# Besalú

A county town with the most photographed fortified Romanesque bridge in Catalonia, a Jewish quarter with a synagogue and ritual bath, and the volcanic Garrotxa twenty minutes away. Half a day for the town, a weekend with the surroundings.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/besalu · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## 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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Unusual places to stay in Spain
- Cerca: Rupit (a 27.4 km), Peralada (a 28.2 km), Peratallada (a 40.5 km), Ripoll (a 41.9 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The fortified bridge over the Fluvià** (20 min · All ages · Independent · free): What it is
The bridge at Besalú crosses the river Fluvià and is the historic entrance to the town. It has seven uneven arches, resting on the rocks of the riverbed, and a hexagonal defensive tower over the fifth pier, halfway across. You cross it on foot, it is free and always open. It is the image of Besalú, and the first place to go.
Its history, in a few lines
A document from 1075 by Count Bernat already mentions a bridge here, although it is not known whether it was of wood or stone. Part of the foundations and the pier bases may be Romanesque, but almost everything you see is Gothic or rebuilt after floods and wars. Around 1315 a flood of the Fluvià left it in ruins; the cost of rebuilding it was so high that the town's leading men asked James II for help and a toll was imposed for crossing it.
In 1385 Prince John, the future John I, ordered the central tower and a fortified gateway at the entrance to the town to be built. They were finished in February 1390, in the middle of the siege of Besalú by the Count of Armagnac. The floods continued: 1321, 1403, 1421, 1669, 1679 and several in the 18th century. In 1880 the bulwarks, by then in ruins, were pulled down because they blocked the passage of factory machinery. In 1939, in the Republican retreat, the third and fourth arches were blown up. In 1965 the architect Francesc Pons i Sorolla restored it, guided by 19th-century engravings by Jean-Charles Langlois and by a mural in the Casa Llaudes.
What to see

The tower: hexagonal, with arrow slits at the top.
The town gateway, at the end of the bridge, where carrer del Pont begins.
The arches from the bank: go down to the riverside to see the whole bridge, with arches of different sizes and the tower outlined against the town.
The Manyac rock, beside the bridge, in the riverbed.

Crossing it and looking at it from below takes about twenty minutes. If you stop to photograph it in different light, longer.
Getting there and parking
The old town has regulated traffic and only residents park inside. The Town Council mentions the Pont Vell car park, which is also the starting point for two of its walking routes. The tourist office is at the entrance to the bridge, at carrer del Pont 1. From Girona you can come on the TEISA bus.
When to go
First thing in the morning or at sunset there are fewer people and the stone takes on colour. During the day, at weekends and in summer, the bridge fills with visitors. On the last weekend of August, at the Besalú Medieval festival, the horseback jousts take place at the foot of the bridge.
With children, with a dog and accessibility
The deck is stone and can be crossed with a pushchair without problems; in a wheelchair, the cobbles and the ramp call for help. With a dog, on a lead: it is a narrow passage and there are many people. The descent to the bank to see the bridge from below is over uneven ground.
Complete the visit
On the other side you have the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, two minutes away, and further up plaça de la Llibertat and Sant Pere. To eat with the bridge in front of you, the Restaurant Pont Vell; to sleep, Els Jardins de la Martana, at the start of the bridge, with gardens down to the river.
- **The Jewish quarter, the synagogue and the mikveh** (40 min · Families and teenagers): What it is
The call of Besalú is the old Jewish quarter of the town, beside the river Fluvià and a few steps from the fortified bridge. The Jewish community lived here during the Middle Ages and occupied part of the historic centre for more than five centuries. Two pieces remain that justify the visit: the mikveh, the ritual purification bath, and the excavated remains of the synagogue.
The mikveh was found by chance in 1964. It is an underground room in Romanesque style, with a stone vault and a staircase that goes down to the pool where the immersion took place. Turisme Garrotxa presents it as one of the best preserved in Europe and one of the three found on the peninsula. Between 2002 and 2005 the synagogue it was attached to was excavated, with the prayer room, the courtyard and the school. It all lies on today's plaça dels Jueus, which works as a small open-air museum, with the gateway to the call and a viewpoint over the town's façade to the river.
How to visit
The square and the viewpoint are open and can be seen independently. The inside of the mikveh can only be visited with the guides from the tourist office, on carrer del Pont, at the entrance to the bridge. The office runs guided visits all year:

Un passeig pel Call: the visit to the Jewish quarter, with the mikveh and the synagogue.
Descobreix el Besalú Medieval: the full visit of the town, at weekends at 12:00, 75 minutes, €5 per person.
Entre pedres i cavallers: on Saturdays at 12:00, free, with information and theatre.
Dramatised night visits: on Wednesdays in July and August, in Catalan.

