Road cycling and mountain biking are firm favourites here. It’s not just the weekend hobbyists and tourist bikers who ‘don the gear’, it extends to the refined professionals who are attracted here like bees to honey.
Girona’s surrounding topography lends itself to offering a challenging variety of routes. The weather is a mighty good adjunct too, ensuring a pleasant climate most of the year. Add the relaxed lifestyle, fine cuisine and a medieval setting, you quickly see why you’d want to bring your bicycle pump here.
The whole cycling in Girona phenomenon has created a thriving economic boost for those businesses catering to their needs. It’s not just the professional teams who base themselves here for training purposes, but the growing number of cycle tourists. So much so that I’m sure it has been a helpful boost to the property rental sector, as many choose to stay a while.
I’ve been here for almost 15 years and remember meeting an American cyclist by the name of Marti Jemison, way back about 12 years ago. I think it was when we used to frequent a local outdoor pool. Anyway, this is me reminiscing. We got real friendly as we had a mutual American friend who also lived here, but we lost touch soon after. He ran a high-end vacation business offering European road cycle tours. Apparently he was a part of the US Postal Service Pro Team in the late 1990’s, as was Lance Armstrong in 2005. By all accounts Armstrong lived in Girona for a while, somewhere within the old quarter.
Another famous English Olympic cyclist who resided here for a while was (Sir) Bradley Wiggins.
Friends of ours who run a cycling holiday business have had a real run of success and rightly so, as they’re one of the best in town. They also organise a popular annual cycling festival called Gran Fondo, which has further promoted the sport. Numerous copycats have appeared, tapping into that demand which just keeps growing.
A good many seem to plump for basing themselves in the old town. Maybe they prefer running up and down five flights of stairs in their lycra shorts, as many old places have no lifts. It’s the road cyclists who seem to dress like they’re going bobsledding. Bicycles that cost thousands of euros that you can lift with ease, with just one finger.
Back in 2009 Girona even hosted a leg of the famous Tour de France. Race followers were here in their droves. I remember being in France on holiday and seeing it pass through Carcassonne. I waited for ages, watching various sponsors drive by distributing freebies, only to see the racers flash by so fast you would’ve missed them if you’d blinked.
Fast forward, and the wheels have kept turning but there’s been a lull in cycling activity recently during the past Covid waves, as movement restrictions were applied. Once normality has returned I can see a resurgence in all things cycling.
This is more of a guide for those independent visitors and tourists to Girona who arrive at its airport and have to find their way to other places like Barcelona or coastal resorts without the benefit of a car.
You can of course choose a taxi, convenient and quicker but that can get pricey. There’s always a long line of taxis waiting outside the arrivals hall and there’s usually information visible that shows the cost to popular destinations. Forget about getting an Uber or similar, none of these rideshare companies operate here.
For Barcelona bound people who want to take a coach you need to take a right turn as you exit arrivals. Walk a short distance down to a large parking area where you’ll see parked coaches with Barcelona Bus or Sagales, and a small stand-alone ticket office.
For anyone wanting to get to the many Costa Brava resorts and towns by bus you’d need to get to Girona’s bus station first. Most of the major towns are reachable e.g. L’Escala, Estartit, Playa d’Aro, St Feliu de Guixols, Blanes and Lloret de Mar (bus No.660).
LIke above, turn right out of airport arrivals, walk down about 50 metres to the bus waiting area. There’s a small ticket office where you can buy a single ticket 2.75€ for the airport bus, from bay 1, that will take you straight to Girona’s bus & train station. It’s underground so when you step off, walk towards the main waiting area at the far end,where you’ll see various ticket booths and the large departure information board. You’ll see the available destinations and departure times.
Try to plan ahead as bus timetables vary according to the season and are less frequent at weekends. Be mindful that the station does close at night. If you need to exit the bus station for any reason, follow the exit signs (sortida/salida) using the lift, stairs or escalator. Most signs are in fact shown in 3 languages, Catalan, Spanish and English. On reaching ground level and outside the building you’ll see the train station just across from you. The platforms are raised above street level, and the ticket office and ticket machines are inside.
