Medieval Gem

Overshadowed by its elegant Catalan neighbor, Barcelona, or bypassed en route to the isolated, sandy coves of the Mediterranean's nearby Costa Brava, Girona belongs on any short list of Spain's most enticing cities, joining Seville, Cordoba and Granada in the south, or San Sebastian in the northern Basque country.

The provincial capital of 73,000 is a quilt of architectural styles mixing modern and classical, but the focal point is the medieval old city, which spreads out beneath ancient walls and watchtowers on a hillside on the east bank of the Onyar river.

The old city is compact and easily walkable. The centerpiece is the vast Gothic cathedral with its Baroque facade poised above an imposing staircase. The site has long been an area of worship with a mosque and synagogue once occupying nearby ground.

Building was begun in 1292 and much of the structure dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The belltower is Romanesque and the aisleless Gothic nave is one of the world's widest at 75 feet. But the cathedral is only one of the ancient churches, buildings and monuments that line the cobbled streets.

A few minutes walk alongside the intact medieval walls is the Jewish quarter