Times and prices change by season and the office reserves the right to alter them. Places are limited: book by phone or email before you go, especially at weekends and in summer.
How long and when to go
The visit to the call takes between half an hour and forty minutes; with the rest of the town, the full visit comes to an hour and a quarter. On weekdays outside summer there are fewer people and the mikveh is easier to see. Two dates in the calendar are tied to the call: in early March, the historical re-enactment Besalú, Ciutat Jueva, and the European Days of Jewish Culture, when the mikveh opens with activities.
Getting there and parking
The old town has regulated traffic: only residents may park inside. Leave the car outside, for example in the Pont Vell car park that the Town Council indicates, and walk in: the tourist office is at the entrance to the bridge. Without a car, the TEISA bus links Besalú with Girona and Olot.
Accessibility and with children
The mikveh is underground and reached by stone steps: it is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The plaça dels Jueus can be seen from above. With children it works if they are old enough to follow an explanation; the youngest enjoy the Saturday dramatised visit more.
Complete the visit
From the call, go up to plaça de la Llibertat and carry on to the Sant Pere monastery. For lunch, Curia Reial is in a medieval building on plaça de la Llibertat, and the Restaurant Pont Vell, at the foot of the bridge. If you stay the night, the Hotel Casa Marcial is next to the call.
- **Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat** (1 h 30 · All ages · Independent · free): What it is
It is the walk through the heart of Besalú, from the monastery of Sant Pere, on its wide square, to the church of Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat, with the old pilgrims' hospital of Sant Julià and Casa Cornellà on the way. From outside it can be seen free and with no timetable; allow an hour and a half at a relaxed pace. The old town is a property of national cultural interest and the scale of its buildings is explained by history: Besalú was the capital of an independent county from the 10th century until 1111, when it passed to the county of Barcelona.
What to see, step by step

Plaça del Prat de Sant Pere: an open esplanade, unusual in so tight a medieval old town. It is where the market of the medieval festival is set up.
Monastery of Sant Pere: founded in 977 by Count and Bishop Miró Bonfill, and the church was consecrated in 1003 with the support of Count Bernat Tallaferro; the present building is a reconstruction from around 1060. On the façade, a three-arched window with two high-relief lions on either side. Inside, three naves, a transept and an ambulatory with four pairs of columns whose capitals show Daniel among the lions, Herod advised by the devil and the massacre of the innocents. The bell tower dates from 1649. Of the monastery, suppressed in 1835, only the church remains, today the village parish, and little of the Gothic cloister. It has been a property of national cultural interest since 1931.
Casa Cornellà, also on the Prat de Sant Pere: a house with later alterations, bearing the dates 1641 and 1783 carved on it.
Hospital de Sant Julià: the old pilgrims' hospital, with a Romanesque façade on the church.
Church of Sant Vicenç: documented in the 10th century, it was the old parish church. In the 12th century the new wall left the Jewish call and this church inside it.
Plaça de la Llibertat, the old main square, arcaded. Its Gothic building is attributed to the Cúria Reial, which preserves a Gothic hall.
If you still have energy, climb to Santa Maria, on the hill where the count's castle stood, documented since the 10th century.

