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Weekend plans in Girona

If you take a weekend break in Girona and you want to get to know the area a little, we recommend you plan a route around the city and to the most picturesque nearby villages.

So here’s our proposal for you to plan your days well and choose the surrounding villages and monuments you’d like to visit. There’s time to do everything. You’ll see.

 

Jewish Quarter in GironaWeekend route in Girona

 

If you arrive in Girona on Friday afternoon, your best bet is to use the time you have to stroll around the city.

You can start your route by walking through Girona’s streets until you get to the historic quarter, where you find the Cathedral, one of the world’s most important Gothic monuments.

The Jewish Quarter is one of the best preserved in the western world and it borders the historic quarter. So, wander around its narrow streets for a while. You can also take the archaeological walk, following the city walls. From there, you can gaze down on a blend of nature and history, but above all, on a peaceful landscape. The views from the observation towers are stunning. But you’ll have to climb a spiral staircase to get there!

Another must-see are Girona’s bridges. The most special one is, without a doubt, the Pont de Ferro (Iron Bridge), designed by the very same architect whose company built the Eiffel Tower. Equally charming are Pont de la Princesa (Princess Bridge), full of padlocks, and the majestic Pont de Pedra (Stone Bridge), where there’s usually more hustle and bustle. They all span the Onyar River, and the view of the brightly coloured houses along the river bank is beautiful.

 

Saturday:

 

The next day, we propose a visit to some of the inland villages near Girona. You can take the opportunity to visit Sant Martí Vell and the village with the longest name in Catalonia: ‘Cruïlles, Monells i Sant Sadurni de l’Heura’. Formerly made up of three independent villages that merged over the years to become one (even though they are separate from each other), this village is only 20 kilometres from the capital, approximately half an hour by car.

Our route starts with a stop in Sant Martí Vell. It’s a small village, so it won’t take too long to visit. This small municipality nestles in the Gavarres massif, which has great landscape diversity including pine, holm and cork oak forests, shrub land, and croplands in the valleys. Among buildings of interest in the area, the Sanctuary of La Mare de Déu dels Àngels, located on the Puig Alt peak, stands out.

You can then head for Sant Sadurní de l’Heura also in the Gavarres massif, set in privileged landscape. The leafy forest environment surrounding the village invites you to linger and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Empordà. You can also take a stroll around its small historic quarter.

Next to it stands Cruïlles and places of interest worth a visit include the castle tower, the monastery of Sant Miquel de Cruïlles, the Santa Eulàlia parish church, and the hermitage of La Mare de Déu de l"Esperança.

As for Monells, the whole village is truly a monument. Here you have a medieval village of historic interest in an idyllic setting. Representing the essence of village life in the Empordà, it is probably one of the most beautiful villages in Catalonia.  Built on each side of a riverbed, dividing Monells into two districts: the castle area and the Riera.

Monells

The castle area centres on the main square (Plaça Mayor), from whose porticoed arches you can contemplate the remains of the old walls. Gothic architecture can be seen in the Plaça de l’Oli or in Arcs Street, and the houses built in the 17th and 18th century also have their charm.

By the time we end out visit to Monells, it will be midday, and lunchtime! You’re in a good place to enjoy the typical Catalan and Empordà cuisine. In Monells, we recommend, L’hort del Rector, a restaurant in which traditional Catalan and Basque cuisines are combined using seasonal and local produce. Their main speciality is salted cod.

In the afternoon, you can still clock up a few more kilometres and go to Banyoles, an hour from Monells and just 20 minutes from Girona, leaving you nearer the city for your return journey.   

Its main attraction is its lake, the largest in Catalonia. The historic quarter is also very attractive and located in the centre is a rectangular-shaped square surrounded by 40 arcades. You can also take a short walk along the Muralla (city wall), whose most noteworthy features are two Gothic gazebos and a dome with seven pinnacles.

Back in Girona in the evening, it is almost an obligation to try an ice cream at Jordi Roca’s ice cream parlour, Rocambolesc, in the centre of Girona. You’ll find ice cream with a difference; not your classical ice cream, but with delicious flavours. This ice cream shop, the brainchild of the youngest Roca brother, is located next to the river.

Rocambolesc
Rocambolesc

 

But if you’d rather have dinner in the most romantic spot in Spain, we recommend Café Le Bistrot, in a unique, highly scenic spot on the steps of Sant Martí with its arch, giving it a special charm.

 

Sunday

 

You can make the most of Sunday morning to finish visiting Girona. Definitely not to be missed, and always an enjoyable experience, is a stroll around the old quarter, listening to live music on the Ramblas or having a drink in Plaça de la Independencia, where you’ll find plenty of cafés and terraces.

Your walk is bound to take longer because you’ll stop to browse in two or three nice shops on your way. Girona is full of small businesses and charming shops with plenty of character!

If you do have time left over, another option before you leave is to take a quick train ride around the old quarter on the Gerió tourist train. It’s one of the best ways to discover interesting nooks and crannies, especially if you’re only in Girona for a weekend. The train leaves from Pont de Pedra (Stone Bridge) and passes through the most important parts of the old quarter.

Would you rather stay in the city for the weekend? No problem. Here are some of the most interesting sites we recommend visiting.

>> The 13 most interesting sites in Girona

 

Loteria La 13 Girona

 

 

Admón de Loterías nº 13
Naniol 32 S.L.
Ctra de França 42
17007 Girona
B55240394
Phone: 972 411 800
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