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Discover Girona Spain Girona, Spain

Discovering the Ancient Walls of Girona, Spain

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Girona is a small town in the Northeastern Catalonia region. It was founded in 79 BC, and you will never imagine how they were able to maintain and preserve the structures and buildings. It is approximately a little over an hour away from Barcelona. Spending a full day here is enough to explore this ancient city. Girona's architecture is full of character, history and every corner of this town tell a story. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you will relive every scene from the 6th season that was mostly filmed in the winding alleys of this ancient city. We went on our day trip on a Sunday so it was pretty quiet and there are not as many tourists in the area.

We did a quick stop to Canet de Mar before heading to Girona, so we took two different transportations. From Barcelona, we took the bus to Canet de Mar then the train from Canet de Mar to Girona. But if you are heading straight to Girona, taking the train is more convenient since there are only a few scheduled trips per day via bus. Since it was a Sunday, museums and other historical sights close early, so I mapped out all the places I would like to see to make sure I would not miss anything. From the train station, it will be around 10-15 min walk to the town itself. They have sidewalks and pedestrians, so it is very safe to walk.

 

We started at Basilica of Saint Feliu. It is the city's first Cathedral dating back to the 10th century. Make sure to check out the 8th Roman and early Christian sarcophagi. For those of you who are not familiar with Sarcophagi, these are stone coffins with ancient inscriptions and symbols. It is just so amazing how they were able to preserve these piece of history.

From here, Girona Cathedral is only 3 min walk. The tickets are 7 euros for adults and 5 for seniors. The cathedral is situated uphill, and the view from the top is magnificent. It was almost closing when we got in, so we got a discounted rate. They give you an audio speaker upon entrance. The Gothic architecture of the cathedral is what makes it a standout among the others that I have been to in Spain.

Arab Baths, also known as Banys Arabs is just right around the corner. It is a self-guided tour and very interesting to see due to the detailed structure and pillars. It was a public bath during those eras and has several rooms that you can check out.
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You should never miss exploring El Call also called as Casa Jieu or the Jewish quarter when in Girona as this is the best preserved Jewish neighborhoods in the world. It was a lively Jewish neighborhood until a decree forced them to sell their sacred spaces. A lot of things happened along the ancient alleyways and structured walls of this area. These walls were the only living witnesses of all the era this city survived if only the walls could talk as they say. If you are a Kpop drama fan, this was the location where they filmed the chasing scenes of Lee Min-Ho at Legends of the Blue Sea. There is a restaurant by the stairs where we quickly grabbed lunch which has a great outdoor ambiance especially if you'd like to rest your sore feet.
You will pass by Patronat Call de Girona on your way down where you will have great photo opportunities around the well-preserved walls. The area also has excellent restaurants and small souvenir shops. As our last stop, we headed to Rio Onyar where you will find the colorful houses along the river and the Onyar Pedestrian Bridge which was built by Gustave Eiffel. It was built years before he constructed the famous Eiffel Tower. Parallel to Onyar, there is an elegant boulevard that is very busy since this is where the tourists and locals shop. We wandered around and checked out the boutiques here before we headed back to the train station.
Girona is a true gem rich in history and culture. One should visit this small town once in his lifetime.
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4 Comments

  2. Kate
    August 24, 2018 / 12:28 pm

    Wow that looks like a stunning place!

    Reply
  3. Nikki Rae
    August 25, 2018 / 7:44 am

    Woweeee! What beautiful photos! ♡

    Reply
  4. Euri
    January 20, 2019 / 2:44 pm

    Ancient cities are so nice! Lovely pictures! ♥

    Reply

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