La Muralla
La Muralla is a big medieval wall in Girona that you can walk on for free. The walk along it is called the Passeig de la Muralla and is about 20 minutes long. It is definitely worth doing as you get an amazing view of Girona from the wall. You can see the Cathedral, the Basílica de Sant Feliu, and La Devesa. You can see part of the Pyrenees called the Canigó massif, even though it’s about 85 km away. In winter, the Pyrenees are easily visible because they're covered in snow.
The wall is also a romantic place for couples who go to watch the sunset.
There are three places to get on and off the wall.
- Near the old air raid shelter (refugio antiaéreo)
- At the intersection of Carrer de la Muralla and Plaça Josep Ferrater i Móra
- El Jardins del Alemanys
The gates to the wall close at night. The opening times are:
- September-May: from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.[1]
- June-August: from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The walk[edit]
The best place to start the wall is from the entrance near the old air raid shelter (Refugio Antiaéreo Girona). The steps to get on the wall are next to the Jardins de les Pedreres and look like this:
The wall has many arrowslits for archers to shoot arrows. There is an enclave that often smells of urine, as people sometimes use it as a toilet.
From here, you can see a mural of Antònia Adroher.
After you pass the first tower, you then pass an old people's home. You can see the old people through the window watching TV.
After the second tower, if you look down, there are abandoned houses with their doors bricked off.
Just after the third tower, there is the option to take steps going down to get off the wall.
If you carry on, there is a footbridge that crosses Plaça Josep Ferrater i Móra. To the left, you can start to see UdG, and you can often see University students studying in the library.
At the fourth tower, there appears to be a medieval toilet:
After the fourth tower, there is a straight walk along the wall. You can see the back of Convent de Sant Domènec, which the University of Girona uses.
You can also see the Cathedral and the Pyrenees:
When you reach Torre Gironella, you have a choice to go left or right. Left leads to Jardins dels Alemanys. Right continues along the wall and eventually leads to Carrer de Sant Cristòfol at the back of the cathedral.
Towers[edit]
The wall has five towers (torres del secors). Only two have names: the Torre de Sant Domènec and the Torre Gironella.
Tower 1[edit]
The first tower has 24 steps to the top. The first few steps are made of stone, and the rest are made of wood.
Tower 2[edit]
A sign says this tower was built in the 14th century. There are 21 wooden steps leading to the top. There is an orientation table that shows you some landmarks. Behind the tower are houses of the Pedreres neighbourhood.
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Second tower -
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Orientation table
Tower 3[edit]
The third tower, like the others, was built in the 14th century. There are 22 wooden steps to the top. Not much to say about the top.
Tower 4 (Torre de Sant Domènec)[edit]
Torre de Sant Domènec is the highest tower. Like the other towers, it was built in the 14th century. Homeless people often sleep here, and there are usually their belongings and sleeping bags inside.
From behind, the tower is covered with ivy.
Tower 5 (Torre Gironella)[edit]
The final tower is called Torre Gironella.
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Torre Gironella -
Inside Torre Gironella
The tower has a statue behind bars. The statue is of the Roman god Júpiter and is called Déu del Llamp.
