Girona is a mid-sized city in north-eastern Catalonia —around 105,000 people—, an hour from Barcelona and the gateway to the Costa Brava. Its old town, wedged between four rivers, is one of the best preserved in Catalonia and one of the most cinematic in Spain.
Its crown is the Cathedral, with the widest Gothic nave in the world, atop a monumental staircase many will recognise from Game of Thrones. Around it sit El Call —one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Europe—, the Arab Baths, the monastery of Sant Pere and the walk along the Carolingian walls. And below, the famous colourful Oñar houses reflected in the river.
Girona is seen well in one or two days and pairs beautifully with the Costa Brava (Cadaqués, coves, medieval villages) and with the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, half an hour away. It's also a top-tier gastronomic ca