Barri Vell de Girona, Medieval quarter in Girona, Spain

Barri Vell is the old town of Girona, the sector between the Torre Gironella and the Onyar river, largely declared a cultural asset of national interest. Its core is the Força Vella, a fortified triangle whose layout matched the Iberian and Roman town; stretches of the Roman wall survive in the courtyard of the old university and on the Cathedral square. From there the medieval town extends south past the Carrer de la Força, the former Jewish call, to the Carrer dels Ciutadans and the Plaça del Vi.

The old town's core is the Força Vella, a triangular fortified enclosure whose layout matched the limits of Iberian and Roman Girona. Surviving Roman wall sections stand in the courtyard of the former university and on the Cathedral square. The 14th-century wall later enclosed the burg of Sant Pere, and the street of the Força became the medieval Jewish call.

The old Jewish quarter, the call, lies beyond Carrer de la Força, the street that was its main axis. Casa Cartellà, now the old Institut, had been a Capuchin convent. The Carrer dels Ciutadans, the former bourgeois centre, keeps noble residences such as the Fontana d'Or.

Wear comfortable shoes because the cobblestone streets are uneven and involve many ups and downs throughout the quarter. Early morning or late afternoon visits work best for avoiding crowds and experiencing the architecture in better light.

The Banys Àrabs near Sant Pere de Galligants carry a misleading name: the sources describe them as actually Romanesque in date, not Arab. The Passeig Arqueògic begins beside them, following the line of the 14th-century wall back toward the Torre Gironella.