Romans, the Moors and the Iberians have all been here during the years.

Every corner of the old town has some kind of relic to these past civilisations and over 1000 years of history comes together within old Girona. This part of town centres around the single nave cathedral constructed between the 14th-17th century and further down from this is the Jewish quarter, a maze of intertwining streets which are steeped in history.

Cycling in Girona

The county of Gironès and Girona city have long been associated with cycling. Many professional riders have lived and continue to live in the city, perhaps the most famous Lance Armstrong, made Girona his home and base for many years during his time with the US Postal team.

Currently Girona is the home base for the Garmin Cevelo team and many other teams use the area for their training camps. We work with many of the top riders who live in Girona who help us produce the best training and riding routes. Whilst well-known for its excellent road cycling Girona is less famous for mountains bike. However the area contains some of the best off road riding in Europe, most of the local riders are mountain bikers with hundreds turning up to race every weekend. The mountain biking here has been a well kept secret with few maps of the single track paths available.

Girona also boasts a 100km long dedicated Greenways cycle path, perfect for more relaxed cycling.

If your looking for a bike tour in this city famous for cycling Bike Breaks the Girona Cycle Centre can help, a 'one stop shop' of services and information for cycle hire and bike tours in Girona for visiting cyclists and local riders alike in the Girona region. The Girona Cycle Centre have everything from top of the range carbon bikes from Cannondale for hire and all the required equipment for rent to all-in cycle holiday packages and bike tour day trips.

Mona Monkey Sanctuary

The only primate sanctuary in the whole of Spain is situated just ten minutes from Girona airport. A vet named Olga Feliu set up this foundation in 2000 to try and put an end to the suffering that monkeys, chimpanzees and other primates were experiencing at the hands of their owners. They were all exploited in the name of entertainment and were rescued and brought to this sanctuary to live out their remaining years in peace and harmony.

At present, there are 12 chimps and 2 macaques in residence, and these came from a circus trainer, travelling circuses, a zoo and various other individuals whose ignorance caused the animals unnecessary pain. They all bear both emotional and physical scars as a reminder of their past lives and it is wonderful to see them now living the life they are entitled to.

Wine Tours

Whether or not you are wine drinker, the process of turning a simple grape into a fine wine has fascinated us for centuries. Two of the finest wineries in Catalonia exist in Girona province, Perelada and Espelt, and tours are available. The wineries themselves are spectacular as it resides in a castle in a medieval town. Spain has the ideal climate to produce luscious grapes ideal to be transformed into wines and Cavas.

These full day tours take in both wineries and you can have your lunch too. Once you have seen the process and how one of Spain's finest exports is created, there is the all important sampling. A trip to a winery is a fabulous experience that everyone will enjoy, further details can be found at Girona Tours

Museu del Cinema

For film buffs or those wih a historical interest, the Girona Museum of Cinema tells the history of filmmaking right through from the shadow lanterns they used in China to today's huge blockbusters. There are many enormous flatscreen TV's playing clips, old movies being shown, a range of optical illusion you can play around with and a huge volume of historic articles pertaining to all things cinema. The official website can be found at Museum Del Cinema

Girona Cathedral

Boasting the second widest nave in the world, Girona Cathedral has long been one of the towns top tourist attractions, and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. There are four architectural styles evident as the Cathedral was added to over the centuries by the various civilisations which resided here. The interior is stunning and the cool and harmonious atmosphere is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle outside.

There is an excellent audio guide telling you the history and other interesting facts and there are some fascinating artefacts on view in the treasury. The highlights of these are a tapestry dating from medieval times which the audio guide gives you the full details of and two bibles that date from the 13t century. Be sure to check out the models right at the back with show how the cathedral has changed structurally over the years.

The Call

The Call is the Jewish neighbourhood in Girona which is considered to be the spiritual home of the Kabbalah and exudes Judaic Mysticism. It is a lovely area to walk around, as either a premise or follow on from a visit to the Cathedral. The area is full of quirky little shops, bars and cafes as well as a fascinating museum which gives the full history of the area and the importance it has played over the years in Jewish faith.

The Bonastruc ca Porta Centre offers a superb and poignant look into Spain's Jewish heritage and whether you are of the Jewish faith or not, you cannot fail to be moved by discovering the story of hoe this important community met its tragic demise. It's very easy to get to the Call as it is very close to the Cathedral, or if you decide to take a trip on the little tourist train around the old town this is one of its stops.

Arab Baths

There is something fascinating about looking around old bath houses, and picturing civilisations from centuries ago congregating in then to socialise as well as bathe. The Arab Baths in Girona are an exquisite example of 12th Century architecture which, despite its name, is actually Roman and Moorish. Situated in the old town, the ruins are interspersed with randomly placed works of modern art, a sort of contrast of old and new.

Each room is still clearly defined and the temperature changes as you move through the rooms, giving the essence of the process that went into bathing in ancient times. The large room for socialising is also evident, and in the peace and tranquillity of this remarkable building you can almost hear those people from yesteryear laughing and conversing in their native tongues.

If you are considering a weekend break to the city of Girona, we have more Girona information here.