Come and enjoy a relaxing break in the comfort of our lovely bed & breakfast - lying on the fringe of Girona's Barri Vell (old town), Casa Maria provides a wonderful opportunity to unwind for a few days or more.

At the heart of the old town are the enchanting cobbled streets and houses of El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, which for hundreds of years lay buried and long forgotten. Lying alongside the cathedral, the medieval town was rediscovered (to the astonishment of Girona's residents) as late as the 1970s. Whilst many streets and buildings have now been restored to their former glory, the process of excavation is set to continue for many years to come.

Given its location between mountains and sea, Girona has become a popular base, all year round, for exploring this fascinating region of Spain. The rugged coastline of the Costa Brava is only 30 minutes away by car (or 45 minutes by bus) with the Pyrenees Mountains an hour to the north. Other favourite day trips include the Dali museum at Figueres, and the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona, both a short train ride or drive from Girona.

Casa Maria is a short stroll from some of Girona's finest restaurants, where locals and tourists alike enjoy the tapas and local cuisine. The English owned bed & breakfast is tucked away in a quiet and secluded corner of town, enjoying a completely traffic free environment, with the apartment's sun drenched balcony overlooking a peaceful garden courtyard. Casa Maria has excellent access to public transport, lying just a ten minute walk from mainline train and bus stations, and a 20 minute taxi ride from Girona airport.

Discounts:

For 2006 we are pleased to announce the following guaranteed special offers:

1. Rate reductions for stays of two nights or more - the longer your stay, the lower the daily rate!
2. Further discounts are available for families and groups of three or more people.
3. Additional discounts are also available for spring and autumn bookings (April to June; and September/October).
4. And even greater discounts are available for winter bookings (November to March).

For a twin room, the daily group rate is as follows, based on a three night stay:

• Summer (July/August) - €108 per night
• Spring (April to June) & Autumn (September/October) - €87 per night
• Winter (November to March) - €83 per night

For three adults, the daily group rate is as follows, based on a three night stay:

• Summer (July/August) - €133 per group per night
• Spring (April to June) & Autumn (September/October) - €107 per group per night
• Winter (November to March) - €106 per group per night

For a family of two adults and two children, the daily group rate is as follows, based on a three night stay:

• Summer (July/August) - €136 per group per night
• Spring (April to June) & Autumn (September/October) - €128 per group per night
• Winter (November to March) - €112 per group per night

To illustrate the rate reductions available for stays of more than one night, the rates for a twin room in June are as follows:

• 1 night at €99
• 2 nights at €90 per night = €180
• 3 nights at €87 per night = €261
• 4 nights at €86 per night = €344
• 5 nights at €86 per night = €430
• 6 nights at €86 per night = €516
• 7 nights at €86 per night = €602

If you have further questions about our special discounts, please feel free to send us an email at anytime.

Rooms:

We have a capacity of four adults (two twin rooms) or two adults with four children (two twin rooms and one single room plus a sofa bed). Upon arrival you will be welcomed with a friendly smile and a complementary glass of local wine or sherry (or a pot of coffee or tea for the really thirsty). This can either be enjoyed whilst relaxing in our cosy living room, or whilst soaking up the sun on our south-facing terrace.

Breakfast:

A tasty buffet breakfast is served between 8.30 AM and 10 in the dining room or on the terrace, consisting of freshly squeezed orange juice or tomato juice, cereals, fresh bread & croissants, jam, honey & marmalade, ham & cheese, yoghurt, pastries, cake and fresh fruit.

Quality Stay:

We try to make your stay as comfortable as possible, providing a wide range of refreshments, including a variety of teas and coffees. You are very welcome to unwind in our comfortable guests' living room, which is exclusively for guests' use, where our honesty bar is well-stocked with a selection of Spanish wines & cavas and chilled beers & juices. Egyptian cotton bed linen and towels, toiletries and a hairdryer are all provided for your convenience. Use of our washing machine and laundry facilities is also available at no extra charge.

