Girona is one of the beautiful Catalan cities, some 100km away from Barcelona. If you are visiting Barcelona and want to get to know some other special places in the area, weekend trip to Girona could be a great option.

If you happen to be Game of Thrones fan as well, you can live the episode 10 of the season 6 just there, on the doors of Girona Cathedral…or episode 1, season 6 at Arab Baths… To see which other Game of Throne filming locations you can visit in Girona, keep reading.

Besides various filming locations of the popular serial, you can see many other interesting things during your weekend trip to Girona – you can kiss the ass of the lioness statue for good luck, you can cross the bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel – the creator of Eiffel tower, you can see the famous Girona Wall (something like the Chinese Wall)… and so much more.

THIS TEXT IS A FULL GUIDE TO BEST PLACES TO VISIT ON YOUR WEEKEND TRIP TO GIRONA – MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST, HOW TO GET THERE, PRICES, WHAT TO SEE AND DO + WHERE AND WHAT TO EAT.

HOW TO GET TO GIRONA

Assuming you are traveling from Barcelona (which is the closest big city) the fastest and the most comfortable way is by train.

There are 2 train option from Sants Train Station:

• regional train – the trip lasts around 1.18 min and costs around 8.40 eur
• fast train – the trip lasts around 38 min and costs around 14 eur

Normally, trains to Girona run each 30 min or so but if you want to take the fast train, better book it in advance, otherwise they got sold out quickly.

To check the timetable and buy tickets online – check the Renfe webpage – Billetes baratos trenes Ave y Larga Distancia, por solo 19 € (renfe.com)

ACCOMMODATION IN GIRONA:

Accommodation in Girona, in general, is not too expensive (or, at least, is not that expensive as in Barcelona).

You can find plenty of options in the city center such as hotels, hostels, private accommodation etc.

We stayed in a really nice 3-star hotel located a little bit out of the city center (some 2km away from the center).

Hotel Costabella, Girona –  (booking.com)

The hotel offers a nice, outdoor swimming pool, small sauna and jacuzzi and a restaurant so you have all you need for some relaxation time after the day of sightseeing.

TRANSPORTATION IN GIRONA:

Girona is not too big so you can, easily, walk from one place to another without any need of transport.

Most of the main city sights are concentrated around the center so, walking is the best option.

In case you got tired or need a transport from and to the hotel/train station, taxi is not very expensive and you can find plenty of them at the train station and around the busiest streets in the center.

WHAT TO SEE & DO ON YOUR WEEKEND TRIP TO GIRONA?

For a not such a big city, Girona has plenty of things to do, interesting places to visit and there is food… really good food.

If you are on your weekend trip, you can, more less manage to see all (or, at least, most of) the main sights:

• Culo de la leona
• Sant Feliu Square & Church
• Girona Bridges
• Colorful houses of Onyar River & Girona Bridges
• Rambla de la Llibertat
• Plaça de la Independència
• Old Town
• Jewish Quarter
• Museum of Jewish History
• Arab Baths
• Girona Cathedral
• Girona Wall
• Devesa park

CULO DE LA LLEONA – THE LIONESS’ ASS

First things first – kissing a lioness ass is a thing in Girona and, as a good tourist, you should not miss the experience.

Symbol of Girona – Leona de Girona or, also called the Ass of the lioness is a limestone sculpture of a lioness from 12th century located in the Old Quarter of Girona.

There is a popular saying that goes something like this: “If you want to come back to Girona, you must kiss the ass of the lioness”.

Following this one and also some other sayings that, basically, suggest bringing a good luck and frequency in traveling if kissed the ass of the lioness, many tourists do it – they literally go and give an actual kiss to the sculpture (the ass part, to be precise).

Due to covid-19, the kissing part is strictly forbidden (they put a little fence around the statue) so now you can just approach the statue and see the ass of the lioness without kissing it.

Still, with or without kissing, do not miss the lioness ass when in Girona.

The statue is located on the square of Sant Feliu (Plaça de Sant Feliu), just next to the stairs of the Church of St. Felix.

