A hidden door behind one of the benches in the chapel of the baptistery of Girona Cathedral leads to a dimension suspended in time. It is the entrance to the bell tower of the largest medieval nave in the world. On the Gothic walls, the names of the bells can still be read, and the ropes hang from the ceiling to ring them. Climbing a beautiful and humble spiral staircase leads to one of the rooms that the Girona writer Prudenci Bertrana surely trod in the early 20th century. It is where the bell ringer lived until before the Civil War. Behind a large window overlooking the Plaça dels Apòstols hides a two-story dwelling with three cells, as if it were a stage. The same one where we can imagine the protagonist of Josafat living, the hunched bell ringer, with a pointed skull, eagle's nose and rough hair, who lives isolated, constrained between lust and the weight of sin to fall into the seduction of a prostitute.

Salt is known today as the municipality with the lowest per capita income in Catalonia. Also one of the towns with the highest concentration of migrant population: nearly 40% of residents are of foreign nationality. But what headlines have overlooked in recent years is that almost half of this town's surface is still orchards and pastures. The Monar canal, parallel to the Ter river, marks the border between the built-up Salt and the agricultural zone. Few facilities surpass it, except for a large institute built on fertile land. Located on the border with Girona, surrounded by greenery and with magnificent views of the Mare de Déu del Mont, lies Vallvera. A secondary and vocational training center with more than 1,200 students, inaugurated in 2008, which contrasts with its surroundings by being a large gray sheet metal center with a concrete-filled courtyard. "In winter it's a refrigerator and in summer an oven, there's no in-between!", laments the director, Ferran Maimir, who started this academic year with a direction very focused on working for the renaturalization of the courtyard, but with a different method: that the students themselves build the shade with their hands.

When George Orwell (1903-1950) decides to travel to Catalonia in 1936 to fight as a militiaman in the Civil War and "kill fascists", he does not go alone. He had only been married for a few months to Eileen O'Shaughnessy, a brilliant 30-year-old woman who surpassed him in many educational aspects. While Eric Blair, the real name of the young English writer, had no more than secondary education at Eton, she had accumulated the background of having studied literature at Oxford and a postgraduate degree in psychology in London. They will have an unusual "honeymoon": while Orwell is on the Aragon front, Eileen will work in Barcelona receiving British militiamen and will be the first to realize the seriousness of the internal conflict that will lead to the May Events.

Nestled between the AP-7 motorway, the N-II national highway, and the railway line connecting Barcelona and Girona, in a village in the Selva region with fewer than 7,000 inhabitants, lies one of the ten fastest-growing European companies of the last decade: Kave Home. Its formula is quite unique, brimming with differentiating factors. It has become a "growth champion" by being headquartered outside a major city, operating as a 100% family-owned company, and reinventing one of the least modernized economic sectors: furniture. For the past three years, its CEO has been Francesc Julià Ametller (Girona, 1992), son of the founder of Julià Grup. What began with a small warehouse selling mattresses to hotels in Lloret de Mar is now a giant with over a thousand employees, most of them at its headquarters in Sils, having established a mid-range furniture model distinct from Ikea. "Making original, quality design affordable," in Julià's words. The former warehouse has been transformed into a cutting-edge company with hints of start-up More than selling furniture, it sells a concept of "how to live in your home."

Nassima arrives at the Girona Municipal School Enrollment Office (OME) completely exhausted. She had an appointment at ten in the morning, and it's now past ten-fifteen. "I went to work this morning, convinced the appointment was for tomorrow... I'm so stressed out with all this pre-registration stuff," she exclaims. A single mother with three children, her middle son is autistic, she had a premonition of this situation three years ago. That's when she fought hard with the Education Department to prevent her eldest, now 14, from starting secondary school at the Opus Dei-run school for boys in Girona, Bell-lloc College. "I wanted him to go to a public school," she exclaims, "but they didn't give me any alternatives then, and now I'd better figure it out. I can see my eldest will have to go study on the other side of the city because there are no other options or places available."

