The fortified bridge over the Fluvià
20 minAll agesDog-friendly
Medieval seven-arch bridge over the Fluvià, with a hexagonal tower from 1390 in the middle. Crossed on foot and free; restored in 1965.
From GironaAbout 35 min
From BarcelonaA little over 1 h 30
Minimum timeHalf a day
Best timeApr · May · Sep · Oct
What to do
What to do in Besalú
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Jewish quarter, the synagogue and the mikveh
40 minFamilies and teenagers
Remains of the synagogue and the Romanesque mikveh in Besalú's call, beside the Fluvià. The interior can only be visited with a guide from the tourist office.
Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat
1 h 30All agesDog-friendly
Free walk through the centre of Besalú: the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere, with its lions, Sant Vicenç and the arcaded plaça de la Llibertat.
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Besalú, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Besalú
Spring and autumn, without the heat and with the Garrotxa green. The last weekend of August is Besalú Medieval: lovely and packed. In early December, the Fira de la Ratafia.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Besalú your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Besalú as a base for the Garrotxa
With a car, Besalú is central: Castellfollit and Olot to the west, Banyoles to the south and Girona 35 minutes away.
80–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepSmall hotels in the old…
- Getting aroundThe old town is for…
- Where to eatCatalan buffet outside the old…
- ServicesTourist office at the entrance…
Where to sleep
- Small hotels in the old town, by the bridge or the Jewish quarter
- Campsite with bungalows on the Sant Ferriol road
Getting around
- The old town is for residents: park outside and walk in
- Santa Pau and the volcanoes, about 30 minutes away
Where to eat
- Catalan buffet outside the old town, €20 on weekdays
- Market cuisine at the foot of the bridge
Services
- Tourist office at the entrance to the bridge
- Service station on the Olot road
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Besalú for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A bridge with a tower and a tiny museum
Besalú is compact and flat beside the river: a good first medieval town for small children.
- What works bestCrossing the bridge and looking…
- Where to sleepCampsite with bungalows and a…
- Where to eatThe buffet at Restaurant Oliveras…
- Worth knowingCobbles on the slopes of…
What works best
- Crossing the bridge and looking at it from the bank
- The miniatures museum, with magnifying glasses
- Castellfollit de la Roca, a village hanging over the crag
Where to sleep
- Campsite with bungalows and a shallow pool
Where to eat
- The buffet at Restaurant Oliveras, everyone picks what they like
Worth knowing
- Cobbles on the slopes of the Jewish quarter
- Besalú Medieval is crowded: keep an eye on the little ones
What to do with young children
Half a day in town, half among volcanoes
With children of various ages, combine Besalú in the morning and the Garrotxa in the afternoon.
- What works bestThe Jewish quarter with the…
- Where to sleepQuadruple suite at Casa Marcial
- Where to eatBuffet with a fixed price
- Worth knowingSome restaurants close on Monday…
What works best
- The Jewish quarter with the guided visit
- Besalú Medieval, the last weekend of August
- The balloon flight over the volcanoes, if the budget allows
Where to sleep
- Quadruple suite at Casa Marcial
- Campsite bungalows
Where to eat
- Buffet with a fixed price
- Restaurants on plaça de la Llibertat
Worth knowing
- Some restaurants close on Monday and Tuesday
- Better to book the guided visit
What to do as a family
The fortified bridge over the Fluvià
The Jewish quarter, the synagogue and the mikveh
Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat
Castellfollit de la Roca, a village on the edge of the basalt
Besalú Medieval, the late-August festival
Hot-air balloon flight over the Garrotxa volcanoes from Santa Pau
La Fageda d'en Jordà, the Beech Wood on Lava
Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures
History you can touch
An excavated synagogue, a ritual bath and a bridge blown up in a war: Besalú has stories that are easy to tell a teenager.
- What works bestThe mikveh and the synagogue…
- Where to sleepHotel with a triple room…
- Where to eatRestaurants on plaça de la…
- Worth knowingThe balloon means a very…
What works best
- The mikveh and the synagogue, with a guide
- Castellfollit de la Roca, on the edge of the basalt
- The balloon over the volcanoes at dawn
Where to sleep
- Hotel with a triple room in the old town
Where to eat
- Restaurants on plaça de la Llibertat
Worth knowing
- The balloon means a very early start
- Ask about the guided visit on the same day at the office
What to do with teenagers
Bridge, squares and basalt, with the dog on a lead
Besalú can be walked in full with the dog: the fortified bridge, Sant Pere and the plaça de la Llibertat, always on a lead because the streets are narrow and fill up. A quarter of an hour away, Castellfollit de la Roca adds the viewpoint over the basalt. For sleeping, the campsite and Els Jardins de la Martana accept dogs.