Cost → free
Location → Culo de la Lleona
Time for Visit → 5 – 15 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

SANT FELIU (ST. FELIX) SQUARE & CHURCH

The Culo de la Lleona statue is located just there – on the St. Felix Square and in front of the St.Felix church so you don’t need to walk much.

On the Sant Feliu square (St. Felix), on some days there is a small street market where they sell all kind of vintage stuff – music, books, decorative objects…

There, you can find rare and unique objects such as vintage mirrors, decorative figures, rare editions of the books, gramophone  vinyls…

St. Felix Church is a basilica dedicated to St. Felix constructed between 12th and 17th century in Romanesque and Gothic style. Once you are on the St. Felix Square you will see the impressive church from one side and the river from the other side.

Cost → free
Location → St. Felix Church
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min (for both church and the square)
Opening Hours → 10 AM – 5.30 PM

COLORFUL HOUSES ON THE ONYAR RIVER & GIRONA BRIDGES

If you googled Girona, you must have seen pictures of the colorful houses on the river bank. This scenario, kind of represents Girona and you cannot miss those views at any cost.

The Houses of Onyar (Casas de Oñar) are houses from 19th and early 20th centuries that stand out by their bright colors and a beautiful reflection that they make in the river Onyar.

Interesting thing about these houses is that, from the river side, their facades were, initially, made without any windows or balconies.

The river side of the houses was actually, the back side of the houses and was facing a massive wall that was constructed along the river to protect the city from the possible invasions.

Later on, the wall was removed, the houses were restored,  they got windows and balconies with a view to the river and they got painted in beautiful, bright colors.

You can see those houses from some of the bridges in Girona. Maybe the best place to see the houses from, is the famous Eiffel Bridge (yes, the Eiffel from the Eiffel Tower).

GIRONA BRIDGES:

The city of Girona has 11 bridges, and this is quite impressive for a city that is not that big in size. We didn’t manage to cross them all, but, we did visit the main ones.

• The Eiffel Bridge (Pont de les Peixateries Velles)

This one is the most famous bridge in Girona. It stands out with its bright red color but the real fame comes from its architect – Gustave Eiffel who did this bridge just before leaving to Paris to start working on the Eiffel Tower.

The original name of the bridge is Pont de les Peixateries Velles but, since it was designed by Eiffel (from the Eiffel Tower :)) it is more commonly called the Eiffel Bridge.

This bridge is the best place for seeing the colorful houses of Onyar.

Normally, there is a lot of people circulating and taking photos so, if you want to get a moment alone with the bridge (you really want to have a moment alone with this bridge), come early in the morning – the views are totally worth getting up early.

Cost → free
Location →Eiffel Bridge (Pont de les Peixateries Velles)
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• The Stone Bridge (Pont de Pedra)

It`s a triple arch stone bridge that spans the River Onyar. Its original name is Pont d’Isabel II (Bridge of Isabel II, during whose reign it was built), but it is more known as the Stone Bridge.

Here, you can, normally, see some craft stalls where they sell artisan local products such as snacks, hand-made soaps, jewelry, souvenirs etc.  Also, you will have a nice views from this bridge.

Cost → free
Location →The Stone Bridge (Pont de Pedra)
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• The Princess Bridge (Pont de la Princesa) or Gomez Bridge

This one is know as the most romantic bridge in Girona and you can see that by many padlocks with the names of lovers attached to the bridge. Locals say that the bridge got this “romantic” fame after some love scenes or one Spanish film, were filmed on this bridge.

The thing that also attracts lot of attention of the tourists is that, if you jump somewhere around the center of the bridge, you will notice that the bridge is moving. Nothing too scary, nor excessively fun but just a thing to do if you are already there.

Cost → free
Location →The Princess Bridge (Pont de la Princesa)
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• St. Agusti Bridge (Pont de Sant Agusti)

This bridge itself its not very attractive but it offers great views of the River Onyar and the colorful houses of Onyar. In the background you will see the St. Felix Church and the Cathedral of Girona.

