Besalú, Medieval town with Romanesque architecture in Garrotxa, Spain
Besalú is a fortified town with stone buildings and narrow cobblestone streets that wind through the Garrotxa landscape, spanned by a Romanesque bridge that carries seven arches across the Fluvià River.
The settlement was the capital of an independent county until 1111, when it joined the County of Barcelona as Catalonia took shape during the Middle Ages.
The Jewish quarter preserves a ritual bath from the 12th century, one of only three remaining medieval bathing houses in all of Europe, alongside remains of an ancient synagogue from that era.
The town sits in the Garrotxa hills with pathways through the center, most areas easy to walk through, though some streets are steep. Parking is available near the center, and the location works well for day visitors.
The medieval bridge has an unusual L-shaped design that adapts to the natural rock formations in the riverbed while providing defense capabilities. This geometric adjustment is rare and shows the practical engineering skill of medieval builders.
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