Posted on March 04, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

You say Gerona, I say Girona.  Ok, so nobody quite knows how this Catalonian city should be spelt, but how could they? It doesn’t grab all the headlines like funky little Barcelona or sophisticated Madrid.  What Girona (from here on in I’ll stick with this spelling) does have is charm. Yep. In big Catalonian bucket loads.  If you weren’t looking for Girona, you’d certainly stumble upon it while trying to reach Barcelona via Ryanair.  But enough with the cheap EasyJet-style snipes. Bottom line is, should you choose to spend some time here, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The city was founded by the Romans and was later conquered by the Moorish. The architecture certainly reflects these eras, however the overall vibe is definitely medieval. Sitting on the cusp of the Onyar and Ter rivers, Girona attracts day-trippers from the Costa Brava resorts as well as nearby Barcelona.  All are drawn by the experience of strolling around the old quarter known simply as the Call.  Following the narrow walls you’ll come to the 12th century Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants and the 14th century cathedral built in the Catalonian Baroque style.  Before reaching the cathedral though, you’ll have your work cut out, with an uphill trek of almost 90 steps.  The cathedral houses a museum showcasing artworks and rare medieval manuscripts.  Other crowd pleasers include the 12th century Arab baths with its distinctive octagonal pool and the quaint Jewish quarter where from the 9th to 15th centuries, the Jewish culture and religion thrived on the close-knit streets.  Even today, the Rambla de la Llibertar teems with easy-going cafés and shops selling local crafts, antiques and curiosities.  As well as this, the city is also well stocked with museums and galleries. 

Girona car hire is a great way to get up close and personal with the best cultural attractions in Catalonia.  The thriving fishing village of Cadaques draws busloads of visitors but very few of these visit for the local beach, which rather disappointingly is narrow and stony.  The main highlights are its pretty natural harbour, where there are reasonably priced restaurants, galleries, clothing shops, craft shops and the one-time home of Salvador Dali, which is found in Portlligat Bay, just north of the town.
Not unlike its eccentric owner, the house itself is something of an oddity.  It consists of a cluster of fishermen’s huts that were tacked on to the original building over the years.  If you take a guided tour, you’ll be escorted around the garden as well as the house.