This last weekend we had ourselves a day trip up to the City of Girona, north of Barcelona, and not far from the French border. The journey was somewhere between one and a half hours and two, and although most of the journey was on the motorway the scenery around was stunning. The town is on the Autopista AP-7 and N-II. The city is also the hub of the local road network with routes to the coast and inland towards the Pyrenees.

Girona is a beautiful town spanning the river Onyar which is crossed by 6 bridges within the town itself, so for an afternoon's stroll you can traverse back and forth across the river while enjoy the sights of the city. You can also walk around the 'Muralla' which is part of the old wall that used to run all round the city.

The older centre definitely deserves mention and investigation, with narrow cobbled streets lined with interesting shops and eateries of all manner. At the heart of the old centre is the Jewish quarter, although there is no longer a Jewish community there it still houses a museum, and kitchy souvenirs to its past are available all over.

We ate in a friendly and busy atmospheric restaurant on the Independence Square, where I am assured that the paella was excellent. This square (much like many in cities all over Spain has restaurants around its edges with terraces to enjoy the great weather that has just started to warm up the region.

Every May the city hosts a flower festival called the Temps de Flors when amazing floral structures fill the city. This year's festival is between the 7th and 15th May. (LINK)

(picture courtesy of gironainfo.cat)

Interestingly it is twinned with Wakefield in the UK! (Any similarities completely elude me)

A day trip to Girona can be prebooked with TulStig DelMar as part of our extra services. Alternatively we can advise you of the best route whether by car or train.