This bridge connects old part of the city to the Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square) and the city center.

From here, you can continue your walk trough Girona towards Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square) and explore the central streets.

Cost → free
Location →St. Agusti Bridge (Pont de Sant Agusti)
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• Plaça de la Independència (Independence Square)

This is the main square in the city, located on the left bank of the river Onyar near the historic center of Girona.

It is a very typical square that you can see in almost any Spanish or Catalan city. Due to its significance in Catalan history and its beauty, this square is included in the List of architectural heritage of Catalonia.

On the sides of the square you can see many bars and restaurants where you can take a coffee or have some delicious food.

Cost → free
Location → Independence Square
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• Rambla de la Llibertat

This one is the main pedestrian street in Girona. It’s the busiest street in the town, the one where are concentrated shops of all kinds, bars, cafes, restaurants…

The street runs parallel to the Onyar river so if you are visiting some of the bridges, you will, eventually, find yourself in this street.

Here you can do some shopping if that’s something you like to do on your trips, you can just walk around, or you can take a coffee or some quick tapas in some of the bars.

Also, there are stalls where they sell some artisan, local products so it’s a great opportunity for buying some gifts and souvenirs.

Cost → free
Location → Rambla de la Llibertat
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• Girona Old Town

The old town of Girona or historic center, has all you expect from an old town – narrow, cobblestone streets, cobbled stairs that lead you to the old stone buildings, charming little patios… everything packed with small cafés and restaurants, souvenir and artisan shops and loads of people roaming around.

Old town in Girona is quite special because you can see so many different things there – it’s like a time labyrinth from which you don’t want to exit.

Every little street in the old town leads to some treasure and you will discover incredible places on each step.

Some of the places to not miss in the Old Town:

• Jewish Quarter + Museum of Jewish History

The Jewish neighborhood of Girona is one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in the whole Western Europe + it is absolutely the most charming part of the Girona Old Town.

Just walking through this part of the city will set you back in the past and you will be amazed with how beautiful those streets and houses look.

Around this area, you will find plenty of little cafes and restaurants where you can try some typical Catalan food.

If you want to take a closer look into times when Jewish families settled in this area, you should definitely visit the Museum of Jewish History.

• Museum of Jewish History

The Museum and its collections reflects the history of the Jewish communities of Catalonia throughout the medieval times. Here, yo can see lot of informative material, archeological exponats , pictures and documentary films reflecting the way of life and cultural heritage.

The museum is not very big so it will not take you too much of your precious time in Girona and it is definitely worth of a visit.

On the exit from the museum you will pass through the library where you can buy all sort of Jewish-related literature, from history books to traditional cuisine cookbooks.

Cost → 4 eur (it was free when we visited in April 2021)
Location → Museum of Jewish History
Time for Visit → 30 – 45 min
Opening Hours → July and August: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday and public holidays from 10 am to 2 pm. September to June: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm; Monday, Sunday and bank holidays from 10 am to 2 pm.

• Arab Baths

What is now a monument building and a tourist attraction, used to be a building with public baths constructed with the idea of improvement of hygiene.

The building is in the Romanesque style but also gathers different architectural models such as Roman baths, the Arab baths and the Jewish mikvahs.

You can walk through several rooms that used to be areas with different temperatures of water (from the coldest to the hottest).

The most emblematic space in the Arab Baths is the vestibule or the entrance, which was used as a changing room. This space was also used as relaxation zone. It has a central pool with an angular vault and the dome supported by columns.

If you are Game of Thrones fan – Season 6, episode 8 – you can see the spot where Arya tried to evade the waif though the the baths.

Cost → 3 eur
Location → Arab Baths
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → March – October: Monday to Sunday from 10AM to 6PM; Sundays and bank holidays from 10AM to 2PM; From November to February: Monday to Friday, from 10 AMto 2 PM; Saturday, from 10 AM to 5:30 PM; Sundays and bank holidays, from 10 AM to 2 PM

*For more information about the working hours, tickets etc. visit the official web page – The Arab Baths from Girona | Opening hours and prices (banysarabs.cat)

• Girona Cathedral

Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona or, more commonly known as Girona Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in the Old Town, close to Arab Baths.