Older people know it because it was a Marist Brothers seminary. Those born in the 80s and 90s know it because they went there for their first summer camps, sharpening tools and building huts like prehistoric people. And for the Catalan cultural scene, it has become, in the last eight years, an interdisciplinary meeting point. An intimate space where you can enjoy everything from performances by emerging groups, companies, and artists to shows by renowned musicians like Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Adrià Puntí, and the Vallès Symphony Orchestra.

After years of back-and-forth negotiations and a host of uncertainties, the first images of what is to be the future Girona Health Campus were unveiled this Monday. This hospital complex will replace the current Josep Trueta Hospital and, according to institutional forecasts, should have its foundation stone laid by the end of 2028 and be completed by the end of 2031. The winning consortium in the design competition organized by Infraestructures.cat is the same one behind the Quironsalud Barcelona Hospital, the Doctor Moisès Hospital, and the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, among other projects. This consortium, Pinearq, SLP & Brullet de Luna y Asociados and SLP & PEGI Engineering, SL., has designed a large hospital complex surrounded by trees, with green terraces and a large, car-free interior promenade. Named Devesa de Salut 21, it has received the highest score for the creation of a large amenity area with landscaped plazas connecting it to the city, and a commitment to renewable energy and bioclimatic architecture.

This novel was born during a conversation among friends after a meal, inspired by the testimony of one of their mothers. It's an unknown, harsh, and anonymous story that portrays the inner workings of families who "lived well" under the Franco regime in Girona. It also marks the debut in the genre of lawyer Benet Salellas, former CUP deputy and currently leading the defense of Santos Cerdánand a finalist for the 45th Justo M. Casero Short Novel Prize. "I think we all tend to write what we like to read," he explains about the project's genesis. "I love fiction; I studied Greek philology before studying law. I've always had a bit of a cultured side, and I was challenged to try to write a novel. I wanted it to be anonymous, so if it's validated, I'll feel more empowered in some way."

The days are getting longer, and on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, at the foot of the Canigou massif, a valley welcomes spring with the white and pink of cherry blossoms. Watered by the pure waters of the Tec River, which rises near the border, Vallespir is a northern Catalan region of contrasts and cultural riches that remains relatively unknown. A thermal valley, in bloom and, above all, not overcrowded, just two hours by car from Barcelona, ​​with ancient traditions and monuments: from the Bear Festival in Prats de Molló to the Museum of Modern Art in Ceret, a mecca of Cubism, and the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria de Arles – founded in 1977. The valley offers seven stays to improve health, prescribed by the French Social Security system, for some 20,000 pensioners. Vallespir is divided into two sub-regions, Alt and Baix, primarily due to its topography. Descending from the Ares pass, where thousands of Catalans crossed the border during the Retirada (the Catalan retreat) fleeing Franco's regime, Prats de Molló marks the entrance to the more mountainous region. Céret and its cherry orchards are the capital of the Baix Vallespir, at the gateway to the Roussillon plain. Much of the route can easily be cycled along a greenway with spectacular, ancient metal bridges, such as the 14th-century Devil's Bridge of Céret, one of the largest single-arch medieval bridges in the world. This is the old railway line that connected the Baths of Arles (Arles-sur-Tech in French) with Elna, which opened in 1898 and operated until the 1930s.

He arrived in Girona during the height of the Spanish Transition, when the houses that are now picturesque along the Onyar River were gray and the city's "dump." Now, the city that welcomed him has just presented him with the most extensive exhibition ever held in the municipality: eight cultural venues are displaying more than 600 of his works, divided by theme. Vicente Huedo (Socuéllamos, Ciudad Real, 1955) is more than a painter: he is also a teacher of painters. Self-taught, and with a natural talent for drawing since childhood, he has taught at the La Mercè Cultural Center for 35 years. "Girona has given me back much more than I have given it," he explains enthusiastically about the exhibition. "It's a luxury in life to feel recognized and loved. After that, I don't think anything will change: it's food for thought, and I will continue creating my own work with the peace of mind of seeing my efforts rewarded."