Visiting the interiors
The churches of Sant Pere and Sant Vicenç open at times of worship and with the guided visits from the tourist office. The Descobreix el Besalú Medieval visit leaves at weekends at 12:00, lasts 75 minutes and costs €5; on Saturdays at the same time there is another, free and dramatised, Entre pedres i cavallers. In July and August, on Wednesdays, there are dramatised night visits in Catalan. Book by phone or email, because places are limited.
In the old monastery building, on the same square, the Fundació de les Arts del Circ is preparing Circusland, a centre dedicated to the circus. Check on its website whether it can be visited yet.
Getting there and parking
The old town has regulated traffic and only residents may park inside. Leave the car outside, for example in the Pont Vell car park that the Town Council indicates, and walk in over the fortified bridge. By bus, TEISA comes from Girona and Olot.
When to go
In the morning on weekdays the town is quiet and the light falls well on plaça de Sant Pere. At weekends and in summer, at midday, the streets fill up. On the last weekend of August Besalú Medieval is held, with the market on the Prat de Sant Pere.
With children, with a pushchair and accessibility
The route is short and without big climbs up to plaça de la Llibertat; the climb to Santa Maria does have a slope. The streets are cobbled: with a pushchair you get by, in a wheelchair it is hard in some stretches. With children, plaça de Sant Pere gives room to run and the Saturday dramatised visit helps them understand what they see.
Where to eat and sleep
On plaça de la Llibertat, Curia Reial occupies a 13th- and 14th-century building, with a terrace and children's menu. To sleep in the old town, the Hotel 3 Arcs is small and right in the centre.
- **Castellfollit de la Roca, a village on the edge of the basalt** (1 h · All ages · Independent · free): What it is
Castellfollit de la Roca is a village built along the edge of a basalt cliff more than 50 m high and almost a kilometre long, at the confluence of the rivers Fluvià and Toronell. The rock is lava: two volcanic flows from around 217,000 and 192,000 years ago, coming from the Olot area and the Begudà volcanoes, which the rivers gradually eroded until they left the vertical wall with its basalt columns. The houses lean out over the void at the narrowest point. It is one of the smallest municipalities in Catalonia, barely 0.7 km², and is part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
From Besalú it is about 15 minutes by car, on the way to Olot.
What to see

The cliff from below: this is the image of the village. The panoramic view of the wall with the houses on top appears from the road, just before you arrive. For a relaxed photo, go down to the riverbank.
Plaça de Josep Pla: the viewpoint at the end of the cliff, over the valley of the two rivers. It is right on the edge: keep an eye on the children.
Church of Sant Salvador: opposite the square. It was destroyed in the Civil War and today is a cultural space; you can climb the bell tower to see the valley.
Old town: narrow streets, of medieval layout and built largely from volcanic stone. The original walled village was lost in the earthquakes of 1427 and 1428.
Sant Roc bell tower, a little apart from the old nucleus, with a clock from 1925.

The full visit, with the walk round the old town and the viewpoint, takes about an hour.
The loop around the cliff
If you want to walk, the Natural Park has a route that goes round the cliff, number 13 in its network, of about 2.8 km, 125 m of ascent and an hour and a quarter. It goes down to the river and climbs back up to the village, so you see the wall from below and from above. Check the route on the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park website before setting out.
Getting there and parking
From Besalú, take the road towards Olot; in about 15 minutes you are in Castellfollit. Park at the entrance to the village and walk in: the streets of the old town are narrow and there is no room to leave the car inside. Without a car, the TEISA buses linking Barcelona and Girona with Olot stop in the village; check times at the TEISA bus.
When to go
Any time of year works, and late in the afternoon the light is warmer. In autumn the riverside woods change colour. On Saturdays there is a market in the village. In the rain, the black rock gleams and the river runs fuller, but the path of the loop around the cliff gets muddy.
With children and with a dog
For children, the basalt wall and the lava columns are what impresses most, and the walk through the village is short. With a pushchair you can stroll the old town, although there are some slopes. With a dog, no problem along the streets and the path, on a lead at the viewpoint.
Complete the day
Combine it with the morning in Besalú: the fortified bridge and the Jewish quarter. If you carry on towards Olot, you are in the heart of the volcanic zone. For lunch back in Besalú, Restaurant Oliveras serves a Catalan cuisine buffet at midday.
- **Besalú Medieval, the late-August festival** (Events free unless the programme says otherwise): What it is and what you see
Besalú Medieval is the town's big festival: a weekend when the old town goes back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It is organised by the Town Council, has been held since 1987 and fills streets, squares, walls and the riverside promenade with hundreds of participants. There is horseback jousting under the bridge, combat with historical weapons, parades with jesters, Italian flag-bearers from Servigliano, music and dance, street theatre and a night-time show of light and fire. Around it, the medieval craftsmen's market, a trades demonstration and workshop and the Taverna del Seny, where you can eat all day long.
The setting is the town itself. The jousts take place at the foot of the fortified bridge, the market occupies the Prat de Sant Pere, in front of the monastery, and plaça de la Llibertat hosts a good part of the shows. On those days there are also guided visits to the synagogue and the mikveh in the Jewish quarter.
When
It is held on the last weekend of August. In 2026 it ran from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August, and in 2025 from 29 to 31. The 2027 edition has no announced dates yet: check the Town Council's tourism website before planning your trip.
The 2026 schedule works as a guide. On Friday, at 20:00, the opening parade goes from the Prat de Sant Pere to plaça de la Llibertat, and from 22:00 to 1:00 the Carrer dels Atrapats opens, a street of frightening figures, on carrer de la Font. On Saturday and Sunday the market, the trades workshop and the tavern run all day, with events following one another from 10:30 until night.
The programme highlights