- WalksThe fortified bridge, on foot…
- Where to sleepCàmping Besalú: €4 per dog…
- Worth knowingAt Besalú Medieval, at the…
Walks
- The fortified bridge, on foot and free: on a lead, as it is a narrow and busy crossing
- Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and the arcaded plaça de la Llibertat, along cobbled streets
- Castellfollit de la Roca, 15 minutes away: streets and path no problem, on a lead at the viewpoint
Where to sleep
- Càmping Besalú: €4 per dog; in a bungalow, one at most and with prior authorisation
- Els Jardins de la Martana, next to the bridge: accepts dogs; ask about the conditions when you book
Worth knowing
- At Besalú Medieval, at the end of August, it is very crowded and there is fire on the Saturday night
- The dog cannot go on the balloon flight; it can wait for you at the company's premises
- For eating, the Pont Vell accepts dogs inside and out
What to do with a dog
The fortified bridge over the Fluvià
Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat
Castellfollit de la Roca, a village on the edge of the basalt
La Fageda d'en Jordà, the Beech Wood on Lava
Where to stay with a dog
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Els Jardins de la Martana
Why we like it: Family hotel with eleven rooms in an early 20th-century building at the start of the Besalú bridge, with gardens down to the Fluvià.
Hotel Casa Marcial
Why we like it: Adults-only hotel in two houses on carrer Tallaferro in Besalú, next to the call, with a 1,200 m² garden, a pool and twelve rooms.
Hotel 3 Arcs
Why we like it: Small twelve-room hotel in the old town of Besalú, renovated in 2020, with a triple room, online check-in and digital key.
Càmping Besalú
Why we like it: Campsite with 91 shaded pitches, wooden bungalows for five and a swimming pool with a children's area, on the road from Besalú to Sant Ferriol.
Can Buch
Why we like it: A 1621 farmhouse restored with clay and lime in Sant Aniol de Finestres, with a natural pond, a private spa and a vegetable garden that supplies the kitchen.
From €170
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Cal Terra
Why we like it: A restored farmhouse among 42 hectares of woodland in Montagut i Oix, in the Alta Garrotxa, with six double rooms, an apartment and workshops.
Mil Estrelles
Why we like it: Ten transparent bubbles with a bathroom, bath and private garden in Cornellà del Terri, between Banyoles and Girona, with dinner and an astronomy session extra.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Besalú
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Restaurant Pont Vell
What to order: the seasonal menu, with produce from the Banyoles market.
Carrer del Pont Vell 24 · closed Monday and Tuesday; lunches Wednesday to Sunday and dinners only on Saturday · 972 591 027
Restaurant Oliveras
What to order: the midday Catalan buffet.
Carrer Pau Clarís 13 · open every day at midday · 972 590 392
Curia Reial
What to order: lunch on plaça de la Llibertat, in the heart of the old town.
Plaça de la Llibertat 8-9 · 972 59 02 63
Can Nou
What to order: outside the old town, on the Olot road, to eat without the queues at the bridge.
Carretera d'Olot 20 · 972 590 085
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Besalú
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Look at the bridge from below
From the bank of the Fluvià you see the tower on the central pier and the uneven arches.
- 2Sign up for the guided visit
The tourist office, at the entrance to the bridge, runs daily guided visits to the heritage sites: ask whether that day's includes the mikveh.
- 3Eat early on Sunday
The restaurants in the old town fill up by two o'clock.
Local tip
Stay a night: the bridge lit up and empty, late in the evening, is a different Besalú.
Taking the car into the old town
The parking inside is for residents with a permit. Park outside and walk in over the bridge.
How do I get there and where do I park?
By car, about 35 minutes from Girona and a little over an hour and a half from Barcelona; from Tarragona or Lleida, over 2 h 30. The town council restricts traffic in the historic centre and reserves the parking inside for residents with a permit: leave the car outside the historic centre and walk in. TEISA buses also run, the company that links Girona and Barcelona with Olot.
How much time do I need?
The town can be seen in two or three hours: the bridge, Plaça de la Llibertat, Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and the Jewish quarter. With the guided visit to the mikveh and a meal, it is a day. Adding Castellfollit de la Roca or the volcanic area, a weekend. On Sundays and during Besalú Medieval there are lots of people: arrive first thing.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I go with small children?
Yes. The walk is short and flat beside the river, although cobbled: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair on the slopes of the Jewish quarter.
How do I visit the mikveh?
With the guided visits that the tourist office runs every day, in several languages. The town's website doesn't publish times or price as text: ask at Carrer del Pont 1 or on 972 59 12 40.
How old is the bridge?
From the 12th to the 14th centuries, although there is a record of a bridge in Besalú in 1075. In 1939 two arches were blown up.
When is Besalú Medieval?
In early September. The Fira de la Ratafia, in early December.
What is there nearby?
Castellfollit de la Roca, on its basalt crag, a quarter of an hour away; Olot and the volcanic area of the Garrotxa, twenty minutes away.