As the song says: “Girona makes me fall in love, it makes you fall in love, it makes us all fall in love … Girona”. It's true that the combination of history, legends, gastronomy, activities and atmosphere will delight all who visit it. On this occasion, we propose a one day tour to our city, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
First of all, we suggest that you park your car in the large free car park in the Devesa and forget about it the rest of the day. Remember to wear good shoes as we will walk the whole journey.
The first we will do is to kiss the behind of the lioness (cul de la lleona) in the Plaça Sant Feliu. Legend sais that who kisses the lioness' behind either never leaves Girona or someday returns.
If you still haven't had breakfast, this place is a good place to do it. You can also continue walking the streets up to the Cathedral of Girona, worldwide known as the only cathedral with a single nave. In fact, at the time of construction, in the early eleventh century, the people of the time thought it would collapse. The nave is Gothic and the relaxing and peaceful atmosphere of the interior is just amazing. The façade is Baroque and to access it you have to climb a monumental staircase with approximately 100 steps. We invite you to count them because there is no way of knowing the exact number.
We continue our visit to the Arab Baths, very close to the cathedral. Romanesque style, built in 1194, imitating the structure of the Muslim baths. In fact, there are 5 rooms rehabilitated in the twentieth century for the visitors.
Leaving the Arab Baths, we took the opportunity to take a tour of the archaeological promenade beginning by climbing the stone steps in front of the Arab Baths. It is a leisurely walk, with a peaceful surroundings. We will arrive at the Jardins dels Alemanys (gardens of the Germans) and a little later the Jardins de la Francesa (the French Gardens), two spaces with a special charm. Precisely in the Garden of the Germans we start the journey through the remaining part of the Roman Wall. You can take a very long walk there and with wonderful views over the city. The towers of the wall are an ideal place to enjoy the stunning sunsets.
Once we finished the visit to the Roman wall we go down to La Rambla, a lively space, ideal to relax and have a drink or probably take the opportunity to eat at one of the many terraces you will find. With recovered strengths, it is a good time to get lost in the maze of streets in the Old Town and Jewish Quarter, of which the most famous are Ballesteries, de la Força, Cúndaro and Bonastruc ça Porta Street. With many buildings and monuments, all worth seeing, we recommend the Jewish History Museum and the Masó House (the best example of modernism in the city, recently restored). The Iron Bridge is also a must see, designed by Gustave Eiffel himself in 1876, and from where you can take pictures of postcard houses over Onyar river with the Cathedral. As you walk through the streets you can buy some xuixo to eat, it is the typical cake of Girona, with cream filling inside. And if you still have some energy left, you can take a walk in the Devesa, the green lung of the city and the runners' preferred run space.
By now, it must be dinner time already. If you opt for downtown, you have to know that its cuisine is of the most extensive and excellent quality, including the world's best restaurant (2nd best in 2018), El Celler de Can Roca, but now the bookings are made at 1 year view. Once you've eaten, if you wish to go for a drink there are numerous bars that prepare delicious cocktails and gin and tonics, many of them usually have live music, from jazz, rumba or concerts in small groups.
Last but not least, here you can find a pdf map of the city it will be quite useful for your visit.