Activities & Attractions:

Many of Girona’s sports facilities lie nearby, including swimming, tennis and squash. Within a short drive, the Pyrenees offer great climbing, cycling and winter skiing. Wind surfing and sailing clubs can be found on the coast. Catalunya also boasts some of the finest golf courses in Spain. For those searching for creative inspiration, Girona provides a perfect retreat for writing, painting and photography.

Whilst Girona is best known for its fine Catalan and Spanish cuisine, we can also recommend some of our favourite French and Basque restaurants in town (we are happy to make reservations if required.) Girona’s cafes and restaurants provide outstanding value for money - however, one word of warning is offered to those on a budget – the town is a shopper’s paradise, hosting many top designer brands from around the world. Girona is in fact reputed to have more fashion boutiques per head than any other town in Spain - don’t say you weren’t warned!

You are welcome to make use of our extensive range of guides to Girona and the surrounding area, including maps and suggested itineraries (as well as pinching ideas from the guestbook!). You are also invited to pick our brains, either in advance or during your visit – if we can’t answer your questions directly, we’re sure to know a man who can!

About Girona & Catalunya:

For many, Girona’s charm is best enjoyed by lingering in one of the outdoor cafes along the tree lined Rambla, or from elegant squares such as Plaza de Independencia, where the most energetic occupation is watching the world pass by.

For the adventurous with a keen sense of direction (or a long ball of string) exploring the maze of jumbled alleys and passageways of the old town is highly recommended (search and rescue parties can be arranged for those not home by midnight - seven days notice required). For the lucky few who successfully recover their bearings, strolling up the Carrer de la Forca leads to the city’s dramatic cathedral, which dominates the skyline for miles around.

Beyond the cathedral, the walk along the old town wall provides wonderful views of the low-lying countryside surrounding Girona. The crescent of hills which forms the backdrop to this vista melts into the Pyrenees to the north. Twenty miles to the southeast, the hills suddenly plunge into the sea on the coast.

Venturing beyond the town wall, within a few minutes you find yourself wandering through the valley of Sant Daniel, heading into wooded countryside. For the energetic, the three hour climb up to the ruins of the monastery of Sant Miguel is well worth the effort, producing breathtaking views over the Bay of Roses hundreds of feet below.

Girona's History:

Girona's fascinating history derives from its strategic military importance, standing on a fortress-like hill, high above the confluence of the Onyar and Ter rivers. It was founded by Iberians, the remains of whose walls can still be seen. The Romans named it Gerunda and established it as an important stopping point on the Via Augusta, linking Iberia with Rome. Owing to its strategic importance, it has been fought over in almost every century since its foundation, and, perhaps more than any other place in Catalunya, it retains the distinct flavor of its erstwhile inhabitants. Following the Moorish conquest of Spain, Girona was an Arab town for over three generations, a fact apparent in the maze of narrow streets in the centre, and there was a continuous Jewish presence here for over six hundred years. The intricate former Jewish quarter of houses, shops, and community buildings is now visible again after centuries of neglect.

By the eighteenth century, Girona had been besieged on twenty-one occasions, and in the nineteenth it earned the nickname "Immortal" by surviving five attacks, of which the longest was a seven-month assault by the 35,000-strong Napoleonic forces in 1809. Not surprisingly, all this attention has bequeathed the city a hodge-podge of architectural styles, from Roman classicism to art-nouveau, yet the overall impression is of an overwhelmingly beautiful medieval city, whose attraction is heightened by its river setting, and lovely views of the distant Pyrenees. Considering that Girona's nearby airport serves most of the Costa Brava's resorts, the city is oddly devoid of tourists, which makes browsing around the streets and cool churches doubly enticing.

