Besalú

About this place

Besalú is a medieval town in the Garrotxa area of the province of Girona in Catalonia, about 26 km northwest of Girona in a straight line. In the early Middle Ages it was the capital of the County of Besalú. Its name comes from the Latin Bisuldunum, a fort on a mountain between two rivers. It was declared a historic and artistic site in 1966. Its best-known feature is a 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, with a gateway at its midpoint. In the old Jewish quarter by the river is a 12th-century ritual bath, said to be the only Romanesque mikveh left in Spain. The stone bridge runs at an angle across the river on seven uneven arches, guarded by two towers, with a gate tower with an iron portcullis on top. Behind it, the town's old stone houses pile up the hill, all mirrored in the water and lit gold at night. Visitors cross the bridge on foot into town, wander the cobbled lanes and the arcaded 16th-century main square, and visit the old bath. The best view of the bridge is from the riverbank, and the town makes an easy day trip from Girona.