Girona train station has the following amenities: toilets, atm, tobacconists (tabac), cafeteria, general store with drinks, snacks etc, left luggage, lottery sales, gift store (ale hop) and car rental offices. Whichever side you exit there are always taxis here. One side has free short-term parking, or longer term paid parking which can be found on the other side (of the above photo, facing C/Barcelona).
As far as trains from Girona to the Costa Brava coast the destinations are very limited. That’s a shame as there used to be a narrow gauge track that ran all the way down to St Feliu de Guixols, that was ripped up in the 1970’s. It’s now a popular cycle route with an occasional reference to its former usage.
Going in a northerly direction towards the French border there’s really only two coastal destinations, Llanca and Colera. Heading south the main line is inland and only touches the coast when it reaches Barcelona.
For the resort of Blanes you’d need to change at Macanet-Massanes and take the R1 service towards L’Hospitalet De Llobregat.
Llanca is 62km by car from Girona, travel time about 50 min. or one hour by train. It’s a fair size town with the usual tourist amenities and an important fishing port. www.visitllanca.cat
Colera on the other hand is far smaller with a darker, hard sand beach, holiday apartments, tiny marina and not a lot more. On my one and only visit, we took the slow train from Girona and for some reason had to change at Figueres. Arriving in Colera the miserable excuse for a station was reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western movie set. What must have been the station at one time was now a boarded up graffiti strewn building.
The bare bones platforms on either side of the tracks were equally uninspiring and had seen better days. The walk to the resort is short and I have to admit there are better looking Costa Brava resorts. On our way back to the Girona bound platform we observed groups of teenagers gleefully jumping into the pools of unoccupied properties.
One last thing to add is that if you’re travelling with a dog then train travel is fine (costs may apply), but banned on bus travel.
If you live in a city with a rich past stretching back to Roman times you’d expect a lot of tasty morsels of history to wet your appetite. It’s humbling to think that many of the old town streets and alleys I walk down have remained largely unchanged since medieval times.
Some writers have even alluded to Girona’s links to secret societies and grail legends that I’ve touched upon in other pages.
Here’s a random selection of what’s interested me so far. If you ever visit, Girona has its own Museum of History of Girona, tucked away in the old town near the Cathedral.
Girona’s air raid shelters.
Girona was bombed during the Spanish Civil War, many times in fact. In April 1938, then again in late January 1939 and once more in February. The civilian authorities built three shelters in Girona, of which just one still survives. Situated just off Placa Catalunya and next to a childrens’ playground. Its rusty metal door and short, narrow, steeply sloping concrete roof is the only giveaway. An informational sign has been erected next to it called ‘Espais de Memoria’, with an English translation.
This space is closed normally and only reopens during Girona’s week long flower festival, Temps de Flors, in May each year. Strangely there are no floral displays here but it’s the only opportunity to visit this underground space. Over the years I’ve probably been here 2 or 3 times. The narrow stairway leads down to the shelter, built to accommodate around 600 citizens. Stark cold concrete walls, dim lighting and an air of dampness gives a glimpse of what awaited its wartime visitors. I’m sure that with the added noise of dropping bombs must have left them petrified.
Continuing with the ‘espais de memoria’ I came across another of its street locations by chance, up in the old town near the Pujada de St Domenech. Surrounded by greenery the narrow red noticeboard sits quietly opposite a former seminary. Texts and photos explain how this building was used as a provincial prison during the dark days following Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. About 3,000 people passed through its doors, up until about 1942 when it moved to another location.
It was a time of harsh repression, purges and denunciations among the civilian population. Bringing a lump to my throat it made me think of that quote ‘those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it’.
Street names.