Horseback jousting: the tournament of Count Tallaferro, under the bridge. In 2026, Saturday at 17:30 and Sunday at 11:00.
Light and fire show: Saturday night at the Prat de Sant Pere; in 2026 it was at 21:30.
Carrer dels Atrapats: Friday and Saturday night, from 22:00 to 1:00.
Guided visits: a dramatised one in the church of Sant Vicenç and another to the synagogue and the mikveh, several times over the weekend.
Combats and parades: on Sunday afternoon, duels of honour on plaça de la Llibertat and parades through the centre.

Times change each year. The programme in PDF is published a few weeks beforehand on the Besalú tourism website.
Getting there and where to park
By car, leave the AP-7 at exit 6 and continue on the C-66; from Girona it is about 35 minutes; from Barcelona allow an hour and a half. The old town has regulated traffic and interior parking is for residents only, so leave the car outside. For the festival, the organisers point to the car parks at the entrance to the town, at plaça del Sol and in the sports area, signposted, and recommend arriving before 17:00, because parking is limited.
If you can, go by public transport: the TEISA bus links Besalú with Girona, Olot and Banyoles. The nearest railway station is Girona.
Tickets and price
The Town Council states that all events are free unless the programme says otherwise. In 2025 its website mentioned a €3 ticket for adults, free for under-12s; the 2026 page gives no price. Check the year's programme before you go.
Practical tips
Go on Saturday morning if you are after calm: the market is already open and you can still walk. In the afternoon, especially before the jousts and the fire show, the centre fills up. The streets are cobbled and sloping, and some areas are not accessible in a wheelchair; with a pushchair, a baby carrier is better.
With children, the trades workshop, the jousts and the parades work well. The Carrer dels Atrapats is designed to frighten: consider the age before going in. With a dog, think about the crowd and the fire on Saturday night. If it rains, follow the Town Council's social media (@aj_besalu and @besalumedieval), which announce any changes.
That weekend the accommodation fills up: book early, in the town or the surrounding area. There is a purple point for assistance throughout the festival, and the tourist office, on carrer del Pont, can answer questions.
- **Hot-air balloon flight over the Garrotxa volcanoes from Santa Pau** (1 h 30 · Families, older people and people with reduced mobility · Desde 195 € per person): The wind decides the route, but the setting is always the same: the extinct volcanoes and beech woods of the Garrotxa in the first light. The baskets have a door, so there is no need to climb in.
What it is and why it is worth it
The Garrotxa volcanic zone is a landscape of rounded cones covered in forest, lava flows turned into beech wood and villages of basalt stone. From the ground it is hard to make out the shape of the volcanoes; from the balloon you see them as they are. Take-off is from a field beside the Croscat volcano, in Santa Pau, and the flight lasts between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half. On clear days, in the distance, you can see the Pyrenees, Canigó, Pedraforca, Montseny, Montserrat and even the Mediterranean.
What sets this flight apart is everything around it: coffee and pastries before take-off, a toast in the air with rosé cava and coca de llardons, and on return a farmhouse breakfast with bread with tomato, cured meats, Santa Pau beans with butifarra sausage, desserts from La Fageda, wine, ratafia and coffee.
Who it is for
Almost everyone. The baskets have a door and are adapted for older people, people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users, which is unusual in balloons. The company advises against the flight for children under 5 and pregnant women. If you fear vertigo, the company explains that you do not feel it in the basket, because there is no contact with the ground. Dogs do not fly, but can wait in the shade beside the bar, with the staff.
Getting there
Vol de Coloms's facilities are on the Croscat volcano road, in Santa Pau, with its own car park. From Besalú it is about 30 minutes by road, and from Olot, less. As you start between 6:30 and 7:30, sleep in the Garrotxa the night before.
When to go
Flights run all year, on weekdays and at weekends. The departure time changes with the season, because you set off at first light, when the air is coldest and most stable. In autumn, the beech woods change colour; in winter dawn comes later and you get up less early. Wrap up warmer than you think: in the air it is the same temperature as on the ground at that hour, and at that hour it is cold.
How much it costs and what is included
From €195 per person on weekdays and €225 on Saturday and Sunday. A private flight for two people, from €980, and for four, from €1,520. The price includes the welcome coffee, the toast in the air, the farmhouse breakfast and the flight certificate signed by the pilot.
If the weather does not cooperate
The company calls two days before with the forecast. If rain is expected, the flight is moved to another date; and on the same morning the pilot can postpone it if it rains or if the surface wind exceeds 15 km/h. The flight is not lost: another day is always found. Gift flights do not expire.
- **La Fageda d'en Jordà, the Beech Wood on Lava** (1 h 30 · 3 km · All ages; the full route 1, walkers · Independent · free; paid parking at Can Serra): What It Is
La Fageda d'en Jordà is a beech wood growing at about 550 metres, very low for a beech forest, on the lava flow thrown out by the Croscat volcano. That is why the ground is not flat: the wood rises and falls over mounds, the tossols, which exceed 20 metres. It lies in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, between Olot and Santa Pau, about 25 minutes by car from Besalú. In autumn the leaves turn yellow and copper, and it is the busiest walk in the district.
Which Walks There Are