The cathedral is famous as the one with the widest Gothic nave in the world. It is constructed from 11th until 18th centuries and it combines different architectural  styles – Romanesque,  baroque and gothic.

Another reason why this cathedral is one of the most visited places in Girona is, once again, Game of Thrones.

Another scene from the popular serial was filmed here, on the stairs of the cathedral.

Cost → free
Location → Cathedral of Girona
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → April – October: from 10AM to 8PM; November – March: from 10AM to 7PM.

• Muralles de Girona (Walls of Girona)

Walls of Girona were built by the Romans and then, reconstructed and extended during the Middle Ages, all in purpose of defense of the city from the potential invasions.

Now, the walls hardly have any other purpose than simply reminding of those times. And, of course, it’s a huge tourist attraction.

The walls have been reinforced so it is even possible to stroll along a walkway of the walls.

Actually, it was possible to do so – right now, due to covid-19 situation (probably because the walkaway is very narrow and does not allow enough distance between people), the walkaway is closed for visits.

Still, you can see the walls from very close distance, just cannot actually walk on its walkaway.

Cost → free
Location → Muralles de Girona
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• Devesa park

If you like to discover urban green areas when on a city tour – Devesa park is a great place.

The park is huge and surrounded by rivers. Trees, some of which, more than 50m high, make incredibly fresh shade so you can really enjoy long, quite walk during the sunny hours.

There are walking and running paths, picnic areas, benches where you can sit and enjoy the beauty of the nature while being only a short walking distance away from the busy city center.

We finished our weekend trip to Girona with a visit to Devesa park where we spent nice and relaxing last moments in this beautiful city.

Cost → free
Location → Devesa Park
Time for Visit → 15 – 30 min
Opening Hours → 24/7

• WHAT AND WHERE TO EAT IN GIRONA?

Sightseeing is great and we are always so exciting about exploring the new places buuuut, sightseeing requires energy. We are that type of tourists that, not only travel for seeing and doing things but we also travel for food.

We are genuinely interested in local cuisine of every single place on earth and we just love trying new food.

Spanish and Catalan cuisine is really high on our list of favorite cuisines so, whenever we travel across Spain we are excited to try local variations of food and also, to bring home some recipe.

This time, during our weekend trip to Girona we visited 3 great restaurants and we could not even decide which one we liked more.

Here are our recommendations for real foodies who are not only interested to satisfy their hunger but to really enjoy exploring tastes and aromas of this beautiful Catalan city and its cuisine.

EL POU DEL CALL

This one is a typical Catalan restaurant located in on of the charming narrow streets of Old Town, close to the Museum of Jewish History.

The place looks very traditional with its old fashioned interior and decoration and they serve typical and traditional Catalan dishes.

Normally, the demand is high taking into consideration highly attractive location of the restaurant, so you should, definitely, make a reservation in advance.

Some of the super tasty dishes to try here:

• Thyme flavored steamed mussels
• Home-made cod croquettes
• Seafood fideua
• Orange cake with chocolate topping
• Girona’s baked apple stuffed with Crema Catalana

Prices: moderate – (daily menu that includes 1 starter, 1 main dish and dessert costs 17,50 eur per person)

Location: El Pou Dell Call

*To check el menu and make reservations visit their web – Restaurant El Pou del Call

CALL ROS

This is a fancy restaurant with minimalist decoration, quite formal and serious with a little bit awkward atmosphere (too quiet, bright and sterile for my taste).

On the other side, food they serve is absolutely delicious, incredible and worth of every awkward moment in between the bites. 

