Girona, the seat of its own province in northeast Catalonia, is a magnificent medieval city with one of the few remaining Jewish neighborhoods in Spain. Many individuals have tried to take control of Girona, from Napoleon to the Moors 800 years ago. In its history, the city has been subjected to 25 sieges, which explains why it is fully encircled by strong walls that are still in place today.
If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, you've probably seen Girona's stately greystone streets when it appears as Braavos in Season Six. Let's have a look at some of the finest things to do in Girona:
1. Girona Wall Wall
The Romans constructed Girona's imperial walls, which were later extended by Charlemagne in the early 800s and then again in the 14th century. Following restoration work, they remain in excellent condition today, and you may take a stroll along the ramparts around almost the whole ancient district.
Regular watchtowers with stairwells lead to the finest vantage locations for viewing Girona's skyline. It may seem a little dangerous when the path tapers, but with decent walking shoes you'll be OK, and at intervals, you can go back down to street level and rest in a shaded garden.
2. The Cathedral of Girona
The vista from the foot of the staircase at Plaça de la Catedral up to this almost-monolithic structure and its baroque façade is one of the most magnificent in the city. The cathedral's architecture is a mix of styles from several eras: The primary plan is Gothic; in fact, it boasts the world's widest Gothic nave and the second biggest of all after The Basilica of St. Peter.
The ancient bell tower with its thin twin arches and the cloister, both from the 1100s, are examples of early Romanesque embellishments. The Tapestry of Creation, which dates from the 1000s and is similar in historical significance to the Bayeux Tapestry, is a must-see in the museum.
3. Call El
When you consider that the Catholic Monarchs evicted Spain's Jews at the end of the 15th century, it's amazing that so much of Girona's Jewish Quarter is still standing.
This ghetto was founded in the 1100s and grew over the following 300 years to become one of Spain's biggest.
Girona had one of the most significant Kabbalistic schools in medieval Europe, where several renowned Jewish philosophers and poets flourished.
With stone walls and crevasse-like alleyways with stairways and hidden gardens, it's a really picturesque location.
Stop into the Museum of Jewish History in Girona to learn more about the city's long-standing Jewish community.
4. Jewish History Museum
This El Call attraction provides additional information about living in Girona's Jewish quarter, as well as the significance the Jewish community had in the city's medieval history. This is accomplished with the assistance of contemporaneous papers and artifacts found during El Call’s excavations.
There are eleven galleries in all in the museum, including the Synagogue, which has a 14th-century stone etching in Hebrew invoking David's Psalm. There's also a section dedicated to Jewish burial customs, which includes two well-preserved tombstones discovered on the city's northwestern outskirts.
5. Sant Feliu Church
Sant Feliu has been a Christian structure since the 500s, and it was also the city's cathedral until the 900s. It is located on a Roman route. The current design is gothic in style, yet with a Romanesque arrangement. As you cross the Onyar on the Pont de Sant Feliu, the church's gothic tower stands out since it ends in a flat edge rather than a point.
Inside, you must see the eight Roman and early Christian sarcophagi, which date between 200 and 400 AD. The Chapel of San Narcisco, which houses the remains of this 4th-century martyr persecuted by Emperor Diocletian, is also located inside the cathedral. His gothic mausoleum, built in the Middle Ages, is a magnificent piece of art.
6. Arab Baths, Girona
These baths, located near the cathedral, would have been outside the city walls until Girona grew up around them.
With a frigidarium (cold chamber), tepidarium (warm bath), and caldarium, this bathing complex has medieval, romanesque roots and follows Moorish and Greco-Roman traditions (steam room). The apodyterium (changing room) is the most magnificent part, with an octagonal pool encircled by eight columns capped with ornately carved capitals supporting horseshoe arches.
7. Rambla de la Llibertat
Girona's Rambla de la Llibertat is a large and beautiful pedestrian promenade next to the Onyar, a location for residents and tourists to shop, meet up, and go for a coffee, in stark contrast to the feeling of confinement on the corridor-like alleys of the ancient district. On Saturdays, you may also pay a visit to the flower market.
Its present layout originates from 1885 when trees were planted and a few houses were demolished to widen the route. There are still some gothic, baroque, and neoclassical structures, as well as a long arcade, to assist you in sheltering from the heat in the summer.
8. Plaça de la Independència
This 19th-century plaza in the Mercadal neighborhood is also the hub of daily activity in Girona. It is nearly entirely encircled by arcades and outdoor tables of restaurants and pubs where friends congregate to talk.
Examine the arches of these neoclassical apartment buildings to learn about the city's history: they are dedicated to the individuals who helped defend Girona during the French sieges in 1808 and 1809. The monument in the plaza's center, built in 1896, is also dedicated to them.
9. Museum of Archaeology
The Museum of Catalonia has a section in Girona, which is housed in the 12th-century Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants. So it goes without saying that you'll spend a lot of time here looking at all the historical features, such as the ornately carved capitals on the cloister arches.
The monastery was taken over by the state in 1835, and the museum was established here in 1846, perfectly complementing the somber setting. There are artifacts dating from prehistory through the Visigoths, as well as a plethora of exciting discoveries found at the Roman and Ancient Greek sites of Empires, such as pottery, glassware, and mosaics.
10. Girona Film Museum
This fascinating museum is more interested in the history of moving photographs than in the current movie industry. You'll begin with magic lanterns and camera obscura in medieval times, and the pace increases in the nineteenth century with the advent of photography and the innovations of the Lumière brothers.
Many of these items are on exhibit, either as authentic replicas or as conserved artifacts. So you'll look at a tonne of vintage filming and screening gear and learn about the brilliant brains behind it all.
There are also some wonderful movie memorabilia, such as James Dean's Rebel Without Cause boots and light from Rick's Bar in Casablanca.
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