It's easy to orient oneself in Girona. The skyline is dominated by the Romanesque bell-tower of the cathedral. As you walk across one of the bridges, stop to admire the tall multi-hued row of houses that rise sheer from the river, with the cathedral in its elevated position soaring above in what looks like a faded Italian scene of medieval life. Once in the old quarter you are engulfed in a labyrinth of steep, narrow streets, especially in the atmospheric and sensitively restored Jewish quarter, the Call, one of the best preserved juderías in Europe.

The Call was home to over a thousand Jews until 1492, when, on March 31st, the Catholic Kings Fernando and Isabel pronounced an edict expelling the Jews from Spain, bringing to an end the renowned Girona School of Kabalists, who for centuries managed to preserve and spread the mystical teachings of Judaism in the West. The Isaac el Cec Center on San Llorenç, and the Kabalist School on carrer la Força, are the newly-restored spiritual centres, once attended by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. The city of Girona is eager to recoup some of the prestige it once enjoyed as one of the capitals of Jewish thought, and in December of 1998, a multitudinous Januka ceremony presided by a Rabbi from Israel was celebrated here for the first time in 506 years.
The main street in the old town is the arcaded Rambla de la Libertat, with pavement cafés, a couple of modernist buildings, and a steady flow of strollers. In the sloping side-streets leading up to the cathedral you'll chance upon all sorts of curious shops, from antique dealers to arts and crafts shops.
The cathedral has the world's widest Gothic nave, 23m, only surpassed by the 25m-wide Baroque nave of Sant Peter's in Rome. Don't miss the Cloisters, and the Chapter museum, one a number of museums in the town well worth a visit.

Girona Cathedral:

Forming a dramatic centrepiece of the old city, the cathedral is a mighty Gothic structure built on the hillside and approached by a magnificent flight of seventeenth-century Baroque steps. Local legend has it that if a single person sits in Charlemagne's Chair, at the back of the nave, they will remain single; if a couple sit their they will get married. This area has been a place of worship since Roman times, and a Moorish mosque stood on the site before the foundation of the cathedral in 1038. Much of the present building dates from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but a few earlier parts can still be seen – including the eleventh century north tower and the Romanesque cloisters with their exquisite sculpted capitals.

The main facade, remodelled in the eighteenth century, bursts with exuberant decoration: faces, bodies, coats of arms, and with saints Peter and Paul flanking the door. Inside, the cathedral is awesome – there are no aisles, just one tremendous single-naved Gothic vault with a span of 22m, the largest Gothic nave in the world. This emphasis on width and height is a feature of Catalan-Gothic with its "hall churches", of which, unsurprisingly, Girona's is the ultimate example. Contemporary sceptics declared the vault to be unsafe, and building only went ahead after an appeal by its designer, Guillermo Bofill, to a panel of architects.

Girona's Museums:

The Museu d'Art is housed on the southeastern side of the cathedral in the restored Episcopal Palace. The early rooms deal with Romanesque art, including some impressive Majestats (wooden images of Christ wrapped in a tunic) taken from the province's churches. Among the manuscripts on display are an eleventh-century copy of Bede's works and an amazing martyrology from the monastery of Poblet. The collection then progresses chronologically as you climb the floors, passing a room of bright fifteenth-century retables (their intricate scenes almost 3D in effect), some splendid Renaixement works – such as a lovely set of sixteenth-century liturgical items – and nineteenth- and twentieth-century Catalan art on the top two floors.

Again within the cathedral complex, the Chapter museum houses the famous 11C tapestry depicting the Creation. Within ten minutes' walk from the cathedral are the Arab baths, Monestir de Sant Pere de Galligants - now site of the Museu Arqueològic, and the Promenade along the Medieval ramparts.

Housed in an eighteenth-century convent, the fascinating Museu d'Història de la Ciutat on Carrer la Força contains the preserved bodies of past inhabitants. As well as providing insights into how Girona developed as a city, which is explained through text, exhibits and photos, there is also a hotch potch of more modern inventions, including old radios from the 1930s, a 1925 Olivetti typewriter, a printing press, cameras, machine tools, engines and a dozen other mechanical and electrical delights.

