Girona

The centre of the city of Girona is determined by the layout of the old quarter, which followed the borders of the ancient Roman city. In this area we find the old Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, the wall-top promenade, opened in 1985, the Sant Feliu church and the Arab Baths, which date from the 12th century. On both sides of La Força street lies the Jewry, one of Girona's most important tourist attractions. Continuing past the Jewry one comes across Ciutadans street, where the city's bourgeoisie clustered together, and where various architecturally magnificent mansions are still preserved. A good example is the Romanesque building that bears the name of Fontana d'Or. One of the city's most emblematic points is the recently refurbished Rambla de la Llibertat, a beautiful shop-lined promenade. A good number of the back streets and alleyways of Girona's old quarter run between the Rambla de la Llibertat and Ciutadans street. Of particular interest is a square, the Plaça del Raïm, which would be right in boasting that it is the city's smallest square. Other sites of great historical interest include the Plaça dels Apòstols, a square located alongside the cathedral, the Sant Domènec university campus, and the so-called Stone Bridge that joins the old quarter and the modern sector of Girona.

The cathedral of Girona is the province's - and perhaps one of the world's - most important Gothic monument. The shrine was built between the 14th and 17th centuries on various successive religious buildings. Its most salient feature is the immensity of its single Gothic nave, the construction of which was an almost unimaginable challenge for the period's master builders. Indeed, although originalIy three naves were planned, it was finally decided to build a single nave nearly 23 metres wide - perhaps the broadest Gothic nave ever built.

Being an important historical site, Girona offers a large number of museums to its visitors. The Cathedral Museum contains two of the most significant works of medieval European art: the Creation Tapestry, an immense piece depicting various scenes of the Creation, and the Beatus, a manuscript decorated with tiny illustrations dating from the year 975, considered the richest of the codices reproducing the Beatus of Liébana's Apocalypse. The Art Museum, which occupies the old Episcopal palace, located a short distance away from the cathedral, houses a highly representative display of the artistic manifestations of the region dating from the Visigoths to the present day. The City History Museum lets visitors embark on a journey that begins with the first settlers and ends in the modern era. The Archaeological Museum offers a chance to visit the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants and the museum's archaeological collection. A visit to the city's museums must include the recently rated ( inaugurated Cinema Museum located in the city's more modern district. with over 25,000 pieces, it contains the only collection in Spain that is integrally devoted to the origins of cinema.

It's always a good time to visit Girona but May is a especially recommendable month: the old quarter is filled to brimming with the scents and colours of the traditional flower exhibition.

Girona is a great place to shop, with a cosmopolitan mix of small boutiques, souvenir shops and larger retail names such as Zara, Mango, Adolfo Dominguez and Cortefiel.

For local handicrafts and ceramics, it is well worth visiting the small town of La Bispal (32km east of Girona).

For designer labels, it is worth driving south of Girona, to La Roca Village. It is a designer fashion factory outlet, with items at great prices.

You can also find some great jewellery shops in Girona, making it a great place to buy gifts or even special items such as diamond wedding rings or diamond engagement rings.

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