Game of Thrones Film Sites in Girona (Self Guided), Girona

The Sant Pere de Galligants is a former Benedictine abbey in Girona, and it has been home to the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia since 1857. The place's name translates as "Saint Peter of Galligants" and refers to the river Galligants that runs nearby.

The monastery was built in 992, outside the walls of Girona, and to date, apart from its church and cloister, almost nothing else has survived. The Romanesque church was built in 1130, funded by the lavish donation bequeathed by Ramon Berenguer the Great, Count of Barcelona.

The small cloister that we see today is the perfect example of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Its northern gallery dates back to 1154, while the rest of it is from 1190. The capitals of the columns feature motifs very similar to those found in the cloisters of Sant Cugat del Vallès or in the Cathedral of Girona, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus and some typically Romanesque embellishments such as the images of lions and sirens. In 1931, the site was declared a national monument.

In more recent history, however, the sanctuary gained popularity as a filming set of Game of Thrones. The fiction series featured the monastery on several occasions, primarily as the entrance to the Library of Oldtown, the center of knowledge of the great masters of Ponent, in which Samwell Tarly, accompanied by Gilly and little Sam, wanted to train as a Maester. Another of Sant Pere's peculiar appearances in Game of Thrones was as the King’s Landing Cloister.

Located between Plaça dels Jurats and the Sant Pere de Galligants Abbey, the Galligants bridge, a monumental piece of stonework, is named after the eponymous river (the Galligants), which is one of the four rivers running through the city. Nowadays, the river is only 4.5 km long, which makes it hard to believe that, back in the old days, it caused one of the worst floods in Girona's history – up to four meters high! – in which the neighborhoods of Sant Pere and de la Barca were washed away completely.

An integral part of Girona's Old Town, this arch bridge is perhaps the most beautiful of all overpasses built on the Galligants watercourse. Ironically, however, today you can't see any water underneath it, for it's been channeled out of this part of town.

Still, this fact alone didn't stop the makers of Game of Thrones from using this bridge as a key location for their shooting of episode seven of the sixth season of the series. Here, Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) is seen observing a sculpture in the distance and contemplating her situation after booking her passage home. She is then stabbed by a forlorn girl masked as an old woman.

To make the Galligant Bridge look scenic, considerable CGI effects had to be used. In particular, the landscape that the character is looking at, including a 400-foot tall statue of the Titan of Braavos guarding the harbor, was entirely computer-generated. And while the actual scene of Arya in the water was filmed in a harbor in Northern Ireland, being here you can still capture the feel for this Game of Thrones Girona landmark.

Not far from the Girona Cathedral, you'll find the Arab Baths. This public bathhouse is a remarkably preserved stone structure. Christians constructed the facility in 1194. Medieval Muslim baths and the baths of ancient Rome were the inspiration for the Arab Baths, though the architectural style is mostly Romanesque.

Visitors can explore the five rooms of the Arab Baths on a self-guided tour. The first room you enter, perhaps the grandest, is the apodyterium or dressing room. It was a place used for changing clothes and socializing. The cold room, known as the frigidarium, was enclosed by two double doors to keep the bath water cold. It was meant to be used at the end of a bathhouse visit.

Next, you'll find the warm room called the tepidarium. This room was a place that boasted more comfortable temperatures for relaxing, conversing, or enjoying a meal. The caldarium was the hottest room, similar to a hot sauna or steam room. In the adjoining furnace room, an ancient central heating system known as a hypocaust helped heat the caldarium and keep it steamed up!

The establishment functioned as a bath until its closure in the 15th century. Thenceforth, it had passed into private hands and been put to different uses. In 1617, a Capuchin convent used the building as a pantry, kitchen, and laundry. Throughout the 19th century, the term “Arab Baths” got firmly attached to the site.

More recently, the baths gained fame as The Baths of Braavos featured in the acclaimed Game of Thrones series. One of the prevalent themes in season six is the hunting of Arya Stark by the waif. You may remember the iconic chase scene through the city which culminates in a terrifying climax. At one point, while fleeing from the waif, Arya ends up entering the baths, trying to hide.

When in here, make sure to pay a visit to the rooftop as you will enjoy some truly incredible views from up there, including the stone-domed skylight.

Named after King Ferdinand the Catholic (1452-1516), who also went down in history as Ferdinand II of Aragon, Valencia, Mallorca, and Barcelona, as well as III of Sicily, V of Castile, and I of Navarre (simply for being the monarch of all these kingdoms, believe it or not), this street in the Old Town of Girona is indeed a must-see location for those visiting the city for the first time. The street links the majestic Archaeological Walk to Cathedral Square and is home to the Church of Sant Lluc.