Nothing much exciting about street names you might think and normally they’re just another non-descript part of a city’s makeup. I find many street names here bear the name of someone famous, a writer, painter, poet, politician and so on-all in Catalan of course. Here’s the nerdy interesting part, if you’ve followed me this far. Speak to the old folk here and they’ll tell you that during Franco’s reign these same streets had other names, all in Spanish. For example the large square in front of the city hall, Placa del Vi, was until about 1975, named Plaza de Espana. I do remember seeing an old black and white photo of Franco visiting Girona in 1960, standing on the balcony of the city hall.
A lot of that was due to him outlawing spoken Catalan in public and at school. Its only refuge was at home, behind closed doors. Those were tragic times for many Spaniards, not just Catalans, and that underlying and lingering resentment is felt by many to this day. Except by the poor old street name which continues proudly displaying itself, oblivious to all and sundry.
River Onyar floods
Neatly dividing the old town area from the more modern parts of Girona there’s little to worry about. Looking down at the river Onyar from the numerous vantage points it appears very shallow, even during the winter months. Low-lying gravel banks pop out here and there, seagulls gather, standing around looking for lazy pickings. Look harder and you’ll notice fish, big fish that look like carp, basking in the imperceptible current.
So, I was surprised to hear that back in the 1960’s the river levels rose so high one winter that large parts of the old town were flooded. An old black and white photo I remember seeing shows someone sitting in a kayak paddling down La Rambla.
Snow in Girona
Winters are thankfully short here, at least they feel like that. Temperatures do drop, and during December and January you do see cars with frozen windscreens in the morning. Talk with locals and they’ll tell you snow is such a rare occurrence in Girona. A once-in-a-lifetime event that no one remembers the last time it happened. Lo and behold we had a huge dump of snow back in March 2010. It got so bad we lost power for 3 days, hot food was off the menu and candles sold out in the shops. Friends near the coast lost power for even longer, almost 3 weeks, as power lines had been downed all over the region. Schools closed for days and we had to resort to trying to stay as warm as possible. I got the impression that there’s little planning for such events here.
Here’s one last useful Trivial Pursuit fact, Girona was the first city in Spain to get electric street lights, in 1886.
I get asked so many different types of questions about the Costa Brava, Barcelona and Girona. I thought I might lump a random lot of them into this one post. A lot of this information can also be found across the pages of my site. If you’re wondering why it’s 19, I simply prefer odd numbers!
How far is the Costa Brava from Barcelona?
About 70 km north of the city.
Is the Costa Brava a good holiday destination?
Absolutely, the number of good beaches will leave you spoilt for choice. Sun, sand and sea-an unbeatable combination. Other Spanish Costas are just as popular but don’t always have the same cache.
Is Barcelona on the Costa Brava?
Not really, it’s commonly accepted that it extends from Blanes in the south, all the way up to the French border.
How many days do I need in Girona?
For a small city you could easily get a real feel for the place in one day. Walk around the old town, nip into one of the museums and enjoy an evening meal. If you have more time then taking a more leisurely stay allows time for additional pleasures. For example, Girona’s week long St Narcis festival in late October or the 9-day long flower festival (Temps de Flors) in May.
What’s the best airport to fly into for the Costa Brava?
That’ll be Girona-Costa Brava Airport-the official name. Used by many low-cost and budget airlines like Ryanair and Jet2.
How do I get from Barcelona to Girona?
Apart from a 90 minute drive, the best and quickest way is by taking the TGV/AVE fast train, just 40 min. Non stop. Catch it from Barcelona’s Sant station.
Is Girona a safe city?
While I personally haven’t encountered any problems, I have heard of a few instances of low-level street crimes. For example, look after your belongings at the main train/bus station. Never leave any bags hanging off the backs of chairs-just common sense stuff. Girona’s old town maze of alleyways is a very lonely place in the early hours. One friend who lives there was walking home very late and got asked by a passer-by for the time. As he pulled out his phone to check, the guy ripped the phone out of his hand and legged it. Feeling slightly inebriated he felt helpless-result, one lost phone!
Is the Costa Brava hot in May?
The average is about 20°C at the beginning of the month, going up to 24°C by the end. Daytime averages are about 18°C, but night time drops to about 10°C, so a light jacket or layers would be a good idea.
