Now, when more and more independent travelers fly by low cost airlines, a new point has appeared in the "road map" of tourist routes - Girona Airport. Compared to large tourist centers, like Granada, Madrid or Barcelona, at first glance it may seem like a small, unremarkable settlement, just a place to wait for the desired flight. However, it is worth stopping here.
at least for one day - believe me, there is something to see.
It is reliably known when the city was founded: in 75-76 AD
Roman legionaries in a record short time erected the fortress of Gerund, which was later destined to be named after Girona. Spain at that time was part of the Roman Empire, and the fortress was to be guarded by the Via Augusta tract, which went from Rome to Seville.
Fragments of ancient fortifications and, by the way, a piece of the once important “Augustus Road” have been preserved from that era.
The railway station (where the shuttles arrive from the airport) is located in the new city, on the other side of the Onyar River. You need to go to the river, while admiring the beautiful houses in the style of Art Nouveau.
Across the river, on the steep and high hill of Cappuccins, is the old Girona. Spain considers it "the first boulevard to Europe" because it is close to the cordons of France.
It is worth admiring the old houses on the Onyar embankment . Many of them were erected in the late Middle Ages and were part of the city fortifications.
Tower houses rise directly from the water, like impregnable cliffs. By the way, all of them are still inhabited. It’s funny to watch how century after century they made adjustments to the decoration of ancient bastions.
We cross the bridge and delve into the complex maze of medieval streets. In order not to get lost, it would be nice to first visit the tourist information center and take there a map of the city of Girona. Spain attracts tourists very much, and, most likely, a center employee in good English will tell you about what is worth visiting first of all. We recommend that you start acquaintance with Girona, bypassing the fortress walls around the perimeter. The Romans erected them, then the Moors strengthened, the Castilians completed, according to the requirements of military equipment. From the towers the city is visible at a glance.
Get off the fortifications near the cathedral. On the way you will see the Arab baths, which have nothing to do with the Moors. They were built by Christians in the XII-XIII centuries, after the Reconquista, as a decorative imitation of Muslim terms. Girona, whose sights are numerous, is especially famous for its main cathedral. We can say that this is a "hodgepodge" in architecture. First a mosque, then a Romanesque basilica - elements of Gothic, Baroque and Classicism are fantastically mixed in it. The temple was built for a very long time and was completely completed only in the 19th century. But the church went down in the history of architecture due to the width of its main nave - 23 meters (wider only in
St. Peter's Basilica in Rome). A staircase of 90 steps leads to the temple, at the time of construction (XVII century) it was the largest staircase in the whole kingdom.
The Call or the medieval Jewish ghetto is another striking landmark in the city of Girona. Spain expelled Jews from the kingdom during the reign of Isabella of Castile, a fanatical Catholic. Ghetto houses were given to Christian beggars who were too poor to rebuild. Thus, the ghetto remained in its original form.