Gerona, Spain

Girona is a pleasant town to visit for maybe 1/2 day or so. Visit the cathedral, walk along the old city wall and stroll along the river. Absorb the great views. The core of the city is a fairly easy walk from the train station, while taxi fares were excessive in my opinion.

I loved Girona! It had almost no tourists and was a great place to just walk around. I wouldn't say anything was a "don't miss". It really felt like it's main charm was the atmosphere and walking around the old quarter and seeing the houses lined up on the rio. It was about a half day at the most. I think my husband and I spent a few hours and had lunch there before going to the Dali museum in Figueres and slept that night in Cadaques. We did it by car and it was a very pleasant day.

I was there in 1995, so I don't have detailed memories or up-to-date information. But I do remember Girona was my favorite of the places I saw on that trip (Madrid, Barcelona, Segovia, and Toledo). I often quote the assessment from the Let's Go: Spain and Portugal guide I was using at the time: "Girona is a world class city, patiently waiting for the world to notice." It had the Jewish quarter, Arab baths, lovely old center, and great ambiance - and (at least in 1995) almost no visitors, on a Saturday. I saw it on a day trip, and left before dinner (not hard in Spain since dinner is so late). But I wouldn't at all be averse to spending an night, just for the atmosphere. It's small, so you can "see" it in a day.

Thanks to all. Depending on how our time goes in BCN, we'll put it on the list.

Agree with previous posters - enjoyed Girona very much. We picked up rental car at Sants Station, spent the afternoon and night in Girona, touring the old city walls, Cathedral, etc. The next day, we drove East to Pubol to Gala's castle, and continued on to Peratallada, which was the discovery of these few days. From there we continued up the coast to our hotel at Cadaques, stopping at Empuries along the way. It's a great drive. Cadaques is drop-dead gorgeous, as is Port Lligat.