Joan Maragall path. It starts at the Can Serra information centre and reaches the heart of the beech wood in about 35 minutes. It is the short walk, good for children.
Natural Park route 1. The big loop: about 11 km through the Fageda, the crater of the Santa Margarida volcano, with its Romanesque chapel inside, the Croscat and the church of Sant Miquel de Sacot. It is about 200 m of climbing and half a day's walking. On foot only: no bikes or horses are allowed.
La Fageda en ruta. The La Fageda cooperative, which has its farm and yoghurt factory inside the beech wood, runs a guided visit of an hour and a half: a walk through the part of the wood nearest to it with a guide who explains the geology and wildlife, the farm, how the products are made and a tasting. It starts at 15:00 at weekends and on public holidays, and is booked on its website.

Getting There and Parking
By the GI-524, the road from Olot to Santa Pau. The Can Serra information centre is at kilometre 4.7, with parking alongside, toilets and drinks machines. The car park is paid and on autumn Sundays it fills early; the park puts staff out to manage the traffic. The Santa Margarida one, on the same road, serves for starting route 1.
When to Go
The colour arrives between late October and mid November, depending on the year. That is why autumn Sundays are crowded: Garrotxa Tourism itself also recommends spring and winter. If you go in autumn, arrive before ten or in the middle of the afternoon.
- **Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures** (45 min · Children and families): A museum of tiny pieces, some only visible with a magnifying glass, which works well with children as a break between stones. Check opening hours and admission before you go.

## Dónde comer
- **Restaurant Pont Vell** (Restaurant, Besalú, €€€). Qué pedir: the seasonal menu, with produce from the Banyoles market.
- **Restaurant Oliveras** (Restaurant, Besalú, €€). Qué pedir: the midday Catalan buffet.
- **Curia Reial** (Restaurant, Besalú, €€). Qué pedir: lunch on plaça de la Llibertat, in the heart of the old town.
- **Can Nou** (Restaurant, Besalú, €€). Qué pedir: outside the old town, on the Olot road, to eat without the queues at the bridge.

