Girona Museums and Parks.
Most of Girona’s museums are located in Girona’s Old Quarter so within easy walking distance of each other. Check the individual websites for opening hours which do change, depending on the time of year. The opening times shown below are a guide!
Museum of the History of Jews (Museu d’ Historia dels Jueus).
Carrer de la Forca 8, 17704 Girona. Tel: 972 216 761 www.ajgirona.org/call/eng
Explore the history of the Jews who lived in Girona from its early formation until their forced expulsion in the late !400′s. It has some interesting inscribed tombstones and is situated within the old Jewish quarter or Call as it was called, where many buildings have now been restored.
Opening times:
From May to October 10am-8pm
From November to April 10am-6pm
Sundays and Holidays 10am-3pm
Girona Museum of Art (Museu d’Art).Tel: 972 203 834
Palau Episcopal, Pujada de la Catedral 12, 17004 Girona www.museuart.com
Gironas’ museum of Art has a valuable collection of Medieval and Renaissance art.
Opening times: Closed on Mondays, 1st and 6th Jan. and 25th, 26th Dec.
From March to September 10am-7pm
From October to February 10am-6pm
Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm
History of Girona City Museum (Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat).
Carrer de la Forca 27. Tel: 972 222 229 A good look at the history of Girona from pre-historic times to the present.
www.ajuntament.gi/museuciutat
Opening times: Closed on Mondays, 1st and 6th January, 25th and 26th December.
Weekdays 10am-2pm and 5pm-7pm
Sundays and bank holidays 10am-2pm
Museum of Cinema (Museu del Cinema, Tomas Mallol collection).
1 Sequia St. Tel: 972 412 777 http://www.museudelcinema.org/en/c1.html
Opening times: Closed on Mondays
May 1st to September 30th, Tuesday to Sunday 10am-8pm
1st October to 30th April, 10am to 8pm, Sundays 11am-3pm
Offering a journey through the origins and early days of cinema. Not in the old town but looking out onto the Placa Susana just next to Placa Constitucio. I went with my two kids thinking that this subject lends itself to a lot of interactive-type exhibits which in fairness there a few but I felt it could have been better.
Its all laid out chronologically so you have to start from the 3rd floor, with examples of Chinese shadow theatres and then work your way down to the ground floor for the more modern items. Go past numerous (1,500 objects) cinematic contraptions, cameras, projectors and assorted paraphenalia, a real aladins cave, all behind glass. There’s a gift shop on the ground floor (even for non-museum visitors), entry is free for kids under 16, 4€ for adults (early 2008 prices).
Girona Cathedral Museum (Museu de la Catedral).
Placa de la Catedral, Tel: 972 214 426 It has two important pieces, the Tapestry of Creation (12th C.) an embroidered cloth with scenes from Genesis, and the Beatus an illuminated volume from 975 A.D. www.lacatedraldegirona.com
The Cathedral itself is worthy of a visit, dominating the Girona skyline
Archeological Museum (Museu d Arqueologia de Catalunya)
Shows collections from the Pre-historic to the Classic ages. Opening times: Closed on Mondays
July to September, Tuesday to Saturday 10am-8pm
October to February, Tuesday to Saturday 10am-2pm and 4pm-6pm
March to June,Tuesday to Saturday 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm
Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm
Shows collections from the Pre-historic to the Classic ages. Opening times: Closed on Mondays
July to September, Tuesday to Saturday 10am-8pm
October to February, Tuesday to Saturday 10am-2pm and 4pm-6pm
March to June,Tuesday to Saturday 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm
Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm
Arab baths (Banys Arabs). Tel: 972 213 262
Built in the12th C. in a romanesque style with a hot room, steam room a large cold bath area with a rustic cylindrical vault and a central Cupola supported by graceful columns. Restored and re-opened in 1929 the five rooms that can be visited are: Apoditeri (changing rooms), Frigidari (cold room), Tepidari (tibia room), Caldari (hot room), and the Forn (oven and boiler). www.banysarabs.org
Opening times: April to September, Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm, Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm.
October to March, Monday to Saturday 10am-2pm, Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm
Closed Jan.1st, 6th, Easter Sunday, Dec.25th/26th Entry 2.5€
Built in the12th C. in a romanesque style with a hot room, steam room a large cold bath area with a rustic cylindrical vault and a central Cupola supported by graceful columns. Restored and re-opened in 1929 the five rooms that can be visited are: Apoditeri (changing rooms), Frigidari (cold room), Tepidari (tibia room), Caldari (hot room), and the Forn (oven and boiler). www.banysarabs.org
Opening times: April to September, Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm, Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm.