Of more modern vintage, there is a delightful Cinema Museum just across the river from the old town on Carrer Sèquia.

Costa Brava:

The Costa Brava has something for everyone. For beaches and water sports, it has a few lively resorts. But for the most part, modern high-rise building has somehow thankfully bypassed much of the coast, which continues to boast traditional fishing villages and unspoilt, isolated coves. Most beaches enjoy fine, clean sand, and benefit from safe swimming conditions and life guards during the summer.

The Costa Brava begins at Portbou, on the French border, and continues 220km south to Blanes, 60km north of Barcelona. There are 120 official beaches, totalling more than 50km in length - a quarter of the entire coastline. The climate is very pleasant all year round, and much more comfortable in the summer than southern Spain, particularly for northern Europeans. The average summer temperature is 26 degrees, with more than 200 days of sunshine a year. Most of the coast lies within a 30-60 minute drive from Girona, with a number of resorts also accessible by bus.
There follows a brief description of some of the best-known resorts - starting with Sant Feliu, which is quickest to get to from Girona. We then look at the resorts to the south of Sant Feliu, before heading northwards up the coast towards the French border. Sant Feliu de Guixols lies southeast of Girona, just 30 minutes away by car, or 45 minutes by bus. It enjoys a pleasant promenade over looking a crescent-shaped beach, which is sheltered by the harbour. The restaurants which run parallel to the promenade are particularly recommended, with seasonal fish dishes dependent on last night's catch.

To the south of Sant Feliu lies Tossa de Mar, known as the "flower of the sea", and believed by many to be the Costa Brava's most attractive resort. Tossa's horseshoe beach lies directly below the walled medieval village which has looked out across the bay for the past 800 years. Beneath the old town, and leading down to the beach, the so-called "Vila Nova" (New Town) features 19th century houses around the parish church, and a warren of lively back-streets of craft shops and restaurants.
Further south, and in complete contrast to Tossa, lies Lloret de Mar, one of the biggest and busiest resorts on the Costa Brava, particularly popular with the British "Club 18-30" crowd. A typical day consists of enjoying the beach during the afternoon, followed by plunging into the crowd of shoppers beseiging the narrow streets for an hour's bargain-hunting in the evening rush hour, before the serious night life begins around midnight. Lloret is about 45 minutes by car from Girona, or an hour by bus.
Further south, Blanes also has a popular beach, although the resort is not quite as busy or lively as Lloret. Lying just 60 km north of Barcelona, it also attracts many day-trippers, particularly during summer weekends. It also has a bus service from Girona.

Heading north of Sant Feliu, we come to the beach at Sant Pol, which is a small holiday resort. (It used to be possible to take an attractive coastal walk from Sant Feliu to Sant Pol, but for the past few months (late 2004) the path has been blocked by a landslide).

There is however an attractive, tarmac walk along the coast from Sant Pol via S'Agaro to the pretty beach of Sa Conga, and then via the marina of Port D'Aro on to the resort of Playa D'Aro, whose town planners clearly put a lot of thought into its design and layout. Although the town's shopping district suffers from constant traffic throughout the summer months, the beach itself is separated from this hub-bub by a residential area of surprisingly peaceful back streets. The result is to create a long, wide beach which benefits from a typically relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere, as well as some excellent tapa bars overlooking the sea front. There are also pleasant views across the bay to Palamos. There is an attractive walk up the coast from Playa d'Aro, which takes in some pretty coves and inlets. (However, just south of Palamos, the path was also blocked towards the end of last year (2004) by a landslide. It will be interesting to see if/when these paths are re-opened. Any news would be appreciated).

Palamos itself is a busy commercial town with high rise hotels overlooking a long promenade and beach.

Beyond Palamos, we come to the pretty resorts of Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc, which are linked by an attractive coastal footpath. The beachfront restaurant at Calella provides idyllic views across the bay, whilst Llafranc enjoys a pleasant crescent-shaped beach, which ends at a small marina.