## By car: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Els Jardins de la Martana** (Small hotel): A family hotel at the entrance to the bridge
Els Jardins de la Martana occupies an early 20th-century building, completely renovated, on carrer del Pont, with the entrance right at the start of the Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià. It is the only building on that side of the bridge and has views over the town. Its gardens go down to the river. It presents itself as a family hotel, with a lounge with sofas and a fireplace, a library also with a fireplace and a dining room for breakfasts.
The rooms
There are eleven double rooms, for twenty-two people in total, renovated and adapted. All have their own bathroom, some with a shower and others with a bath, air conditioning, television with a USB connection, minibar and free wifi. The website does not say which room has views of the bridge or the garden: if it matters to you, ask when you book. Daily cleaning is included and the minimum stay is one night.
Breakfast and services
Breakfast is served in the hotel dining room. You can book a private jacuzzi with solarium by the hour and ask for a therapeutic massage or foot reflexology, also by appointment. The hotel has no restaurant advertised on its website; for dinner you have carrer del Pont and plaça de la Llibertat a few minutes' walk away, on the other side of the bridge.
Getting there and parking
Its address is carrer del Pont 2. There is a public car park about 30 metres from the hotel, an advantage in a town whose historic centre reserves interior parking for residents. You enter the old town by crossing the fortified bridge, and from there you have the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, Sant Pere and plaça de la Llibertat and the Museu de Miniatures. In September, the hotel is right on the route of Besalú Medieval.
- **Hotel Casa Marcial** (Small hotel): Two houses on carrer Tallaferro, next to the call
Hotel Casa Marcial is on carrer Tallaferro, in the heart of Besalú's historic centre, a step from the old Jewish quarter. It occupies two recently restored buildings. The main one is a listed neoclassical house, from the late 19th or early 20th century, with a stately façade and arched galleries inside. The second is a new building raised on the remains of an old noble house, combining contemporary design and heritage. The hotel is for adults only.
The rooms
There are twelve: five doubles, six suites and one quadruple suite. All look onto the garden or the call, are spacious and have their own bathroom. The doubles are about 20 m² with a double bed and a shower. The suites are around 40 m², with a sitting room and a bathroom with shower or bath; if there are three of you, you can ask for a triple suite by contacting the hotel. The quadruple suite, of 80 m², is made up of two double rooms with a sitting room and two bathrooms, useful for two couples travelling together.
Garden, pool and breakfast
The garden exceeds 1,200 m², on two levels, and preserves remains of a 10th-century wall and a 12th-century Romanesque apse. The pool is set among those remains, lit at night, with a padded platform for lying out. The gallery, with large windows onto the garden, is for reading or resting. Breakfast is included and there is free wifi throughout the hotel. Its website does not mention a restaurant or dinners: for dinner you have plaça de la Llibertat a few minutes' walk away.
Getting there and what to do nearby
The hotel is inside the historic centre, where parking is for residents with a permit, so leave the car outside and walk in; ask the hotel when you book where it is best to park with your luggage. From the door you have the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat and the fortified bridge. Banyoles is 12 km away, the Olot volcanic zone and Figueres about 25 km, and Girona 30 km.
- **Hotel 3 Arcs** (Small hotel): A small, practical hotel in the old town
Hotel 3 Arcs is a simple, functional hotel on carrer Ganganell, in the old town of Besalú, a few steps from plaça de la Llibertat. It was completely renovated in 2020 and since 2021 has operated with a smart key: check-in is done online before you arrive, so you can come in at your own time without depending on a reception desk, and the staff answer by phone or WhatsApp if you need anything. It has a café.
The rooms
There are twelve rooms spread over three floors, with a lift and stairs. There are four types: standard with a 1.50 m double bed, king size with a 1.80 m bed, twin with two 90 cm beds and triple with three 90 cm beds, the option if there are three of you. All have a full bathroom with shower, hairdryer and toiletries, air conditioning, heating, wifi and a Smart TV with satellite channels. Cleaning and towel changes are done on request: if you want your room tidied, ask before 11:00 that day.
Getting there and parking
The address is carrer Ganganell 15. The hotel gives no parking directions on its website, and the town council reserves parking in the historic centre for residents with a permit, so leave the car outside the old town and walk in with your luggage; ask the hotel by WhatsApp where it is best to leave it. TEISA buses from Girona, Olot and Barcelona also come to Besalú.
What to do nearby
From the door you have Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, the fortified bridge and the Museu de Miniatures. By car, Castellfollit de la Roca and the Santa Pau volcanoes are less than half an hour away.
