Girona day trip: old town, Jewish quarter & Game of Thrones

by the barcelonageek editorial team • Verified June 2026 • How we research

Girona is 38 minutes from Barcelona by high-speed train, costs €10–18 return, and contains one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Game of Thrones filmed here extensively — the Cathedral steps, the Jewish quarter, the Arab Baths — but Girona earns its day trip entirely on its own historical merit. The GoT connection is a bonus, not the reason to go.

Getting there: the AVE advantage

The AVE high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to Girona takes 38 minutes. This is faster than the journey from central Barcelona to the airport. There are roughly a dozen services daily in each direction; no advance booking is required for standard tickets, though prices are cheaper if you book a few days ahead. Day return fares typically range €10–18 depending on timing. Regional trains also serve the route but take about 1h40 — stick with the AVE.

Girona's train station is on the west bank of the Onyar river, about 15 minutes' walk from the old town. Cross the Pont de Pedra (stone bridge) or the Gustave Eiffel-designed iron bridge, turn right along the riverfront, and you are in position.

Game of Thrones filming locations

Girona was used for four separate storylines across Series 6 (2016) of Game of Thrones. Understanding which scene was filmed where makes walking the old town far more rewarding.

Cathedral steps = Great Sept of Baelor (King's Landing)

The 90 steps of Girona Cathedral served as the exterior of the Great Sept of Baelor in the Season 6 finale — the scene where Cersei Lannister destroys it with wildfire. If you watched that episode you already know exactly how these steps look from above; standing at the bottom, the scale is genuinely dramatic. The cathedral itself is worth entry (€7) for the Gothic nave — the widest Gothic nave in the world — and the Romanesque cloister. The treasure museum on the same ticket contains the Tapestry of Creation, an 11th-century embroidery comparable in importance to the Bayeux Tapestry.

El Call Jewish Quarter = Braavos (House of Black and White)

The tight, atmospheric lanes of El Call (Girona's medieval Jewish quarter) were dressed as Braavos for Arya Stark's storyline at the House of Black and White. The narrow vaulted passageways of Carrer de la Força and its offshoots, worn stone steps and medieval archways make this believable without much imagination. The Museu d'Història dels Jueus de Girona (Museum of Jewish History) sits within the quarter and is one of the best presentations of Sephardic history in Catalonia — more on this below.

Arab Baths area = Braavos streets

The streets around the Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths) appeared as additional Braavos street scenes. The baths themselves, a 12th-century Romanesque bathhouse (not actually built by Arabs — the name reflects their Moorish-influenced design), are worth the €3 entry for the octagonal cold-water pool and the intact heating system.

City walls = various exterior shots

Girona's medieval city walls, which you can walk along for free, appeared in background shots throughout the Braavos sequences. Walk the full rampart circuit (about 40 minutes) for the elevated views over the orange-tile rooftops and out to the Pyrenees on clear days.

Self-guided walk sequence

This order minimises backtracking and puts the Cathedral steps at their best light (morning), avoids the queue at the Arab Baths in high season, and ends with the city walls in the afternoon when the Pyrenean light is clearest.

09:30 — Arrive Girona. Cross iron bridge, walk Rambla de la Llibertat.

09:45 — Climb to city walls at the north entrance (Jardins de la Francesa). Walk the full wall circuit south. 40 minutes, free.

10:30 — Descend to the Cathedral. Climb the 90 steps. Enter the cathedral (€7). Spend 45–60 minutes in the nave and cloister.

11:30 — Walk down through El Call Jewish quarter. Pause on Carrer de la Força — this is the core of the Braavos filming. Visit the Museu d'Història dels Jueus (€4) if you want 30–40 minutes of depth.

12:30 — Lunch in the Barri Vell. The Plaça de la Independència has restaurants at various price points; Carrer Bellmirall (between Cathedral and Jewish quarter) has smaller, less touristy options.

14:00 — Arab Baths (€3). 20–30 minute visit.

14:30 — Onyar riverfront walk. The coloured houses (painted by the riverfront tenants, not officially) photograph beautifully in afternoon light. Cross the iron bridge for the classic view.

15:30 — Free time or second coffee. Train back to Barcelona from 16:00 onwards if half-day; explore Girona's newer districts if staying for dinner.

The Jewish quarter: more than a GoT set

El Call is the most intact medieval Jewish quarter in Spain. Girona's Jewish community (the Nahmanides community — named for Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, the great 13th-century Talmudic scholar born here) was one of the most significant in medieval Iberia until the expulsion in 1492. The street layout survives almost unchanged: the quarter was closed off each Sabbath by gates at either end of Carrer de la Força.

The Museu d'Història dels Jueus explains the community's history, the role of Girona's rabbinical school (one of the leading Kabbalistic schools in medieval Europe), and the physical evidence of Jewish life embedded in the stones. It is a genuinely moving museum and one of the best presentations of Sephardic history in Catalonia. Entry €4; free on Saturdays. Allow 40 minutes minimum.

Beyond Game of Thrones: what makes Girona worth the trip regardless

The GoT connection brings visitors who might otherwise skip Girona, and that is a genuine service — this city deserves far more visitors than it gets. But the historical substance is what makes it last.

The Cathedral nave: At 23 metres wide, the widest Gothic nave in the world. The building was begun Romanesque and converted Gothic over 300 years. The result is architecturally fascinating — you can trace the different building phases in the stonework. The Tapestry of Creation in the treasury is a 20-square-metre embroidered cosmology from the 11th–12th century; it has no parallel in Europe.

The city walls: Girona's Roman and medieval walls survive more completely than in almost any other Catalan city. The north section was added by the Romans; the south and east date from the 9th–14th centuries. Free to walk at any time.

Sant Feliu Basilica: Just below the Cathedral, an earlier Gothic church incorporating Roman and medieval sarcophagi in its nave walls. Often overlooked by GoT visitors who go straight up to the Cathedral steps; the interior and the sarcophagi are impressive. Entry €5.

Where to eat: quick guidance

Girona has a serious food culture anchored by El Celler de Can Roca, which has held three Michelin stars for over a decade (no, you cannot walk in; reservations open one year in advance and close in minutes). Below that stratosphere, the city punches well above its size.

For a casual lunch in the old town, look at restaurants on Carrer Bellmirall (locals eat here rather than the Cathedral-facing terraces) or the covered market at the Mercat del Lleó. A set lunch menu (menú del dia) in Girona typically costs €13–17 and includes three courses with wine.

For something more memorable, Plaça de la Independència has terrace options at mid-range prices; the botifarra (Catalan pork sausage) with white beans is the regional dish to order. Avoid the very cheapest tourist-facing menus on the Cathedral square — they are trading on location rather than food quality.

Prices checkedJune 2026. We earn a commission only on Viator bookings; the price you pay is the same, and we link the direct or cheaper option even when it earns us nothing.AVE prices vary by time of day and advance booking. A GoT walking tour in Girona covers 2h and is distinct from Barcelona day-trip coaches.

2-hour local expert tour; covers all GoT locations + Jewish quarter

Keep planning

Researched by the barcelonageek editorial team. Verified June 2026. Some links earn us a commission; the price you pay is the same, and we flag the cheaper or independent option. How we research · Aviso legal