GIRONA
The province of Girona in the northeast of Spain, border, France and the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida. It covers an area of 5,886km2 and has a population of about half a million inhabitants. The capital is Girona, and the entire province is divided up into six judicial districts, eight regions (El Gironés, La Garrotxa, El Baix Empordá, El Alt Empordá, Pla de I’Estany, Selva, Ripollés and Cerdanya), and 235 municipal districts.The most striking characteristic about of the province is undoubtedly its great diversity. From a tourist point of view it can offer a magnificent coastal area -the internationally recognised Costa Brava- as well as a fine mountain region, which is ideal for both tourism and the practice of a wide variety of sports. This balance between coastal and inland scenery, along with a mild climate, helps attract tourists to the province throughout the year.
PLACES OF INTEREST
The Cathedral
One of Girona 's grandest churches, the cathedral was built between the 11 th and 17 th centuries AD. The church's structure integrates a number of architectural styles that were built at various points in history. The features of the original Roman building are preserved, such as a cloister and tower of Charlemagne. The nave of the church is the widest arched span in the whole world.
St. Mary's Cathedral
Passeig de la Muralla
Monastery of Saint Pere de Galligants and Chapel of Sant Nicolau
This is an excellent example of Lombard-style Romanesque buildings from the 12 th century AD. The monastery was occupied by the Benedictine order and its sheer size and remarkably interesting cloister make it one of the most outstanding specimens of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Today, the monastery houses Girona 's Museum of Archaeology.
Arab Baths
This is a structure that houses ancient facilities that were used to public bathing. The name is a misnomer; the whole building is actually Romanesque in design and architecture, inspired by the Roman public baths of old. There are three rooms inside: the frigidarium or cold water room, the caldarium or hot water room, and the tepidarium or lukewarm water room. The frigidarium in this building is of particular interest for its design and layout. This thermae is so-called because the interior does exhibit some Muslim architectural features, bearing some similarity to Arab baths.
Cases de l'Onyar
These are stone houses along the river Onyar that were built in the Middle Ages. The porticoed facades, steep and narrow alleys, and brightly colored stone houses all contribute to make the houses of the Onyar one of the most unique and spectacular sights in Girona .
Jewish Quarter, or the Call
The Jewish neighborhood in the Jewish Quarter is the best preserved in all of Catalonia and certainly the most remarkable in Spain. The narrow and winding alleyways and lanes snake around medieval stone buildings that once housed the Jewish community in Girona . The Jews' influence and teachings were far-reaching throughout Europe.
Former Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu
This is an ancient building, dating back to the earliest ages of Christianity when the Romans arrived in Spain. The Romanesque building is well-preserved, with Gothic naves and structures and a baroque facade having been added in the years following the original building's construction. The genuine Romanesque interior features a Gothic nave. Inside the Church, eight extraordinarily well-preserved Roman and early Christian sepulchres can be found and are the greatest attraction to the place.
FOOD AND DRINK
One of the most interesting characteristics of the cuisine in Girona (and the rest of Catalonia, for that matter) is the manner in which seemingly unrelated ingredients are mixed to come up with a exotic-tasting dishes. Native Catalan raw ingredients vary wildly: from wild vegetables and mushrooms to game and livestock raised in the Pyrenees to olives and grains from the heartland to all types of fresh fruit and other vegetables from the irrigated lowlands to an amazing variety of seafood from the Costa Brava coastline itself. The cuisine of Catalonia is a result of centuries of trade, commerce, and intermingling with people from the neighboring European nations, in particular the Greeks, Italians, Arabs, and French.
The province of Girona in the northeast of Spain, border, France and the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida. It covers an area of 5,886km2 and has a population of about half a million inhabitants. The capital is Girona, and the entire province is divided up into six judicial districts, eight regions (El Gironés, La Garrotxa, El Baix Empordá, El Alt Empordá, Pla de I’Estany, Selva, Ripollés and Cerdanya), and 235 municipal districts.The most striking characteristic about of the province is undoubtedly its great diversity. From a tourist point of view it can offer a magnificent coastal area -the internationally recognised Costa Brava- as well as a fine mountain region, which is ideal for both tourism and the practice of a wide variety of sports. This balance between coastal and inland scenery, along with a mild climate, helps attract tourists to the province throughout the year.
PLACES OF INTEREST
The Cathedral
One of Girona 's grandest churches, the cathedral was built between the 11 th and 17 th centuries AD. The church's structure integrates a number of architectural styles that were built at various points in history. The features of the original Roman building are preserved, such as a cloister and tower of Charlemagne. The nave of the church is the widest arched span in the whole world.
St. Mary's CathedralPasseig de la Muralla
Monastery of Saint Pere de Galligants and Chapel of Sant Nicolau
This is an excellent example of Lombard-style Romanesque buildings from the 12 th century AD. The monastery was occupied by the Benedictine order and its sheer size and remarkably interesting cloister make it one of the most outstanding specimens of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Today, the monastery houses Girona 's Museum of Archaeology.
Arab Baths
This is a structure that houses ancient facilities that were used to public bathing. The name is a misnomer; the whole building is actually Romanesque in design and architecture, inspired by the Roman public baths of old. There are three rooms inside: the frigidarium or cold water room, the caldarium or hot water room, and the tepidarium or lukewarm water room. The frigidarium in this building is of particular interest for its design and layout. This thermae is so-called because the interior does exhibit some Muslim architectural features, bearing some similarity to Arab baths.
Cases de l'Onyar
These are stone houses along the river Onyar that were built in the Middle Ages. The porticoed facades, steep and narrow alleys, and brightly colored stone houses all contribute to make the houses of the Onyar one of the most unique and spectacular sights in Girona .
Jewish Quarter, or the Call
The Jewish neighborhood in the Jewish Quarter is the best preserved in all of Catalonia and certainly the most remarkable in Spain. The narrow and winding alleyways and lanes snake around medieval stone buildings that once housed the Jewish community in Girona . The Jews' influence and teachings were far-reaching throughout Europe.
Former Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu
This is an ancient building, dating back to the earliest ages of Christianity when the Romans arrived in Spain. The Romanesque building is well-preserved, with Gothic naves and structures and a baroque facade having been added in the years following the original building's construction. The genuine Romanesque interior features a Gothic nave. Inside the Church, eight extraordinarily well-preserved Roman and early Christian sepulchres can be found and are the greatest attraction to the place.
FOOD AND DRINK
One of the most interesting characteristics of the cuisine in Girona (and the rest of Catalonia, for that matter) is the manner in which seemingly unrelated ingredients are mixed to come up with a exotic-tasting dishes. Native Catalan raw ingredients vary wildly: from wild vegetables and mushrooms to game and livestock raised in the Pyrenees to olives and grains from the heartland to all types of fresh fruit and other vegetables from the irrigated lowlands to an amazing variety of seafood from the Costa Brava coastline itself. The cuisine of Catalonia is a result of centuries of trade, commerce, and intermingling with people from the neighboring European nations, in particular the Greeks, Italians, Arabs, and French.
EXTRAS
Can Bellosola - The best croissants in the world!
Lola's Club - Great Thursday night drinks and dancing
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