Amazing Catalonia III.

We found this medieval village, Torroella de Montgri, by mistake. It was not far away from the place we stayed - and it was a very pleasant surprise for me :-)

Strolling through Torroella's Old Town is like a walk through time. I like  to picture the different periods of history that have left their mark on the town.  
The main streets of Torroella all converge on Plaça de la Vila, a porticoed square with irregularly shaped arches combining to form a pleasing whole. The whimsical layout of its narrow streets, the impressive medieval centre, the friendly shops make you savour all the charm of the town. 

Montgrí Castle is today the symbol of Torroella de Montgrí. The uncompleted fortress was built between 1294 and 1301 to flaunt the superiority of King Jaume II over the local Counts of Empúries, and affords excellent views of the spectacular surrounding landscape. From the top of one of its towers there is a 360º panoramic view of the whole Empordà area. 

Amazing Catalonia II.

Besalu is a wonderful medieval town I was mesmerized by. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful towns in Spain.

The town's most significant feature is its 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvia river, and it is the emblem of the town. The wonderful fortified bridge is of an angular design with seven uneven arcs and two towers. The part of the town nearest to the bridge there are many narrow streets that belong to the ancient Jewish quarter.

The churches of Sant Vicenc and Sant Pere are both worthy of a visit. Both are Romanesque churches. The Sant Vicenc church is an attractive little church with a lovely flower-shaped stained glass window above the alter. It sits in an attractive square - a nice place to sit outside and have a drink or a meal. Sant Pere is all that now remains of Besalu's Benedictine monastery.

Amazing Catalonia I.

We spent 2 weeks in Catalonia. An amazing holiday. I was fascinated by those medieval towns we visited: Girona, Besalu and Torroella de Montgri.

Girona, Northern Catalonia’s largest city is a jewellery box of museums, galleries and Gothic churches, strung around a tangle of cobbled lanes and medieval walls. It has many fine Romanesque and Gothic buildings that have survived repeated attacks and sieges. It has a beautiful historic quarter that is easy to see on foot - a maze of narrow, winding, cobblestoned lanes, still intact and very much like they were over 500 years ago.

One of the highlights of a visit to Girona is to walk up the steps and visit the Girona Cathedral. It is on top of a hill so the only way into the cathedral is to climb the long staircase to the entrance.

Did you know that this cathedral was used in the filming of Season 6 of Game of Thrones?

Spoiler Alert!! Here come some pictures from season 7 of the show: