Why Girona is Worth a Day Trip

If you booked a cheap flight to Barcelona with Ryanair, you'll probably end up in Girona airport and think of it as an

inconvenience and book a train straight out of there to Barcelona city centre, BUT Girona is totally worth a day and here's why..

Girona is a historical, medieval town only 1.5 hours on train from Barcelona and when you arrive there's hardly any tourists in sight which is the biggest relief when you are travelling around big European cities in Summer. from the cobblestone bridge into the town you are greeted by the coloured facades of old houses lining the river (Riu Onyar) and nearly every one has a Catalonian flag hanging from their balcony. After being seized 25 times in history, Girona's people make it clear that they deserve their independence. The town centre is small but bustling with locals going about their daily routine. We took to the maze of narrow streets leading us to the Old Jewish Quarter which turns out to be one of the most well preserved in Europe. The streets around this area are narrow and steep but they are filled with shops selling handmade and local products like pottery and wooden gifts. check out more photos here.

My favourite part of the day was just exploring the narrow laneways, never knowing what is around each bend. One of the cobbled streets surprised us when it opened up onto the main square at the Cathedral which had a steep, grand staircase to its entry. This is where we found guided tour groups, restaurants with menus in multiple languages and a string of souvenir shops which suggested that Girona won't be a hidden gem of a city for much longer. Take a visit inside or admire from the front, you might be lucky to catch the steps decorated in flowers for one of the many festivals that are held throughout the year.

Behind the Cathedral you can see the city walls which have been extended in some places so you can walk the whole way around, I cant see anyone up there (perfect!) so we head to one of the 9 entry points, away from the guided tour groups and we are welcomed with a view. Just by walking along the wall you get a views of the colourful houses against the green mountains, but push yourself a little more by climbing the lookout points and you will see the whole medieval city landscape, the Cathedral dome, the narrow streets and the mountains in the distance. It's so worth it!

We spent most of our time climbing the towers around the wall for a different view each time and then headed back into the centre for some local food in a restaurant with a menu only in Catalan. Catalonians are famous for their specific style of Paella and we weren't disappointed when it came out filled with seafood and still sizzling on the hot plate but if paella doesn't appeal to you then we can't be friends but you can always try the squid ink pasta or grilled fresh fish that most traditional restaurants will offer.

Hey did you know that Gustav Eiffel (the guy that designed the Eiffel tower) designed a bridge here? yeah neither did I but after dinner we made our way away from the centre across the cobblestone bride and turned right along the opposite side of the river. This side seemed to more of the "locals side" with plenty of boutique stores, cafes and a square with terraced chairs for dining. From this square we noticed a bright red metal bridge in between two buildings that really didn't blend in with the rest of the medieval architecture so I googled it and boom, it was designed by Mr Eiffel. He seems to only have one style of design doesn't he?

The day is coming to an end so I would suggest either grabbing gelato from one of the hundreds of ice creameries or a bottle of wine (much better option) perching yourself on the ledge along the river Onyar and watch the sunset over this amazing little city and be thankful that you got to experience Girona before it becomes an overcrowded, tourist driven town like so many are others becoming.

#Spain #Girona #Barcelona #Ryanair #Budget