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Girona has always been a very strategic spot. Thanks to its rich history its old quarter preserves its medieval charm.
Located between the Ter and Onyar rivers, The Romans established a city named
Gerunda. After Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and also Charlemagne are part of Girona's history, just until the arrival of Count Guifré I, the one that united the counties of Girona and Barcelona (15th century). After that, the
city became a rich and important city in Catalonia, where Jews and Christians coexisted in peace. Although conflict and wars (Napoleon occupation or spanish civil 3 it was declared the capital of the province and its
demographic recovery started. After 1950 its economy began to recover too. Nowadays, Girona is a very open, tourist-friendly city with many fairs and markets.
What to see: we highly recommend:
a) The
Jewish Quarter (the Call in Catalan), one of the best preserved in Europe, integrates the Bonastruc ça Porta center and its surroundings.
b) Girona's Cathedral: Inside Girona's old quarter, the most impressive visit is
Girona's Cathedral: the original cathedral was a Romanesque building (S. XI-XII), until 1416, when thanks to a new design became a big Gothic nave, which is the widest Gothic nave in the world (22'98 mts., second of
all styles after Rome's St. Peter's basilica). You can enjoy the tower ("Torre de Carlemany") and the cloister.
c) Arab Baths: very interesting construction that reminds arab baths although they are a Romanesque
construction.
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