Besalu

Besalu was the seat of a county before Catalonia consolidated, and the village kept its medieval shape: the approach is over a bridge of the eleventh and twelfth centuries that crosses the Fluvia in seven arches with a bend in the middle following the riverbed rock, fortified with a gate tower at the centre. Inside are the Romanesque churches of Sant Pere and Sant Vicenc, an arcaded square and stone lanes. Below the level of the streets, a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath of the twelfth century, was rediscovered in 1964 and is one of only a handful surviving in Europe, reached by a stone stair down to the water table. A miniatures museum and the old hospital complete the visit.

Highlights

• The angled bridge - a fortified twelfth-century crossing with a bend.
• The mikveh - a rare medieval Jewish ritual bath below street level.
• Sant Pere and Sant Vicenc - Romanesque churches in the village.
• The arcaded square - a medieval market place at the centre.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the village holds a medieval festival in September. Summer weekends bring heavy day-trip traffic from the coast and Girona.

Practical notes

The village is small and can be walked in an hour. The mikveh is visited only with a guide from the tourist office at set times. Parking is outside the walls and fills at weekends.

Nearby

The Garrotxa volcanic zone and Olot lie west; Girona is thirty-four kilometres southeast.

Key facts