- **Càmping Besalú** (Campsite): A campsite among pines and oaks on the edge of Besalú
Càmping Besalú is on the road that climbs from Besalú to the Sant Ferriol sanctuary, at kilometre 2.5, in a quiet area shaded by pines, holm oaks and oaks. It is a medium-sized campsite, with 91 pitches, wooden bungalows, a swimming pool and a restaurant, designed as a base for exploring the Garrotxa and the Pla de l'Estany.
Pitches and bungalows
Of the 91 pitches, eleven are 120 m² and the rest 100 m²; they have a 10-amp electricity hook-up, and tents can ask for a 4-amp one for lighting. The bungalows, renovated in 2022, are all of the same type: for four or five people, with two bedrooms (one with a double bed and the other with a bunk bed and a single bed), a kitchen equipped with a microwave and utensils, a bathroom with shower, air conditioning, television and a covered porch. Sheets and towels are included. They are in a shaded lawn area, next to the playground and about 200 metres from the restaurant and the pool.
Services
The pool has a shallow area for little ones and a large meadow for lying out. The restaurant and bar has two terraces, one beside the pool and the other beside the children's area. There are sinks with hot water, coin-operated washing machines and dryers, a baby changing table, adapted toilets and showers, and free wifi throughout the campsite. They store caravans and motorhomes all year, covered or outdoors.
Getting there
You get there by car from Besalú along the Sant Ferriol road. The campsite does not detail access on foot, so plan to take the car to the old town, which has interior parking reserved for residents. From there you can see the fortified bridge, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh or the Museu de Miniatures, and in September, the Besalú Medieval festival.
- **Can Buch** (Small hotel, desde 170 € / night): A 17th-century farmhouse in the Vall de Llémena
Can Buch is a farmhouse dating from 1621, restored in 2020 with stone, clay, lime and ceramics, at La Barroca, in the municipality of Sant Aniol de Finestres, on the boundary between the Garrotxa and the Gironès. It runs on renewable energy and has an organic permaculture vegetable garden, which you can visit whenever you like and which supplies a good part of the kitchen. Instead of a swimming pool there is a 14-metre natural pond, purified with plants, with no chlorine or salt, with views of the Rocacorba range. There are cats, dogs, hens and lambs: in the afternoon you can help feed them and collect the eggs for breakfast.
The rooms
There are twelve rooms and an apartment, each named after a tree, a bird or a corner of the estate. The walls are earth and stone, the ceilings Catalan vaults, the floors La Bisbal tiles and the furniture solid wood from the Montseny; they have central heating, air conditioning and wifi. Several admit an extra bed and some, such as Els Bens, on the ground floor with its own entrance, sleep four. La Cabana is a two-storey apartment a few metres from the house, with a kitchen, a living room with a fireplace and two bedrooms with a south-facing balcony, for four or five people.
The spa is a stone hammam with a hot-water pool, jacuzzi and steam bath, booked by the hour and used by only one room at a time; children may enter.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Breakfast is included: a buffet from 9:00 to 10:00 with the house sourdough bread, jams, honey from their bees, local cured meats and cheeses and homemade yoghurts. At midday they serve lunch at the table or in a picnic basket (order it before 13:00). Dinner, from 20:30 to 22:00, is a signature menu of Catalan cooking with produce from the garden; there is always a vegan dish and gluten-free options, and under-14s have their own menu.
Getting there
You need a car. Arrive at Sant Esteve de Llémena, take the paved road signposted to La Barroca and follow the wooden Can Buch signs for about 6 km, around ten minutes. Parking is private and free, with an electric car charger.
What to do nearby
From the door, walking routes waymarked by the house itself set off: to the hermitages of Sant Roc and Santa Lena, about two hours, or the witches' pool route, to a waterfall, four hours with a good climb. By car, the house puts Besalú at about 50 minutes: there you have the fortified bridge and the Jewish quarter with the mikveh. Castellfollit de la Roca and the balloon flight over the volcanoes are a similar distance.
- **Cal Terra** (Small hotel): A farmhouse in the Alta Garrotxa woods
Cal Terra occupies Mas Vallmajor, a farmhouse in the hamlet of Els Vilars, in Montagut i Oix, surrounded by ivy, wild vegetation and 42 hectares of woodland, among mountain, meadows and farmland. The house has recently been renovated while keeping the original architecture. It is run by a textile designer who has returned to her childhood family home, at the foot of the Pyrenees, and who sees it as a place to rest, disconnect or work on creative projects, with permaculture as the way of understanding the estate.
The rooms and common areas
In the main house there are six double rooms, each with its own bathroom, with natural light and windows onto the landscape. In an annexe, with a separate entrance, there is an apartment for four people, useful if you are travelling as a family or with friends. For relaxing you have two sitting rooms, one on each floor, a reading corner, a breakfast room and a large terrace on the second floor. The house works with producers from the region: bread from local bakeries, fresh pasta, fruit and vegetables from nearby market gardens. Its website does not detail what breakfast is like or whether it serves dinners, so ask when you book.