Made from shortcrust pastry, shaped like a crescent moon, and filled with cream. That's the flaona, one of our Garrotxa desserts that, unlike the chicharrones cake or the aniseed roscón, has largely fallen into oblivion in recent decades. But now Lluís Riera, who has been preparing it every Friday at Cacau Pastisseria for the past 18 years, has set out to revive it. And he's doing it in style. "On the first Sunday of March, we will celebrate the first Aplec de la Flaona (Flaona Gathering). We will meet in the Plaça Major of Olot at 9 a.m. wearing barretinas (traditional Catalan caps), sashes, and seven-striped espadrilles. We will climb to the top of the Sant Francesc volcano accompanied by folk and traditional music. And at the top, we will eat flaones and drink a sip of ratafia.

The Michelin Guide was born in 1900 with a business purpose that most have forgotten today: to sell more tires. How was it possible to combine cuisine with automobiles? Brothers André and Édouard Michelin had founded the company eleven years earlier in Clermont-Ferrand, in central France, encouraged by the positive outlook for the automotive industry. But at that time, there were fewer than 3,000 vehicles on the French market, and most were concentrated in cities. How could they get people to wear out their tires and get them punctured so they could sell new ones? Thus, a guide was launched, initially free, with maps and numerous recommended restaurants, with the intention of encouraging car owners to travel the country. Over time, the selection of the best restaurants by independent "inspectors" solidified the guide's status as a benchmark, and in 1926, quality began to be rated with stars. Today, the guide is a global benchmark, sometimes overshadowed by Michelin-starred restaurants, but it continues to carefully select the best restaurants, even outside major cities. This was the case on Monday in Girona with the presentation of Michelin plaques to recommended restaurants in Catalonia outside of Barcelona. This year, CaixaBank was responsible for presenting the 89 plaques, having taken over the organization with the aim of strengthening its presence in the gastronomy sector. As with Michelin stars, Catalonia accounts for one in five of the top establishments in Spain, with a wide geographical distribution. For 2025, 10 restaurants outside Barcelona will be added to the list, which, in keeping with the spirit in which the guide was created, are well worth a visit.

Alongside the C-65, the road that connects Girona with the Costa Brava, stands the headquarters of the largest Spanish-owned resource company in Spain. Every day, it hires a total of 27,000 people from seven countries; 91,000 annually. And it does so from the industrial park in a cork-producing town, with no intention of abandoning its 35-year history. This is Eurofirms, which, with a turnover exceeding €700 million in 2025 and a 13% growth rate, holds the third-largest market share in the sector nationwide. But that's not enough for them.

The internal squabble in ERC in Girona city This week adds a new chapter after months of power struggles and a few The primaries to choose the mayoral candidate are very close.which ended with Marc Puigtió, former mayor of Sant Julià de Ramis and an ally of Oriol Junqueras, winning by a single vote. The local executive committee of the Republicans just submitted its resignation this Monday to prevent the motion of no confidence presented in January by the only member of the leadership aligned with Puigtió from succeeding. In a joint statement, the now-former executive committee asserts that it is resigning "due to the lack of democratic guarantees" and because it refuses to legitimize practices that it "believes are contrary to the party's values."

In a global context marked by the erosion of rights, a means of transport like the bicycle has become, more than ever, an ideological symbol. Consequently, political polarization directly impacts decisions regarding sustainable mobility. The 2023 municipal elections marked a turning point in many cities: the arrival of new governments has influenced the management of bike lanes, often citing arguments of safety or freedom to move around by car. We have seen this in Castelldefels, Palma, Elche, Valladolid, and Logroño, and Lisbon has drawn attention for impounding bicycles parked in public spaces. At the same time, in Barcelona, ​​the socialist government of Jaume Collboni has maintained the infrastructure but reduced the push for new traffic-calming measures. In Girona, however, the dynamic is different. It has become established in the last decade as the cycling capital of southern Europe, and businesses linked to the sector have multiplied almost fivefold. If at the beginning of 2014 there were only eight cycling shops In the city, there are currently 41. The bicycle has also become an economic and tourist engine: if in Barcelonaexpanded He lives in a rented apartment costing over 2,000 euros and drinks specialty coffees costing 5 euros; in Girona he is accompanied by a high-end road or gravel bike and equipment worth over 4,000 euros.