The beach at Tamariu enjoys a particularly attractive setting. Seafood restaurants overlook the wide promenade, which forms the starting point for a short but envigorating walk around the headland.
North of Tamariu lies a number of enchanting coves and sparkling turquoise bays - Aiguablava, Fornells, Sa Riera, Aiguafreda and Sa Tuna. These are reached by long, winding roads down to the coast from the hilltop town of Begur - but the drive is well worth the effort.

L'Estartit is a busy, modern resort, which caters for a wide range of watersports. The beach enjoys a very gentle gradient, in contrast to parts of the Costa Brava, which makes for a shallow sea which is particularly well-suited for children. The boat trip from L'Estartit to the Medes Islands makes for a fascinating afternoon. The islands harbour a rich diversity of plant and animal life, and in 1985 were declared Spain's first marine nature reserve. The islands' coral reefs are popular with divers, and can be viewed from glass-bottomed boats in summer.

L'Escala is a major holiday resort, with popular beaches on either side of the town.

Empuries was once a Greek and Roman trading port, and recent excavations have revealed a fascinating insight into the commercial life of the city. The Romans arrived at Empuries in 218 BC, from which their colonisation of Spain began. The Roman city was abandoned in the third century, and was only rediscovered in 1908. The dramatic story of the Greek and Roman occupations is told through exhibits and a slide show at the on-site museum.

Once we reach the beach of Pals, we leave behind for a time the dramatic, rugged cliffs of the Costa Brava, and the coast flattens out until we reach Cadaques further north.

Before Cadaques, we reach Roses, which is the largest resort on this northern stretch of the Costa Brava, lying an hour from Girona by car (or 90 minutes by bus). For most of the year, it enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate along with the rest of the Costa Brava; but in winter, it is frequently subjected to bitter winds rushing down from the mountains.

North of Roses, we reach Cadaques, via the stunning Parc Natural del Cap de Creus, a jagged peninsula where the Pyrenees plunge into the sea. This is a place of untamed beauty and vicious winds, and was the inspiration for much of Dali's work. The pretty, whitewashed houses of Cadaques itself provide a stark contrast to the wild landscape which forms a dramatic backdrop to the resort. It's associations with Dali and avant garde heritage have made it popular with artists and tourists alike. An enjoyable day trip, though its traffic congestion is best avoided in mid-summer.
The most northerly resort on our journey is El Port de la Selva, which nestles immediately below Cap de Creus, providing an attractive sheltered bay enjoying shallow water and a long, sandy beach.

Local Walks:

Walkers are spoilt for choice:

• Girona itself is best explored on foot, particularly around the old town and along the rebuilt city wall.
• Farmland and wooded hillsides are within a ten minute walk of the cathedral, with one of our favourites being the walk along the Sant Daniel Valley, climbing into the hills surrounding Girona, following the old pilgrim trail up to the ruins of the monastery of Sant Miguel. This three hour return walk provides dramatic views of the Bay of Roses hundreds of feet below.
• The Costa Brava offers some very attractive coastal walking, very much along the lines of Cornwall (in south west England).
• A little further afield, day trips to the Cap de Creus Natural Park, Montseny Natural Park and the Pyrenees Mountains provide some stunning walking scenery. (We have a number of walking guide books and local maps which you are more than welcome to make use of during your stay).

Dali Museum at Figueres:

Figueres is a 30 minute drive north of Girona, or 45 minutes by bus or train. The Salvador Dali Museum is the third most popular museum in Spain, beaten in the popularity stakes only by the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Madrid's Prado. Even the building itself is an eye-opener, decorated as it is by Dali's loaves of bread and eggs on each corner. The entrance queues can be horrendous, so an early arrival is highly recommended.

Restaurants and Tapa Bars:

Girona is blessed with a wide range of outstanding restaurants and tapa bars, most of which offer excellent value for money. For diners on a budget, an even better deal is usually the menu del dia, which offers a limited-choice menu at lunchtime (1 to 4pm). In the evening, restaurants open at 8.30, with the locals usually arriving from 10.

