Walls of Girona

What makes it special

What you walk on is a 9th-century extension of the Roman city wall, first raised in the 1st century BC. Sections of it are more than 1,000 years old, and the walls hold Catalonia's top heritage listing as a Bé Cultural d'Interès Nacional.

The towers along the walkway are the lookouts, each with a view over the city and the countryside around it. The square Torre Gironella marks the top corner of the old triangular defences.

Below it lie the Jardins dels Alemanys, a free garden of trees growing among older walls and Roman ruins. The Roman city's east gate probably stood here. On the garden's north side you can still see the ruined troop building of the old barracks that gave it its name.

Visiting

Climb onto the walkway at any of its four access points; the main ones are by Plaça Catalunya, by the cathedral and in the Jardins dels Alemanys. The path runs about 3 km along the top. The lookout towers along it are good stops, so check on the day which ones are open to climb.

At the Torre del Llamp, inside the Jardins dels Alemanys, you can leave the walkway and go down to the Torre Gironella complex and the ruins of the old barracks. Climb back up to carry on along the walls.

Toward the end of the walls, the route comes out by the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, a former 10th-century monastery that makes a natural place to finish.

Tips

There is almost nowhere to buy a drink on the walls, so fill a bottle before you climb up. Wear shoes with grip, because some stretches are steep steps and uneven stone. Many sections have stairs, so plan around them if you use a wheelchair or pushchair.

For the walls seen from below, walk the Passeig Arqueològic outside them, either first or instead of the top. It gives you the Carolingian stonework face on, the Torre Júlia and, opposite the Arab Baths, the Torre Cornèlia. It is also the only way into the Torre dels Socors, which has no access from the walkway.