Girona

Its historic past and the medieval heritage it has preserved make Besalú the medieval town par excellence. A stroll through its streets is an experience that transports you back in time to the medieval period when Besalú was the capital of the county of La Garrotxa. Much has survived since those times and should not be missed, such as the church that once formed part of the Sant Pere de Besalú monastery. The church is the only surviving element of that monastery, founded in 977 by Miró Bonfill, who was both count and bishop. Outstanding features of the church are the capitals of the ambulatory pillars with their vegetable and figurative motifs scenes, such as those depicting David in the lion's den, Herod receiving counsel from the devil and the Slaughter of the Innocents.
 
Besalú also has one of the best medieval Jewish quarters in Catalonia, and a guided tour can lead you through it. The mikvé is of particular interest, being one of the few Jewish ritual baths to have survived in our country. Also well worth visiting are the former pilgrims' hospital, the Casa Cornellà, the church of Sant Vicenç and the Gothic hall in the Palace of the Curia Real. Above all, however, the Pont Vell, Besalú's old bridge, is the symbol of the town. It is noteworthy on account of its size and its position at a right angle over the river. The oldest document in which it is mentioned dates from 1075, however, its present appearance is due to it having been reconstructed in the 1960s.
 
To the north of Besalú lies the small town of Beuda. You can explore its heritage through the Town Council's Rodamons per Beuda ('Roaming Through Beuda') route. The route is designed to be followed by car and is suitable for all ages. It includes the most notable Romanesque works in the neighbouring Lligordà, Palera and Segueró, such as the churches of Sant Feliu, Sant Pere de Lligordà, Santa Maria de Palera, Sant Sepul­cre de Palera, Santa Maria de Segueró and Beuda castle. The church of Santa Maria de Segueró, for example, has a splendid polychrome Gothic carving in alabaster of the Virgin Mary with child, while the church of Sant Feliu has a large baptismal font decorated with motifs depicting sin. The map of the route with QR links, proposed games and various curiosities is included in the knapsack that can be collected from the rural houses in Beuda and from Besalú tourist office.

An excursion proposed in collaboration with the magazine Descobrir.

 

We start the excursion in Olot, with its rich cultural life, its heritage, and its natural volcanic surroundings, which even form part of the town itself in the form of urban craters that appear between the labyrinth of the towns thoroughfares. The recently opened 'Espai Cràter' is therefore a must see. It is located within the Puig del Roser volcano and is a completely innovative and interactive exhibition full of information about the volcanoes in La Garrotxa and others around the world. It is open to the public for visits and there are also highly recommended guided visits to both the exhibition and to the Montsacopa volcano, one of Olot's iconic sites. Family workshops are also available.
 
Olot's museums are also well worth a visit. A visit to the Garrotxa museum is essential for an understanding of the legacy of the 'Olot School' with Marià Vayreda and Josep Berga as the main exponents of this style of landscape painting. Another exceptional museum is the Sants museum, devoted to the craft production of religious imagery, something that has a long tradition in Olot.
 
A stroll around the town will lead you to such beautiful Modernista buildings as the Casa Solà Morales, the Casa Gaietà Vila and the Casa Gassiot. The tourist office organises guided tours that reveal their secrets.
 
Sant Joan les Fonts, a small town nestling within a superb natural environment moulded by volcanic activity, is very close to Olot. The distinctively rose-coloured Romanesque church of the monastery of Sant Joan is highly worth a visit, and inside, its 12th-century capitals and baptismal font are remarkable. The church forms part of the Medieval Route which includes Juvinyà castle and a medieval bridge, made from volcanic rock.
 
The geology of Sant Joan les Fonts is very interesting and includes the cliffs of Font­freda, a spectacular ensemble of columns with prisms of more than three metres. They form part of the Tres Colades de Lava Route, which takes less than two hours on foot.
 
The high point is Castellfollit de la Roca, a village perched on a 50-metre high basalt rock cliff. Castell­follit is as spectacular seen from a distance, with its houses peering over the abyss, as it is at close quarters with its narrow streets leading to the ancient church of Sant Salvador, at the end of the cliff, where there is a lookout point with spectacular views.
 

An excursion proposed in collaboration with the magazine Descobrir.

Although to a lesser extent than other areas of Catalonia, in Girona you will also find buildings that tell us about the cooperative past.

In Vilajuïga we can visit the building of the grape pomace brandy distillery of the Agricultural Federation of Trade Unions of Empordà; a building designed by Cèsar Martinell in 1920 that was only part built: the tower of the "coil", the tanks and the warehouse.

Following the route to Espolla, we can visit the winery of the old Agricultural Union of the town; it was designed by the architect Pelai Martínez i Paricio and was built in 1931. Its wine press room is constructed with parabolic diaphragm arches and the large wood vats can still be seen installed on concrete platforms.
 
URBAN INDUSTRY
In Girona city there are two distilleries you can visit: Regàs and Gerunda.

The first was owned by Nicolau Regàs, founded in the middle of the 19th century and which produced anise, vermouth and digestive liqueurs under the brand name Universo, as well as rum, ratafia and brandy with a great international reputation.

The Modernista building was built between the years 1907-1908 and is the work of the architect Enric Catà i Catà. Despite being an industrial building, its forms are perfectly integrated with the urban setting.

For its part, the Gerunda distillery, also designed by Enric Catà i Catà, includes the factory and the owner's house. Today the distillery retains and exhibits the original wood barrels of the factory.

Moving away from wines and spirits, Girona also has another industrial Modernista building. The Teixidor Flour Mill, designed by Rafael Masó and constructed in 1910.
 
GIRONA CULTURE AND HISTORY
However, in addition to Modernisme, you must not miss the city's emblematic buildings from other eras, such as the Arab baths, the Cathedral, the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants or a walk around the city's Jewish quarter "El Call". And lastly, we must mention the magnificent views of the houses on the River Onyar and the calm of the Parc de la Devesa.


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