What are some good day trips from Barcelona?
You can catch a fast train to Girona for its medieval charm, or Figueres which has the famous Dali Museum. There’s Montserrat if you’re into monasteries, or lively Sitges with nice beaches, just a 30 minutes train ride away.
Is Girona expensive to live in?
There are sites and various metrics experts used to determine these costs, but I consider it’s not a cheap place to live. As someone who rents, being the main expense, I think they’re still high, but maybe slightly less than Barcelona for comparison sake when we talk about identical flat sizes.
Where should I live in the Costa Brava?
Depends on what you’re looking for and how deep your pockets are. Plenty of pretty coastal locations like Cadaques, Calella de Palafrugell and S’Agaró, but many are very quiet off-season. Bigger working towns have a bit more activity and not so desolate, like Palamos, St Feliu de Guixols and Blanes,
What’s the best month to visit Barcelona?
Good all year round in my opinion, but as far as the climate goes then May to June could be ideal as it’s around the mid 70’s.
What are some good day trips from Girona?
We’re assuming you have a car, but local buses go to these following towns too. Banyoles for its superb lake-a 2 hour walk all the way round.Further out, Besalu has an impressive stone bridge and medieval centre. Figueres (by train also) has the popular Dali Museum (booking advised). Nearest beach is St Feliu de Guixols, go on a Sunday to catch its weekly market.
Does Girona have a beach?
No, but it’s only about 30 km to the coast.
How far is Girona from Barcelona?
Not as near as some think, about 90 km north. That equates to about 90 minutes by car or just 38 minutes by fast train.
How hot is the Costa Brava in October?
Mostly mild, with the average daily minimum at 13°C, maximum at 21°C it’s wise to bring a light jacket or jumper, especially at night.
How different is Catalan from Spanish?
Let’s clear up one thing- Catalan is not a dialect of Spanish, it’s a separate language. In truth, the Catalan grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary has more in common with French.
Where should I live in Girona?
Lots of decent residential areas, hard to list all of the ones I consider worthwhile. For anyone interested I’ve already written a seperate blog post about my own opinions.
What language do they speak in Girona?
Put simply, Catalan. It’s very strong here and I try to use it for day to day stuff, but there’s no problem if I have to resort to Spanish. If you’re here for some time it’d be worth picking up some basics, it’ll always go down well with the locals.
There’s nowhere on God’s earth that hasn’t experienced some level of the Covid 19 pandemic.
There’s little point in switching on the TV news anymore, the grim reality of waking up to a daily situation where very little changes.
Signs of any reprieve still seem distant, the dark and dreary wintery days snuffing out any shoots of hope. Am I painting a too black a picture? Sorry, but it’s getting harder to remain a half-glass full guy.
Watching from afar at what’s been happening back in my home country, the UK is depressing enough. There are no clear winners as to who’s handling the epidemic the best, that’ll be an ongoing debate for some time.
Are we in the second or third wave here, all this talk of waves just makes me want to think of driving to the coast on the next sunny day, except I can’t currently do that. I can only move around within my county (comarca) which is Girones. My nearest beach is within a different comarca. I’d run the risk of getting stopped and fined, so I can only gawp at friends who live on the coast posting beach pics on their social media pages-lucky so and so’s.
After the first national lockdown the Madrid government allowed all the regions to determine their own responses. Each set their respective rules and controls on everyday life. For some regions like Madrid that means bars can stay open until 9pm, whereas here it’s 4.30 pm.
Here in Girona, Catalonia that means we’re still under a nighttime curfew between 10pm and 6am. That’s not such a big deal for me, just means my dogs get their last outing a bit earlier than before. But, as summer approaches and days get longer that’s going to be harder to police.
Hopefully by then it’ll be gone for good, or at least moved to a later hour.
Just this week they’ve allowed bars and restaurants to stay open a further one hour more, until 4.30pm.That’s fine if you’re lunching, but no evening trade is hitting their pockets hard. A few have resorted to offering a take away service but many have stayed shuttered. My usual bar is only open at the weekend, only afternoons, having to close on time at 4.30pm. The lack of people around during weekdays, with such brief trading times means it’s not worth opening.
