Girona Old Town

Girona's old town (Barri Vell) is one of the most comprehensively preserved medieval urban landscapes in Catalonia, separated from the modern city by the Onyar River, whose colorful reflections are the city's defining image. The approach from the river bridges — the Pont de Pedra or the iron footbridges — reveals a row of tall houses painted in ochre, red, yellow, and terracotta that rise directly from the water's edge, a sight often compared to the canals of Venice. This unusual arrangement dates from the 18th century, when property owners obtained permission to build additional rooms by enclosing the old city walls. The Girona Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Maria) stands at the top of 90 ceremonial steps, its Romanesque cloister and the Gothic nave — at 23 metres the widest Gothic nave in the world, surpassing even the nave of Cologne Cathedral — both exceptional. The Treasury Museum behind the cathedral holds the 11th-century Tapestry of Creation, one of the most important Romanesque textiles in existence. The Jewish Quarter (Call), which housed one of Iberia's most significant Jewish communities from the 9th until the 1492 expulsion, comprises a tight grid of lanes around the Carrer de la Força; the Museum of Jewish History and the partially excavated synagogue are accessible here. The city walls (muralla) can be walked free of charge along a pedestrian promenade connecting watchtowers with views over the old town rooftops. Game of Thrones filmed extensively in Girona for seasons 6 and 7, using the cathedral steps as a doubling for King's Landing.