Girona is a medieval city in northeastern Catalonia, about an hour north of Barcelona by high-speed train. Its old town — rising on the east bank of the Onyar River — is one of the best-preserved in Spain: a labyrinth of narrow streets, Jewish quarter alleyways, and Romanesque towers that have barely changed in five hundred years. The colourful houses perched above the river are Girona's most photographed image.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria dominates the old town from the top of its famous staircase. Its Gothic nave — the widest Gothic nave in Europe — took over two centuries to build and contains the embroidery known as the "Tapestry of Creation" (11th century), one of the finest surviving examples of Romanesque textile art. Below the cathedral, the medieval Jewish Quarter (El Call) is the best-preserved in Spain; Jews lived here from the 9th century until the expulsion of 1492. The Sant Pere de Galligants monastery houses the archaeology museum and has remarkable Romanesque cloisters.
Girona is also internationally known for El Celler de Can Roca, the three-Michelin-star restaurant run by the Roca brothers, which has held the title of World's Best Restaurant. Getting a table requires booking months or years in advance.
The city is compact and walkable. Most people use it as a day trip from Barcelona, but it deserves an overnight stay — the old town is quieter and more atmospheric in the evening, and the surrounding province (Costa Brava, the volcanic region of Garrotxa) rewards a longer visit.