One Day in Girona

If there's only one thing you do on a trip to Barcelona, make it a visit to La Sagrada Familia. But if you've done that....catch a local train to Girona! You won't regret it.

Girona is a beautifully unspoilt medieval city in Catalonia with the most fascinating history and even more stunning sights. Every corner leads to winding stone alleys and steps leading who knows where. The entire old town is just one big invitation to get blissfully lost.

I loved every second of my visit, and here's what I did with them.

Getting there

Trains to Girona run quite regularly from Barcelona Sants station. There is the cheaper, regional train that takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there, and the pricier high-speed train that takes half the time. I ended up having to opt for the high-speed train because I missed the regional one I was aiming for, but I found that pre-booking a return ticket at one of the station ticket machines saves you around 10 euros. Unless you want to spend a few hours eating at the cafes and restaurants in Girona, I'd say allowing yourself five hours between your outward and return journeys is enough time to explore all the things in the list below.

Cross some bridges

I arrived at Girona station and headed straight to the old town. No matter which route you take from the station, you'll have to cross a bridge over the Onyar River at some point, and you'll be met with a view almost as colourful as Gaudi's Park Guell in Barcelona! The riverfront buildings here are painted in bright yellows, oranges and peaches, and peeking over their rooftops you can see the spires of churches and cathedrals in the old town.

One must-see bridge is the Pont de les Peixateries Velles, designed by none other than Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame! This satisfyingly symmetrical red iron bridge was an earlier project for him. It's definitely less busy than his more famous creation!

Grab an ice cream at Rocambolesc Gelateria

On the new town side of Eiffel's bridge, you can find Rocambolesc, the gelateria owned by famous Catalan chefs the Roca brothers. They serve gourmet gelato with creative toppings, but the draw for me was their popsicle selection, inspired by local quirks. There's one shaped like Girona's famous lioness statue, and another that is supposed to be an exact replica of original owner Jordi Roca's nose. But I couldn't resist opting for the golden hand of Jaime Lannister in honour of the town's role as a key 'Game of Thrones' filming location!

Climb up to the cathedral

Girona's cathedral has one of the most impressive walk-ups of any cathedral I've seen: you reach it via a spectacularly grand, wide staircase of almost 90 steps. Once you get to the top of the stairs and the cathedral's main entrance, you can look out across a beautiful square surrounded by stone buildings, and the rooftops and spires of the city in the background. It was one of the most achingly beautiful old town views I've seen in a while! It's also the filming location for Margaery's walk of 'shame, shame, shame' in Game of Thrones!

Hunt for more 'Game of Thrones' filming locations

You can find more information on Girona's GoT filming locations elsewhere on the internet - there are lots, if you're interested - but the only one I actively searched for was the steps in front of the Sant Domenec convent. And, funnily enough, I stumbled upon it by accident and to find that I was the only one there! This place was used to film the scene in which Arya falls down steps while running from the Waif. Its claim to fame aside though, it's just a stunning spot to pause in!

Feast on a xuixo

Girona's specialty pastry looks like a fried croissant coated in sugar, but it's so much more than that! It's filled with a light crema catalana which, when paired with the crispy, sugary shell, was probably one of the most delicious pastries I've ever eaten!

Walk the old town walls

The walk up to the old medieval walls - via many winding staircases through narrow alleyways - was an adventure in itself. There are several ways to get onto the walls but I found myself taking one of the more interesting routes, via the ruins that have been turned into the peaceful garden oasis, Jardins des Alemanys. I headed left around the wall, to get myself a view of the old town with the Pyrenees in the distance. The cathedral is the star of the show in this landscape!

Get lost in the Jewish quarter

Girona's Jewish quarter, known as El Call, has a turbulent but interesting history. Its architectural stye is similar to Barcelona's Jewish quarter: all narrow winding stone streets, archways, and hidden courtyards.

Visit the Jewish Museum

Right in the heart of El Call is the Jewish Museum, located in an original building from before the 1400s. You can visit the ancient bath house where Jews would cleanse themselves, and learn about how Girona grew to be what it is today. There's also a pretty courtyard where you can sit and enjoy the peace, adorned with a huge Star of David in the centre.

Dine on a street terrace

One of the most relaxing ways to spend a couple of hours in Girona is by sitting down at a cafe or restaurant terrace, which is usually just a collection of tables placed out in the street. My favourite was La Fabrica, a bicycle-themed cafe with a terrace set at the base of a stepped street.

Kiss the lioness

I stumbled upon it by accident, but it's supposedly a must-see in Girona: a stone lioness scaling a column. It's meant to be lucky to kiss the lioness on her rear end, and there's a helpful set of steps placed beneath it to help you reach!

Just get lost!

Getting lost is just as fun as having a destination here. There wasn't a street I wandered down that wasn't beautiful, calm and quiet. There are very few cars in the old town, which makes wandering a lot more pleasant! If you see a flight of stairs, climb it! If you see a narrow street that curves around a corner out of sight, go and see what's there! Forget GPS: the general rule is upwards leads to the city walls, downwards to the centre. What else do you need?

Above everything else, visiting Girona was a relaxing respite from the often bustling and busy Barcelona. I visited in February, and my entire day was quiet and peaceful, but I can't attest to its high season visitor rates! I'd recommend a low-season visit to Barcelona and Girona overall, however!