Adding to their worries are the potential penalties. The local police are quick to fine any transgressors-heavily it seems. One rumour mentioned a long established restaurant in the old town being faced with a 60,000€ fine.
Government economic help for business owners is by all accounts patchy, inadequate and too slow in coming. That’s playing out in broad daylight with many more shops closing for good and the rise in ‘For Rent’ signs (Per Llogar) popping up. A few permanently closed shops are even openly blaming Amazon for their woes. Again, current regulations mean non-essential shops must close on weekends. I can’t help thinking that the landlords of these places are still demanding normal levels of rent, which ordinarily are high in this city.
Youngsters must be climbing the walls as they still can’t go to any nightclubs or late night bars. I can’t see that continuing into the summer months but who knows. There are rumours of smaller music festivals being allowed to go ahead later in the year. Popular established venues like Cap Roig and Perelada are firm favourites of ours-a summer treat.
One thing my home country is streets ahead of Spain is in vaccinating people, but at least here they’ve started giving teachers the vaccine, unlike the UK. Mask wearing outdoors is still mandatory with some friends even double masking for extra safety. I’m also getting a bit phobic about eating indoors at restaurants, after reading up how the virus spreads in poorly ventilated spaces. On a recent outing I felt there were clearly too many diners inside, accentuating my virus-fear-factor even more.
Lastly, to pile on the agony there’s a lot more talk about the subject of the pandemic’s impact on our social health. I wonder if that’ll be its longest legacy.
People who visit often ask me where downtown Girona is. I reply that it doesn’t really have a distinct ‘city centre’ in the usual sense. For shopping purposes there are certain areas that have streets which contain many different shops-I’ve tried to group them in the following way (see below).
Please be aware that store opening times here might be different from your own country. Many of the smaller independent shops close for lunch, which could be for up to 3 hours. Summertime can also be a bit of a hit or miss affair as shops close for their annual holiday-usually in August. Retail related stores are all closed Sundays.
Old town & fringes.
The Rambla de la Liberatat is the wide pedestrianised street that you can access once you cross over the Pont de Pedra bridge from the new part of Girona. A lot of largely smaller shops.
Girona’s La Rambla
At the bottom it doglegs into C/ de les Ballesteries, again the same here, with a few interspersed quirky stores.
Calle Ballesteries
The long, shady street that leads up to the stone bridge (from Via Jaume 1) is C/Nou. It has more than its fair share of shoe shops and opticians.
Carrer Nou
As you walk down here and just before the stone bridge turn left into C/Santa Clara. Clothes shops predominantly.
Head for the Hotel Carlamany, this more modern area has larger shops, chains like H&M, Zara and Bershka. Roads radiating out from the hotel all have stores, or head for C/Migdia.
Retail / Commercial park.
Go south on C/Barcelona all the way to the end as if you were leaving Girona until you reach a large roundabout with a McD’s. Turn off here for 3 large retail sheds. All open late (9pm).
BauHaus-DIY, tools, lighting, paints, bathrooms and garden supplies.
Decathlon- Sports clothing, footwear and equipment for all major sports.
Media Markt-All things electrical, domestic appliances, kitchen gadgets, computers and peripherals, cameras, large range of TV’s.
For shopping mall enthusiasts Girona has Espai Girones in nearby Salt with free indoor/outdoor car parking. The L- 4 bus goes there, catching it from Pl. Marques-Camps. It advertises as having 130 shops with restaurants, a multi-screen cinema and budget hotels. Open till late.
Misc. & Other Girona shops
Wala-Placa Salt,1. Poligon Mas Xirgu. Large, top brands sports clothing and equipment store.
El Corte Ingles-C/Barcelona 106, multi storey branch of this national chain with an extensive basement food hall.
Abacus-C/Barcelona 42. Stationery chain run as a co-operative, order/buy general and school books, educational toys and games, English books section. Become a free member to get discounts on every purchase.