In the seventh episode of Games of Thrones, Arya Stark strolls through the market of Braavos looking for a safe passage out of the city. In reality, the market was filmed on the Archaeological Walk and the Rei Ferran el Catòlic Street, just in front of the entrance to the Arab Baths.

The nearby Plaça dels Jurats was also featured in the series (season six, episode five, to be precise) as the outdoor scene of the theater in Braavos. There, amid a huge crowd, Arya is watching a play about the Lannister family while spying on the lead actress by order of Jaquen H'gar. Curiously enough, in real life, this medieval square, delimited by stairs leading towards the Archaeological Walk, is also used as a theater and concert venue. The wall and the buttresses that support one of the walk's terraces, the School of Modern Music (a stone building with a porch formed by two large arcades), and the Galligants River, which is now almost always dry, separates the square from the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants.

Girona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Sitting on a throne of 91 stone steps, this gargantuan building dominates the Old Town's skyline and is quite a sight to behold. To reach it, one has to climb a spectacular Baroque staircase that may prove rather challenging unless you pace yourself and wear comfortable shoes.

Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the imposing Cathedral – featuring a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles and the world’s widest Gothic nave, spanning 22.98 meters (75 ft) – was perfect for a number of iconic scenes in season six of Game of Thrones. The cathedral plays a big role in a few of the episodes and doubles up as a couple of different places in King’s Landing.

Its stairs, in particular, were used as the exterior for the Great Sept of Baelor, the city's largest building, where Jaime Lannister has a showdown with the High Sparrow. When Jaime arrives to try to prevent the walk of shame by Queen Margaery, we see the Queen, played by Natalie Dormer, standing on the Cathedral steps. She is interrupted by the army of the House of Tyrell and Jaime Lannister riding up the stairs on horseback (and yes, they did actually have to teach a horse to do that). This scene was packed with extras, including some 200 Tyrell soldiers, several dozen sparrows, beggars, and other characters.

In the final episode of season six, the Girona Cathedral is also shown briefly in the scene which features the demise of the Great Sept of Baelor when Cersei Lannister sets it alight and it explodes. Luckily, in real life, the Cathedral still stands and that particular scene was made using the good old cinematic tool – Computer Graphics Interface – to depict the destruction.

One of the scenes in the first episode of the sixth season of Game of Thrones, in which the protagonist Arya Stark is seen blinded, wandering through the streets of Braavos and begging for alms, was filmed in Girona’s very own Bishop Josep Cartañà Street.

This cobbled street runs along the back of the Cathedral, starting from the arch overlooking Plaça dels Apòstols, where the Episcopal Palace is located, down towards the stairs which lead to Sant Cristòfol street. It is named after the Roman Catholic bishop, Josep Cartañà, whose bishopric left a great mark on Gerona in the 1930s, and who is buried in the Cathedral.

The Game of Thrones scene, which takes place on the steps of this street in front of the gardens, behind the Cathedral, is possibly the most recreated by “Thronies” who follow in the footsteps of their beloved characters in Girona. So don't be surprised if you see many of them sit on the corner of the first step, pretending to beg. You too, after taking a stroll and admiring the architecture, can channel your inner Arya and try something similar, if you so desire, of course.

La Pujada de Sant Domènec (the Ascent of San Domenec) is a very interesting piece of stonework in the heart of Girona's charming historic district of Barri Vell. The ancient neighborhood was built in the 14th-17th centuries and is home to several attractions including the Renaissance-style Palace of Calemany, the Agullana Palace, and the neoclassical-baroque church of Sant Martí Sacosta which dominates the area from the top of the stairs.

This stepped street is a bit steep, so it's probably not to be attempted by those with a heart condition. However, if you feel fit enough, you should be able to brave it without pain.

One of the favorite tourist locations in Girona, also loved by the locals, is the Le Bistrot restaurant with a terrace, found right beneath the arched span in the middle of the steps. Another lovely spot here, that is usually passed unnoticed, is the Taller de Encolados Ensesa. This shop is well worth checking out too, especially in May, during Girona's “Temps de Flors” annual floral festival.

In recent years, this photogenic passage made several appearances in movies, the first of which was “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” made in 2016. Most notably, however, the Ascent of San Domènec was one of the filming locations for the sixth season of Game of Thrones. There, you can see it when Arya Stark stumbles and rolls down the flight of stairs, overturning several baskets of oranges in the eighth episode.