Girona

Girona, in the Catalan interior 100km northeast of Barcelona, is reached in just 38 minutes on the Renfe Avant high-speed train from Barcelona Sants, with fares from €9–25 each way depending on how far ahead the ticket is booked; the slower regional Rodalies R11 takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, and driving via the AP-7 toll road takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. The city's old town is built around a hillside dominated by Girona Cathedral, whose Gothic nave is the widest of its kind in the world, and the adjoining Call Jueu, one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Europe, with narrow stone lanes climbing between old synagogue sites and courtyards. Below the cathedral, the Onyar river is flanked by rows of colorful houses, a favored photo point, while the Passeig de la Muralla lets visitors walk sections of the old Roman and medieval city walls for elevated views over the rooftops. The Romanesque Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths) and the Sant Feliu basilica round out the historic core. A typical day starts with the cathedral and Call Jueu in the morning, when the old town is quieter and light is better for photographs in the narrow lanes, followed by an afternoon walking the city walls and riverside streets before a late lunch in one of the old town's tapas bars or riverside cafés. Girona suits a visit any time of year, but spring brings blossom along the Onyar and the mid-May Temps de Flors flower festival, when courtyards and stairways across the old town are decorated with floral displays. Because the old town is built on a slope and the walls walk involves stairs and uneven stone paths, a full circuit takes moderate effort, and flat, sturdy shoes are worth packing. Girona is compact enough to see in half a day but rewards a full day for those wanting to include the walls, the Arab Baths, and unhurried time in the Jewish Quarter.