Microgestio- Ronda Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 25. Local official Apple reseller, repairs and training.
The following wall relief photos are from a tall residential building on the corner of C/Barcelona and Placa Poeta Marquina. The block is several storeys high with a La Caixa bank branch on the ground floor. I’ve walked past this place numerous times and glanced upwards admiring these large coloured decorative reliefs.
It’s not unusual to find similar examples dotted around the city, particularly in the old town, but these stand out as fine examples. I’ve been unable to discover more about their origin, short of trying to ask someone who lives there.
The first appears to symbolise family with a single young child and its parents and grandparents, all in a group embrace. Such strong family bonds are still a big part of Catalan culture and daily life. Why the child stands atop of a crowned woman is slightly mystifying. My first thought was some royal connection but most Catalans aren’t keen on the Spanish monarchy-past or present. That said, the current King of Spain Felipe VI once held the title of Prince of Girona.
The next one down stretches up to the top and also requires further enquiries. Two young girls are standing either side of a tree (tree of life?). One is holding a small harp, the other appears to be the city coat of arms. Below their feet sits a deer. Digging into deer symbolism it typically means unconditional love, gentleness, grace and good luck. The part of the relief above the tree appears to look angelic, the part jutting out is perplexing. I’m sure there’s a story waiting to be told here.
The bottom two probably have something to do with the Battle of Girona, in June 1808, as the year is easily definable. This occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. The French assault failed, being repulsed by city militia and low and behold, two battalions of Irish infantry in Spanish service. The person holding what appears to be a blunderbuss might be one of the militia perhaps.
Street art, graffiti or urban art, it all adds up to the personal expressions or interpretations of an artist. Good or bad, you must decide. Explore the streets, nooks and crannies of Girona and you’ll come across various examples.
Small and large, strange, mystifying, comical and fantastical. The one enduring aspect is that on many sites they don’t last long. Many a time I’ve ventured back to take a photo and what I originally saw had been replaced with a newer creation.
Girona even holds a Contemporary Urban Art Festival (Festival D’Art Urba Contemporari), it’s 8th edition was in September 2019
Stay tuned for future blog posts with the latest masterpieces as they appear!
No mother-in-law jokes please.Any ideas? Answers on a postcard please.Comic fantasy? Troubled childhood? Stuff of nightmares!Good use of one of the supporting pillars of the rail viaduct.A long standing feature on the side of an old factory.A reference to women fighters during the Spanish Civil War.
The bridges of Girona may sound like a romantic notion but it’s not exactly a comparison of the same structures as somewhere like Paris or London. Of course any bridge can be romantic I suppose, depending on who you’re with.
I understand that bridges serve a practical function and can also be beautiful in their own right. Especially where river spans allow for the creation of something visually noteworthy. Yes, I hear you say, but what about those exquisitely beautiful small bridges in Venice or Cambridge? Sure, but the world’s most famous and best remembered ones tend to be the grandest.
So what does Girona have to offer? The river Onyar has several bridges moderately spread along its meagre old-town-length. It neatly separates the old Girona on one side, and its more modern ‘eixample’ and ‘mercadal’ areas which fan out west and south.
We should start with perhaps the oldest bridge, the Pont de Pedra (stone bridge) near Placa de Catalunya, which itself also straddles the river. It dates from 1856 composed of three low arches that rest on two pillars. Built from a local stone that looks and feels like granite, topped with cobbles and a stone flagged path either side. Largely pedestrian traffic it’s an excellent vantage point for photos and selfies. A good entry point for old town visitors, it has a row of craft stalls on one side every Saturday.
