Although I absolutely love living in Barcelona and there is never a dull day, at times I like to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big busy city and head to other, smaller towns and cities within Catalonia, to experience a less tourist place with a true Catalan culture.
Just over an hour away by train is the charming university town of Girona, with beautiful parks, a river lined with quaint houses and a lovely cathedral. The highlight of this city has to be the old city walls, well worth the climb up to see the breathtaking views of the city and the many different surrounding mountain ranges. You will hear Catalan spoken on the streets, in shops and in restaurants, much more so than in Barcelona. The city is considerably smaller than Barcelona and consists of small twisting streets, hills, cobbled streets and parks. Yet the streets are still home to music and occasionally theatre, so it is in no way boring.
Girona is simply a great day out for anyone looking for a beautiful city with a little more Catalan flavour than that of Barcelona.