October to March, Monday to Saturday 10am-2pm, Sundays and Holidays 10am-2pm
Closed Jan.1st, 6th, Easter Sunday, Dec.25th/26th Entry 2.5€
Monestir de Sant Pere Galligants (Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants)Tel: 972 202 632 www.mac.es
Opening Times: From 1st June to 30th September
Weekdays 10.30am-1.30pm and 4pm-7pm, closed on Mondays, Sundays and bank holidays 10am-2pm
From 1st October to 31st May
Weekdays 10.00am-2pm and 4pm-6pm, Sunday’s 10am-2pm.
Petit Museu de la Fantasia, Pujada de Sant Feliu, 21. Open 10am-2pm & 4.30pm-8pm tel 972 212 203.
Click here for Museums outside Girona
Other places of interest in Girona.
Centre Cultural la Merce
Pujada de la Merce 12, 17004 Girona Tel: 972 223 305 www.ajuntament.gi/ccmopen Mon-Fri 9am to 9pm.
A charming old building which used to be an ex-convent in Girona’s Old Quarter, up behind Girona’s town hall (ajuntament) is where they have mainly artistic workshops, drawing, sculpture and painting courses for adults and children, art exhibitions and other cultural and music programmes.
Casa de Cultura de Girona. Placa de l’hospital 6, 17001 Girona Tel:972 202 013http://www.casadecultura.org/
Off the Grand Via de Jaume 1, facing the old St. Caterina hospital (being re-built as a local seat of the Catalan govmt.) this has an on-going programme of classical music, piano recitals, a public library and hosts different exhibitions (free) like a January 2007 exhibition of relics of early man, found near Burgos, Spain in the 1970′s.
Sala Girona de la Fundacio ‘la Caixa’, Sequia,5.
The la Caixa is a local savings bank which sponsors various cultural events, exhibits and social projects throughout the year in Girona. eg. From 26th Oct 2007 to 20th Jan. 2008 it had a show featuring pictures by the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. www.laCaixa.es/obrasocial
Parc de la Devesa is by far the largest green area in Girona with about 2,500 mature Plane trees. One side borders the river Ter (photo below) which is also a haven for birdlife.
Inside this park area you’ll find a sports centre that has a large outdoor swimming pool (open June to Sept. from 10a.m. till 8p.m. festival days 7p.m.) which has a smaller pool for infants, changing rooms with lockers (1€ coin), free sun-bed’s, a lawn area with some shade, a small cafe and even a library/ activity area which they create each week-day afternoon for kids mainly, but they do have magazines and daily newspapers (nothing in English!).
Entry to the pool for a family of 2 adults, 2 kids is around 18€ for the whole day but if you think you’ll use it a lot buy an Abonament (season ticket) which in 2008 cost 165€. Ask for the ‘Abonament familiar’ form which you need to fill-in and pay in cash only. Initially you’ll get just a receipt which you use then later they’ll give you a plastic card for each family member, but that may take a week or two! We really like it here as it’s so near to us and use it a lot during the long summer school break. Near to this pool there are also some tennis courts.
Inside Devesa park there’s also a smaller, partly-moated park area (opening hours apply) called Jardins de la Devesa with more varied plants, shrubs and trees with a kids play area, a pretty fountain adorned with hanging greenery, some statues and even a couple of caged peacocks!
Las Carpas Bar’s (summer, about late May till Sept.)
During the summer months temporary outdoor bars are erected inside Devesa park (called las carpas). Open late and stay open until 3-4am.
Other park areas in Girona are much smaller in relation
One of the main roads into and out of Girona is C/Barcelona and the other side faces C/ Migdia. It’s a very pleasant park with planted areas and green spaces amidst a lot of new apartment buildings surrounding it. There’s also an artificial lake area with a nice cafe next to it where you can have a drink, snack or eat lunch or an evening meal with plenty of outdoor seating. We go here often as its a good open space for kids on bikes or rollerblades. Next to the park is an up-market gym called The Wellness Center. One side of the parkfaces one of the main roads into and out of Girona, C/Barcelona and the other side faces C/ Migdia.
Parc Central is a long, open space that runs parallel with the Girona bus/train station and has a small cafe at one end, a kids playground and is mainly a hard standing area with some planted areas and trees.
Update Jan.09 Due to major works at Girona station (fast train line up to Barcelona & into France) much of this park area has been fenced off until ?
The following parks are dotted around the old town area, and more like pockets of greenery than full-blown parks. That makes it nice to discover them as you stroll around this part of Girona.
Jardi dels Alemanys
Jardins de la Francesa
Jardi dels Maristes
John Lennon park. Yes, they named a park after him.
Natural Park Areas
Nature areas
Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa
Parque Natural de Aigüamolls de L’Empordà
Parque Natural de Massís del Montseny
The whole region of Catalonia is dotted with several magnificent Natural Parks, Nature Reserves and includes Marine reserves like the Medes Islands, off Estartit.
Aiguamolls de l’Empordà (Parque Natural de Aiguamolls)
http://mediambient.gencat.net/eng//el_medi/parcs_de_catalunya/inici.jsp