Here are a few of our favourites, starting with those located in the old town:

• L'Arcada, Rambla Llibertat 38. Has outdoor tables in one of the prettiest spots in town, under the tree-lined Rambla (just down from the tourist office) where you can order from the tapas menu from the downstairs bar, or from the upstairs restaurant menu (excellent rice and seafood dishes, and range of pizzas).
• Café Le Bistrot, Pujada de Sant Domènec. The menu here is somewhat basic and a bit pricey for what you get, but that is more than made up for by the lively atmosphere, both indoors and at the candle-lit outdoor tables at the top of the steps.
• La Penyora, c/Nou del Teatre 3. Absolutely outstanding Catalan restaurant. It's hidden up a backstreet behind the ayantamiento (town hall) but well worth tracking down. Very popular with the locals. Booking is recommended. Closed Tuesdays.
• El Pou del Call, c/de la Força 14. Located in the Jewish quarter, just round the corner from the cathedral. Closed Sunday evening.
• Cal Ros. Excellent menu in a traditional Catalan restaurant of low arches. Fairly formal atmosphere.
• Bretagne. Outstanding salads and tasty crepes, lovingly prepared from within the shell of an old school bus! Closed Mondays.
• L'Arc, Pl de la Catedral 9. Small bar serving sandwiches with outdoor tables at the foot of the cathedral steps.

Just over the river from the old town, these restaurants/bars enjoy outdoor seating in the 18th century collonaded Placa de la Independencia; most also have attractive views of the river:

• Boira, Plaza de la Independencia 17. One of our favourites. Excellent tapa bar downstairs, with outstanding Catalan menu upstairs.
• Cafe Mozart. Wide menu selection, salads a speciality.
• Lizarran. Traditional Basque tapa bar - just pick up a plate, choose your tapas from the bar, and return as often as you wish. You then pay one Euro per cocktail stick as you leave!

Directions:

Casa Maria is located within a modern building just 100 metres from the river which separates Girona's old and new towns. Lying just to the west of the river, the apartment enjoys the best of both worlds - turning left at the end of our street takes you over the river towards the old town, whilst turning right takes you directly into a bustling shopping district of coffee bars and chic boutiques. Girona cathedral lies within a fifteen minute walk in one direction, whilst mainline train and bus stations lie within a ten minute walk in the other. Depending on your mode of transport, precise directions will be sent with confirmation of your booking.

Girona Airport is just 20 minutes out of town. There is a reliable taxi service from the airport, as well as car hire from Hertz and Europcar. There is also a direct bus service into Girona central bus station, which is a ten minute walk from the B&B.

Ryanair has direct flights to Girona from:

• France - Paris
• Belgium - Brussels
• Sweden - Stockholm
• Netherlands - Eindhoven
• Ireland - Dublin, Shannon
• Italy - Milan, Pisa, Venice
• Germany - Dusseldorf, Frankfurt
• UK - Blackpool, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Glasgow, Liverpool, Luton, Stansted

Barcelona Airport lies 90 minutes south of Girona by car. EasyJet and British Airways fly to Barcelona from the UK. For flights arriving by early evening, it is also easy to reach Girona from Barcelona airport by train (change at Barcelona Sants). The last train for Girona leaves Sants at about 9 PM.

British Airways has direct flights to Barcelona from London Heathrow and Birmingham.

EasyJet has direct flights to Barcelona from:

• Germany - Berlin
• France - Paris Orly
• Switzerland - Basel, Geneva
• UK - Bristol, Gatwick, Liverpool, Luton, Newcastle, Stansted

Perpignan Airport lies just over the French border, an hour and a quarter's drive from Girona. Ryanair has direct flights to Perpignan from London Stansted.

Trains for Girona depart from Barcelona, Figueres and Portbou at roughly half hour intervals. The RENFE website (Spain's national train company) includes a helpful timetable in English.