Girona Besalú Jewish History Tour: Medieval Quarters & Mikve

Walk the medieval Jewish quarters of two Catalan towns and descend into a 13th-century ritual bath.

This 8-hour small group tour of Girona and Besalú traces Jewish history through two medieval Spanish towns, with a live guide in English or Spanish. You'll explore Girona's Call (the historic Jewish quarter), visit the Museum of Jewish History, cross Besalú's famous medieval bridge, and enter one of Europe's best-preserved 13th-century Mikveh. Groups stay under seven people. Hotel pickup from Girona is included, and the tour suits families with children from age 6 onward.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Girona and Besalú Jewish history

• Visit Girona medieval and Jewish quarters
• Tour Museum of Jewish History in Girona
• Walk the medieval bridge into Besalú
• Explore Besalú medieval village and Jewish quarter
• Visit 13th-century Miqve in Besalú

The experience

Girona's Call is where the tour begins: the medieval Jewish quarter where Nahmanides, one of the greatest Kabbalah scholars, lived and worked. Your guide walks you through the narrow streets of this historic neighborhood, then takes you into the Museum of Jewish History, where the city's Jewish heritage is laid out across exhibits that span centuries. The Call itself is small enough to cover on foot, but dense with the weight of what happened there.

From Girona, the tour moves to Besalú, a medieval village about 30 kilometers north. You enter via the famous stone bridge (the only way into the city during the Middle Ages), and walk through the medieval quarter to reach the Mikve, a 13th-century ritual bath carved into the bedrock. It's one of the most intact examples in Europe, with the original stone steps and chambers still visible. The Mikve sits below street level, a physical reminder of how Jewish life in medieval Spain was both woven into the town and hidden from it.

The tour is built for small groups of up to seven people, which means you move at a pace that lets the guide answer questions and linger at sites that matter. A live guide in English or Spanish leads the day. You choose the language at checkout. Hotel pickup from Girona is included, and the full 8 hours covers both towns, all entry fees and taxes. Bring comfortable walking shoes: the medieval quarters involve uneven stone streets and stairs down into the Mikve.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Girona.
• guided walks through the medieval Jewish quarters of both Girona and Besalú.
• entry to the Museum of Jewish History.
• access to the 13th-century Mikve.
• all fees and taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Small group tour from Girona, conducted in English09:00

Tour de Girona ciudad, guiado en españolGuide in Spanish · 09:00

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Girona Experience Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the English departure if you want the guide's full commentary on Nahmanides and medieval Jewish life. Choose Spanish if that's your working language. Either way, the small group size, capped at seven, means the pace stays slow enough for questions at each stop, which matters when you're learning history this layered.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years). Under 6: they can't be included in the booking.

What is the Call in Girona?

The Call is Girona's medieval Jewish quarter, a neighborhood of narrow streets where the Jewish community lived for centuries. Nahmanides, one of the greatest Kabbalah scholars, was based here, and the quarter remains one of the best-preserved Jewish neighborhoods in Spain.

Can I see the 13th-century Mikve in Besalú?

Yes. The Mikve is a ritual bath carved into the bedrock below Besalú's medieval streets, and it's one of the most well-preserved examples in Europe. You descend stone steps into the original chambers as part of the tour.

How do I get to Besalú from Girona?

The tour includes transport from Girona to Besalú, about 30 kilometers away. You travel as a group with your guide and return to your Girona hotel at the end of the day.

What's included in the 8-hour tour?

Entry to the Museum of Jewish History in Girona, guided access to the Mikve in Besalú, all guided walks through both medieval quarters, hotel pickup from Girona, and all fees and taxes are included.