It's small enough to feel at home in
By day two you know your café, your baker and the shortcut through the Call. Girona has about 100,000 people. It's big enough to have great food and culture, and small enough that people start to recognise you.
The history is everywhere
Roman walls, a medieval Jewish quarter, Romanesque monasteries, Gothic churches and baroque steps, all within a ten-minute walk. Girona has been besieged more than twenty times over its history, and every period has left something behind.
The food is world-class at every price
A €2 xuixo, a market lunch, or a table at El Celler de Can Roca, regularly named among the best restaurants in the world. In between are the Empordà wines and produce from the sea and the mountains.
It's distinctly Catalan
This is what visitors most often mention. Girona isn't “generic Spain”. Street signs, conversations in the square, the sardana on Sunday and the castellers at festa time are all Catalan. Learning even a few words lets you see the city as locals do.
Make it your favourite city too
Spend a week with us: a little Catalan every morning, and Girona every afternoon.
And it's the perfect base
Mountains, volcanoes, medieval villages and the Costa Brava are all within an hour. Read our 15 best things to do in Girona to plan your days.