Going downriver using the Rambla or along C/ Sta Clara you’ll get to the long winded Pont de les Peixateries Velles (the Fishmongers’ Bridge, 1877) or commonly known as the Eiffel bridge. Yes, it’s the same Gusatve Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame in Paris, built some 12 years later. Its wooden walkway enclosed by blood red ironwork creates diamond-framed ‘portholes’ or viewpoints. Again, use them to frame some more photos of the up or down river. This bridge is thoughtfully illuminated every Christmas and must surely be available as a Meccano kit by now,
Next is the plain-looking Pont de Sant Agusti, which connects the old quarter to Placa Independencia, a popular spot for outdoor dining. Light grey hexagonal-slab pavement with jet black vertical iron railings. Something that wouldn’t look out of place in some communist-era capital. Built to a budget more than for its style perhaps.
Next along the list of pedestrianised bridges is the Pont d’en Gomez with its low strung, long single arch. Also known as the Pont de la Princesa it was built around 1915 replacing a former wooden construction. The drab-grey concrete colour theme persists, more fitting on a cold, wet, rainy day under dark clouds. The ever so slightly different black railings design offers some uplift to this narrow crossing.
Continuing down river and keeping to the riverside path affords several more opportune photo moments. Bright, sunny, sky blue days give a reflective effect and change the hues of the pastel coloured backs of the Onyar houses. Nowhere along our route is the water too deep, and you can often catch sight of large black carp basking in the shallows.
A short hop, skip and jump away is the bridge of Saint Felix, Pont de Sant Feliu.
Offering pedestrians a wider, almost flat, wooden walkway, it too offers visitors easy access into the old town area with the welcoming view of the St Felix church. Built only in 1995, its metal constituent materials have been left to the vagaries of weather to sympathetically rust. Simple and uncomplicated they’ve succeeded in creating a bridge that works well in linking the old and new Girona.
Just next to it is a rail bridge and slightly further away adjoining a large open parking area is the road bridge Pont de Pedret. That’s pretty much it for the descriptive element as the Onyar winds its way along the thin sliver of Pedret neighbourhood.
While everyone has their own opinion this is just mine, and I recognize it might differ with other Girona residents.
We live in the La Devesa neighbourhood and have remained here for the last 14 years. We were lucky to have arrived in this ‘barri’ on our first visit. Little did we know then that it ticked a lot of our boxes. Conveniently situated for access into Girona old town, Girona’s bus and train station, plus four supermarkets. Plenty of cafes, Devesa park a 5 minute walk away and our kids’ school within eyeshot.
La Devesa is a fairly modern creation as elderly locals remember this area as being just fields and sparsely populated. There are pockets of what look like more older properties but the majority is a swave of modern low-rise apartment blocks. While I’d always felt safe here my kids have had a couple of brushes with low-level crimes committed against them.
Walk a couple of blocks towards the train station and you’ll cross C/ Santa Eugenia. This for me at least, acts as a sort of delineator. It’s where La Devesa ends and the Santa Eugenia area begins, and feels like the wrong side of the tracks.
It’s certainly more built up with taller apartment blocks and a touch grubbier. Please don’t think I’m running it down, I grew up in London’s East End so no hairs and graces here.
Every September the Devesa community organises a neighbourhood ‘festa’ or festival. The highlight is a large communal outdoor lunch, held under the shady rows of Plane trees in La Devesa Park. Long tables are set up, people bring their own drinks, cutlery and cups to enjoy fideua and some music. It’s also a chance to catch up with familiar faces and have a convivial chat-though our little English enclave always sits together. Some things will never change.
Don’t get me wrong, we did a lot of things to get involved with local culture, enrolling our kids into the ‘el cau’ or scouts group. We became more prominent as ‘the English family’ as we also ran an English language school, minutes from our home. Unfortunately as far as diversity goes, this stuck-in-a-time-warp area still hasn’t moved away from it’s apparent white, middle-class image.
Girona Old Town (Barri Vell)
The backs of the houses along the river Onyar look ideal and some lucky owners even have a balcony where you can enjoy a well earned glass of local vino and take in the view.
While it’s a real crowd puller for tourists and day visitors it’s quite a different kettle of fish if you’re thinking of living here. Back in the old days it was a less salubrious place to live and had its ‘barrio chino’ red-light area. People were drawn to move to the more modern parts of Girona, into newer better equipped housing.