Some of the dishes to try: 

• Salad with flowers and sprouts, strawberries, snow peas, Iberian ham, quince, asparagus, pumpkin seeds, sour apple
• Duck foie gras with figs, pistachios and raspberries
• Scallops in creamy Parmenter with black “morcilla” (blood sausage), truffle, yuzy
• Catalan chicken in ratafía (liqueur) with almonds, raisins, hazelnuts
• Apple Tarte Tatin
• Orange Sorbet
• Coco Loco dessert with papaya, mango, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit and chocolate

Prices: moderate to high – (daily menu that includes 1 starter, 1 main dish, dessert, breads and bottled water costs 38 eur per person)

Location – Cal Ros Restaurant 

*To check el menu and make reservations visit their web  Restaurant Cal Ros (calros-restaurant.com)

RESTAURANT DIVINUM 

This one is a Michelin star restaurant and that, kind of, already tells a lot. The restaurant is located in Old Town close to Onyar River and the Stone Bridge. The place looks elegant, simple and modern.

Still, for such a fancy restaurant, the ambient is quite easy going and the staff is super friendly.

They serve deconstructed typical dishes presented in the most unique and creative ways. They, mostly, use ingredients from the region and everything looks and tastes super fresh.

Here, the best thing you could do is pick one of the tasting menus. The prices are quite high but the food is absolutely incredible and the whole experience is just so much more than eating food. 

You can also order ‘a la carte’ and make your own combination. 

Some of the dishes to try: 

• Goat meat with eggplant, sesame and mint
• Morel mushroom creamed with egg cooked at low temperature 
• Artichokes, peas and grilled beans 
• Roasted Cabbage with beef 
• Strawberry ice cream

Prices: high – (there are 3 options for tasting menus and they cost 48 eur, 75 eur or 90 eur per person depending on the option you chose. Wine pairing is another 50 eur per person;

If you want to order ‘a la carte’ the prices go from 25 eur (the cheapest starter) to 30 – 38 eur for main dish and around 12 to 16 eur for dessert). 

This restaurant could be a great choice as a gift (to yourself + to your travel buddy)  if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or any other important date or simply want to surprise your someone with something special, unique and exclusive.

Location –Divinum

*To check el menu and make reservations visit their web Divinum – Restaurant (dvnum.com)

When it comes to sweets, there is an ice cream shop known as the best one in the city and beyond – Rocambolesc.

Jordi Roca – famous pastry chef from Girona (that was recognized as The World’s Best Pastry Chef “in 2014), runs this place and is in charge of those ice creams and their incredible taste.

The shop has that retro feeling of the old-fashioned ice cream shops from the childhood and there are several different ice cream tastes to chose from. 

The queue is quiet long as this ice cream shop really has a fame, but it moves quickly and it is definitely worth of waiting.

Besides incredible taste of the ice creams, they offer numerous toppings that you can add.

Some of the delicious flavors are: 

• Milk ice cream with guava and huge cotton candy on top
• Baked apple ice cream
• Coconut with violet sorbet
• Panet – hot bread with ice cream inside
• Hand (Jaime Lannister’s golden hand from Game of Thrones) – Blood Orange and mango flavor

Prices: low-moderte (around 5 eur per person)

Location –Rocambolesc 

*To check what other flavors they have, check their website – ROCAMBOLESC

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Quite packed schedule for a weekend trip to Girona but this city just has so much to offer that you don’t want to miss a thing. 

If you would have some more days to spend in Girona, you can visit some of the surrounding medieval villages such as Besalu and Banyoles (we planned to visit them but we run out of time so now we will have to back). 

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If you are going back to Barcelona and want to get to know the city – check out some of our Barcelona Guides:

• Best 6 Tapas Bars in Barcelona – Self Guided Tour 
• Casa Mila (La Pedrera), Barcelona – Full Guide
• Casa Vicens, Barcelona – Gaudi’s First Masterpiece 

Still in Barcelona and want to make a quick day trip that includes hiking, fresh air and crazy cable car rides?

Check out our text about this incredible mountain near Barcelona – Montserrat – Day Trip From Barcelona – Full Guide + Useful Information

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Happy Travels!

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