Situated halfway between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, and only 35 minutes by train from Barcelona, Girona has the cultural density and the quiet elegance of the cities you come to know on foot. With barely 100,000 inhabitants, it concentrates more history per square meter than many European capitals: founded by the Romans as Gerunda, it was a medieval fortified stronghold, a reference Jewish enclave, and a resilient bastion in numerous wars. All of that is still evident in its architecture, in its walls, in the names of its streets. Girona is small, but its history is immense.
And yet, it does not live anchored in the past. In recent years, the city has become a first-rate gastronomic and cultural destination. Here was born the most famous project of the Roca brothers, El Celler de Can Roca, and the brothers themselves are here as well. Here professional cyclists have established their European base; and here too is preserved one of the most beautiful and best-restored historic districts in Spain. In addition, there are nearby medieval towns such as Besalú and a handful of historic urban hotels.
The city’s accessible size allows you to explore it in a single day, from the Barri Vell to the Onyar River, but its charm requires doing it slowly, looking closely, not missing any detail.