Lots of narrow, shady streets and alleys, tall old buildings means it depends on where you live if you’ll ever catch the sun. Car parking is more of an issue, restricted to residents and limited spaces. If you can accept all that it could be quite the romantic alternative that some like.Your typical American tourist blogging their way around Europe will, I’m sure, find it a delight.
It’s also a popular hangout spot for visiting professional and tourist cyclists, who don’t mind running their bike up five flights of stairs. Many apartment buildings don’t have a modern lift, those medieval builders never foresaw this useful addition.
This has led to a rise in pricey rental apartments from owners cashing in, but alienating those locals who want to keep it like it was. It’s echoing a similar effect with what’s happening with Airbnb apartments in Barcelona, where runaway tourism impacts local sensitivities.
Life in Girona’s old town is also prone to those negative points of noise from bars, cafes, nightlife goers and tourists. A friend who lives near Girona cathedral can hardly get out of his front door during certain city festivities like the flower festival, or at Easter when many flock to view its processions. For me I’ve got used to enjoying it for a casual stroll through La Rambla, an occasional meal and a weekly pub crawl.
Palau
Mention this area and the euro signs start to flicker as it’s one of the poshest areas of Girona. You need to go uphill so it affords good views and has more houses than apartments. It’s quite a way from the old town and Girona’s shopping areas, and there’s little in the way of shops, cafes and bars. However, if you prefer a spacious home with a pool and ample parking this could be the place.
Montjuic
Loosely translated as the ‘mount of the Jews’ it stands high up above Girona and has a mix of upmarket houses and apartments. Girona’s Jewish Museum has a good collection of Hebrew inscribed tombstones recovered from here, as it had a Jewish burial place.
There’s only one long winding road up and once you reach the top all you have is a petrol station, supermarket, pizza take away, bakery and not much else. Plus points are the views but for me a bit too boring, the walk down to the old town would take about a half an hour.
Quimics
The site of a former glue factory still has its tall brick chimney. A popular residential area with lots of new build apartment blocks, it’s not too far from the commercial hubs of Girona.
Montilivi
Moving further away from the more downtown areas of Girona and uphill again, this is a largely residential neighbourhood that is home to Girona football club’s stadium, certain University buildings and student digs.
St. Daniel.
If I had to move this is on my bucket list, but rental properties are as rare as hens teeth.
Tucked away just minutes away up behind Girona’s cathedral this tiny village has a special feel about it. Friends that live here say that it’s split into a sunny and shady part, the latter can make it feel a bit damp in winter. Much of the topography makes it quite hilly and the surrounding forests make it popular with dog walkers and mountain bikers. No real shops here except a bakery.
The big plus is its one and only tip-top restaurant Cull del Mon. No better way to spend a leisurely afternoon dining on its terrace or comfy interior. Because of its proximity to local cycle routes the village has become the go to base location for the pro and tourist cyclists.
I should mention two satellite villages that have a certain appeal if you’re after the quiet life. Fornells de la Selva has St. George’s International school on its outskirts, a railway station and a solitary cafe-which is closed at lunchtime. Isn’t that when people want to eat?
However, it has its own social centre which serves up a decent set lunch for a modest price. The local old boys sit around playing cards and dominoes, a good place to practice your Catalan. Housing is a mix of old village properties and a lot of new built detached houses and blocks of flats. People with very young families like it but it’s not a place you’d drive through on the way to somewhere else. If you’re into outdoor pursuits the surrounding farmland and verdant countryside make up for the passing tumbleweed!
Villablareix has a quaint historic core and has grown bigger with plenty of low-rise modern apartment blocks. Away from its industrial estate area this village has a bit more life to it, a primary school, bakery, butchers and a pharmacy. There’s a branch of the popular restaurant chain Konigs here too, and one or two more cafes along the main drag. The road through here can take you to the airport via the next village of Aiguaviva and further on, to Santa Coloma de Farners.
Lastly, Girona areas to avoid. Locals tell me that Vila Roja is where you could easily lose the hubcaps off your car, and maybe the shirt off your back too.
