August 27, 2010
Things to See and Do in Girona
Girona is a great place to go to on your first trip to Spain. It's a city of a quite a few attractions and hence is an effective place in its own right. Some people simply land up right here because it is close to Barcelona. But if you're going to have a Spanish tour, you'll be able to easily spend your first day and night here.
The city has three museums so that you can visit. There's one on Artwork, one on Cinema and one on archeology. The Museu de Cinema is actually the one one of its kind in Spain. It is a current development and features exhibits that date as far back as nineteen seventy.
Simply these three museums can take an entire day to fully appreciate. Then there are vibrant squares in the city which can be fascinating places to go to and sit at. There are fashionable cafes and bars throughout these places so you may also get pleasure from a warm café environment while watching the world go by. The squares which are recommended for this are Plaça del la Independencia and Plaça del Vi. Plaça del Catedral is one other excellent place for this.
If you intend heading for Barcelona then a useful way of getting there is to make use of a automobile rent Girona service. Girona Airport is a few 100 kilometre drive from Spain. Drive time ought to be round one hour. Barcelona certainly does not should be the extent of your travels however as there's a lot to see in and around Girona.
You can then go to the Cathedral which has the widest Gothic Nave in the entire of Europe measuring in at twenty three meters. It is a beautiful structure and is actually value a visit. The Cathedral will be reached only if you climb ninety steep steps. It's true 17th century baroque fashion architecture. The Cathedral itself dates manner back to the 14th century and therefore is an effective combination of Gothic, Roman and Catalan Baroque styles.
The Cathedral also homes a museum and a cloister. The Museum displays gadgets that date from the 10th up to the 13th century which is absolutely outstanding and makes for an exciting visit.
Right beside the Cathedral is one other excellent web site - the Passeig Archeologic. It's a lovely set of gardens which are certain to mesmerize you at first sight.
Eglesia de Sant Feliu is one other major cultural attraction that you will need to visit while you're in Girona. The Churches dates between the 14th and the 17th century and could be found on the Pujada de Sant Feliu. The church was constructed over something that was then believed to be the tomb of none aside from Feliu of Africa.
So when you land in Girona, you will see that there's really rather a lot to do here. So take your time and enjoy this beautiful city.
Trips from Girona
BLANES, COSTA BRAVA
Is 43km from Girona along the C-250, GIV-6703, A-2 / N-II and GI-600 motorways. Blanes was once a small fishing town and still retains some of its original charm.
The resort has a 4km stretch of coastline with wide sandy bays and small rocky coves, offering a good selection of water sports. It is a quieter resort than its neighbours Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar and the beaches are popular but not overcrowded.
Back from the seafront there is the Old Town steeped in history with ancient monuments, Gothic churches, fountains and shrines still standing as reminders of its colourful past. There is also a lively produce market held here every day.
The medieval castle of Sant Joan looks down on the town and its two botanical gardens which boast 11,000 different plant species including some of the most important collections of yucca palms, aloes and cacti in Europe.
If you climb on to Sa Palomera, passing the fishing boats which are washed up on the shingle beach, you will get some of the best views of Blanes.
To the north you will see a wide promenade with gardens which leads to the still busy fishing harbour where fishermen mend their nets and the sailors' chapel of Nostra Senyora de L'Esperança is decorated with nautical themes. When the fleet comes in each evening the catches are auctioned in the fish market - and you can watch all this going on in the comfort of the upstairs bar and then eat the catch of the day at one of the harbour-front restaurants.
On Monday mornings the beach front promenade is transformed into a large outdoor general goods and clothes market and is a great place to find souvenirs and bargains. The specialty markets near the end of the promenade which are closes to the port feature the work of local artisans, baked goods, meats, souvenirs and fashion items.
OLOT
Is an 80km drive from Girona via the N-11A, C-66, E-15/AP-7 and A-26 / N-260 motorways.
It is an historic town of Olot situated in an area of dormant volcanoes, with the last eruption occurring 11,000 years ago. It does suffer from earthquakes with the last major one being in 1427 when the town was virtually destroyed.
During the 18th century Olot had a thriving textile industry which led to the Olot School of art which was founded by a group of local artists led by Joachim Vayreda. They produced some stunning fabrics decorated with coloured drawings which can be seen in the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa, in the 18th century Carrer de l'Hospici 8. Here you can also see a diverse range of paintings and sculptures by such local artists including Ramón Amadeu, Miguel Blay, Josep Berga I Boix and Joachim Vayreda.
The charming narrow streets of Olot's old town are clustered around the Plaça Major and the Sant Esteve church, where you will find a number of small and unusual shops and art galleries. Nearby is the Rambla (Passeig Miguel Blay) which is an attractive walkway lined with smart cafés and tree-shaded tables for dining or having a coffee and watching the world go by. The 19th century Teatre-Principal and some fine Modernist architecture are on the Rambla.
Other places to visit in Olot include the Casal dels Volcans (House of Volcanoes) which describes the volcanic history of the town: the Jardí Botanic (botanical gardens), and the Museu Interactiu (Carrer Dr Zamenhoff), which is an interactive museum offering information on the bird and animal life in the area.