Retreats and workshops
Throughout the year it organises weekend retreats and workshops: photography with a mobile phone or an old camera, an introduction to permaculture and ceramics, with modelling and glazing. If you coincide with one, the house may be dedicated to it; it is worth asking for the dates.
Getting there
The car is the practical option. The nearest bus stop is the Teisa one at the Sant Jaume de Llierca-Montagut junction, about ten minutes by car, and the nearest high-speed station is Figueres Vilafant, half an hour away. The house is about 125 km from Barcelona, and the Costa Brava and the Empordà are between 45 and 60 minutes away.
What to do nearby
The house itself suggests forest bathing, rivers to swim in, cycling, climbing and walks through a landscape of dormant volcanoes. Besalú is close: the fortified bridge over the Fluvià, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh or the Museu de Miniatures. Also Castellfollit de la Roca, on its basalt cliff, and the balloon flight over the volcanoes from Santa Pau.
- **Mil Estrelles** (Small hotel): Ten bubbles in a clearing between Banyoles and Girona
Mil Estrelles has been running since 2012 in the Borgonyà neighbourhood, in Cornellà del Terri, halfway between Banyoles and Girona. It has ten transparent bubbles, each with its own garden closed by hedges so nobody sees you from outside. Six are the Jardí type, the classic version. Three, the Bosc type, are a little bigger and have more garden. The only Sirius adds a private spa area with a jacuzzi and infrared sauna. With Jardí and Bosc you don't choose the specific bubble: they give you the best one free for your date.
All have a double bed, a private bathroom with a bath, and heating and ventilation. They are closed, so the night goes on even if it rains. What does change the night is the sky. With a new moon and no clouds you will see many more stars than on a full-moon night.
How the night is organised
Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out until 11:00; when booking they ask for your approximate arrival time. Parking is free and inside the site. Contact is by WhatsApp; the website publishes no email for customers.
Everything else is added when booking and paid separately. Breakfast is charged per person per night. Dinner is served inside the bubble: dishes to share, a bottle of wine, water and dessert, priced per couple. The astronomy meeting lasts an hour and takes place in a room for six people at most, with an astronomer explaining the sky on a screen; if it is clear, you then go out to look through a professional telescope, and if it is cloudy the talk is extended. In winter it is before dinner and in summer, after. There are also massages with essential oils and details such as cava and petals.
If you go with a child, it can only be one, up to about 6 years old, with no cot or extra bed: book for two adults and tell them by WhatsApp. Dogs are welcome with a supplement per night, and they ask you to pick up whatever they leave inside and outside.
What to know before paying
Rates are non-refundable. You can change the date once with 15 days' notice, by WhatsApp and with a €20 handling fee; if you book with less than 15 days, it can no longer be changed. You pay the whole stay when booking, plus the tourist tax. The website publishes no prices per night: you see them in the booking engine when you choose a date.
From here the Garrotxa is within reach. Besalú, with its fortified bridge, is to the north, past Banyoles, and a little further on is the Fageda d'en Jordà. More ideas in Besalú.
### Servicios
- **Regulated traffic in the historic centre**: Interior parking for residents with a permit only · leave the car outside

## With young children: 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 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

### Qué hacer with young children
- 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
- Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures

## As a family: 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 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

### Qué hacer 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

## With teenagers: 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 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

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- The Jewish quarter, the synagogue and the mikveh
- Castellfollit de la Roca, a village on the edge of the basalt
- Hot-air balloon flight over the Garrotxa volcanoes from Santa Pau

## With a dog: 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.

### 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

### Qué hacer 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

### Dónde dormir with a dog
- Els Jardins de la Martana: Dogs admitted; check conditions when you book
- Càmping Besalú: €4 per dog; in a bungalow, one at most, non-dangerous and with prior authorisation
- Mil Estrelles: With a supplement per pet per night, added when booking

## Consejos

### Look at the bridge from below
From the bank of the Fluvià you see the tower on the central pier and the uneven arches.

### Sign 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.

### Eat early on Sunday
The restaurants in the old town fill up by two o'clock.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.