It has maintained the same annual fee since its inception in 2009. But its service has grown steadily. Nearly 6,000 people use it in a city of just over 100,000 inhabitants, a 15% increase each year. And it costs no more than the annual maintenance of a bus line, €300,000, with a staff of nine. We're talking about Girona's public bicycle service, Girocleta, which was created sixteen years ago following the Bicing model and has become a successful model of sustainable mobility in mid-sized cities by adhering to two very clear principles: being inexpensive, above all, and having very limited and sustained growth, with an average of one or two new stations each year to avoid overcrowding.

It all started with a small café opened in the midst of the pandemic in Platja d'Aro for cycling enthusiasts. The first meeting point for professional and amateur athletes on the Costa Brava. And in just five years, it has taken the leap to open a new location in Catalonia's great cycling mecca and also become the first specialty coffee roaster on the Girona coast. This, added to the big step forward in 2026: opening a new warehouse and reaching customers' homes with online sales (ecommerceMaglia Coffee & Co offers subscriptions to whole bean coffee. With a small team of 14 people (20 in peak season), it has just surpassed one million euros in revenue. At the helm of the project is Marc Guinó, the son of a family of restaurateurs from Maçanet de la Selva, who grew up surrounded by the sounds of coffee machines and cups in the family business. "I've always been a big coffee lover, and tasting specialty coffee was the spark that ignited my idea," he explains about the inspiration behind La Maglia. "I saw specialty coffee shops and cyclists growing in Girona, but there wasn't that kind of offering on the Costa Brava, so we created it." That's how Guinó opened his first shop on Juli Garreta street in Platja d'Aro, opposite Plaça del Mil·lenari, taking advantage of the fact that he lived in S'Agaró, and as a cyclist, he named it after the pink jersey worn by the leaders of the Giro d'Italia.

All the polls predict a victory for the Socialist candidate in Sunday's presidential elections in Portugal, but in practice, André Ventura, leader of the Portuguese far right, is poised to turn defeat into his greatest opportunity. momentumIn a way, the president of Chega and leader of the opposition has already won. First, because on January 19th he made history and achieved to force a second round of voting in a presidential election For the first time since 1986. And secondly, because it has brought to the forefront a dichotomy already supported by one in four Portuguese voters – a figure that could rise to a third after Sunday. The debate, also fueled by the media, has centered on whether it is necessary to continue with the democratic system born fifty years ago with the Carnation Revolution or to promote a "fourth republic." It is "the biggest change in the Portuguese political system since April 25th" of 1974, in Ventura's own words.

A street less than six meters wide runs alongside the Portbou riverbank, still carrying water from the recent rains, leading to the only vehicle access point for the second largest rail freight warehouse in Spain. It's 180,000 square meters, long forgotten, near the French border, but these days the paralysis of infrastructure in Catalonia is felt more acutely than ever after the accident in Gelida and the closure of the Rubí tunnel, through which freight passes. 23,000 tons of steel are piled up in the large warehouse in Portbou belonging to the rail logistics operator Railsider, which specializes in the steel industry. And another 8,000 tons are on their way. Operating since 1997, Railsider is the only operator still active in this last town on the Costa Brava, but in almost three decades it has never experienced a situation like this.

Twenty years ago, the then Minister of Health, Marina Geli, presented a model of the expansion of the major referral hospital for the Girona region: the Doctor Josep Trueta Hospital. The plan was for it to open in 2008, just as the economic crisis hit, but only three years later, the date was already being pushed back to 2015-2016. A decade has passed since then, along with a relocation of the facilities next to the Martí i Julià Hospital Park – better known as Santa Caterina – and a new timeline that places the opening of the new Girona Health Campus in 2031. Despite the agreement between institutions and the commitment that there is "nothing right now that will delay the schedule," doctors in Girona are questioning this timeline due to ongoing technical difficulties and "accumulated delays."