Girona's unique records: numbers no other city can claim
Girona Cathedral has the widest single-nave Gothic interior in the world: 22.98 metres, surpassed in width only by St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. And that's just the first of the records this city can prove with hard numbers.
Updated: 2026-06-03
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Girona's most singular record is the Gothic nave of its Cathedral of Santa María: at 22.98 metres wide it is the widest single-nave Gothic interior in the world, and in overall width only St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican surpasses it. The decision to build it as a single nave was taken in 1417, reaching 34 metres in height.
The 4 records that define Girona
The widest Gothic nave in the world
Girona's Cathedral of Santa María has a single nave 22.98 metres wide, the widest in Gothic architecture worldwide. Only St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican surpasses it in width. It measures 50 m long and 34 m high; the decision to raise it as a single nave, against the judgement of most master builders, was taken in 1417.
The largest urban park in Catalonia
The Parc de la Devesa covers around 40 hectares, making it the largest urban park in Catalonia. It holds more than 2,500 plane trees planted around 1850; because they stand so close together they grew straight up, and some reach over 50 metres tall, forming unique vaults of shade.
One of Europe's best-preserved Jewish quarters
Girona's Call documents a Jewish presence as far back as the year 888, when a text records 25 families. The community settled along the Carrer de la Força well into the 12th century. Today it is regarded as one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Europe, with a medieval mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) traced within its layout.
The Game of Thrones staircase
The Cathedral's Baroque staircase climbs 90 steps of nummulitic stone in three flights; the current stairway dates from 1694. In 2015 it became the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing for season six of Game of Thrones, where Jaime Lannister rides up on horseback to halt Margaery Tyrell's walk of shame.
Why these records can never be repeated
A 15th-century feat of Gothic engineering
In 1417 those in charge of the works debated whether to continue with three naves or risk a single one. Although most of the master builders consulted preferred three naves, they chose the single nave of 34 metres in height and 22.98 in width. The result is an open, column-free space unrivalled in Gothic architecture, a bold technical decision that no other European cathedral repeated at this scale. Only St Peter's in the Vatican surpasses it in width, and that belongs to a different architecture and a different age.
Plane trees over 50 metres: a forest inside the city
The Devesa isn't only the largest urban park in Catalonia thanks to its 40 hectares: it's the density that makes it unique. The more than 2,500 plane trees planted around 1850 were set so close together that they competed for light and grew straight upwards, reaching over 50 metres. Walking its rows in summer is like stepping into a leafy cathedral of shade, a botanical phenomenon hard to find in any other urban park in the country.
Eleven hundred years of Jewish memory in stone
Few cities can date their first Jewish residents to a document from the year 888. Girona's Call preserves its medieval maze of alleys, courtyards and stairways almost intact, placing it among the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. Add to that the discovery of a mikveh, the ritual bath of purification, of which very few comparable medieval examples survive in Europe, and its heritage value multiplies.
How to see them: where, opening times and tickets
Cathedral and staircase The Cathedral of Santa María stands on the Plaça de la Catedral, high up in the old town. The Baroque staircase of 90 steps is free to access from the square; to step inside and see the record-breaking nave you pay an entry fee, which usually includes an audio guide and access to the cloister and the Treasury with the Tapestry of Creation.
Parc de la Devesa It lies west of the historic centre, near where the rivers Ter, Güell and Onyar meet, just a few minutes' walk from the centre. Access is free and open all year round. On Thursdays in spring and summer it hosts the weekly market and, in summer, the stalls of the town's main festival.
Call jueu and Banys Àrabs The Call is free to wander along the Carrer de la Força; the Museu d'Història dels Jueus charges admission. Right nearby are the Banys Àrabs, Romanesque baths from 1194 among the best preserved in Europe, also with an entry fee. Combine them with the Passeig de la Muralla, set atop 9th-century Carolingian sections.
Frequently asked questions about Girona's records
Is it really the widest Gothic nave in the world?
Yes. The single nave of Girona Cathedral measures 22.98 metres wide, the widest in Gothic architecture worldwide. In overall width only St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican surpasses it, and that belongs to a different era and architectural style.
Why are the trees in the Devesa so tall?
Because they were planted very close together around 1850. Competing for light, the more than 2,500 plane trees grew straight upwards rather than outwards, some reaching over 50 metres. That's what gives the park its distinctive dense-forest atmosphere.
What was filmed for Game of Thrones in Girona?
The Cathedral's Baroque staircase served as the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing in season six, filmed in 2015. The streets of the old town and the Banys Àrabs were also used as locations for Braavos and King's Landing.
How far back is the Jewish presence in Girona documented?
The oldest document recording their presence dates from the year 888 and mentions 25 families. The community took root along the Carrer de la Força well into the 12th century, giving rise to one of the best-preserved Calls in Europe.
To make the most of these records on your visit, round out your route with our guides to Hotels in Girona, What to do in Girona, How to get to Girona, Restaurants in Girona.
Discover Girona's records with a local guide
Guided tours of the old town
A walking tour takes you through the Cathedral's record nave, the Game of Thrones staircase, the Jewish Call and the Banys Àrabs in a single route, with the historical context that explains why each figure is unique. The best way to see all the records without missing a single one.
See tours available in GironaGirona Travel Guides 2027
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