Onyar River (Riu Onyar)

The basics

The Onyar River is hard to miss if you’re staying in Girona—you’ll likely cross it several times—but you can also discover it on a Girona city tour. These usually leave from Barcelona, but may also depart from the Palamos cruise port. Some day trips pair Girona with the Dalí Triangle, a set of three surrealist sights: the Castle of Púbol, the Dalí Theatre-Museum, and the Salvador Dalí House–Portlligat. The river is too narrow and shallow for cruises.

Things to know before you go

• The Onyar River is a great choice for photographers, and Girona is a must for anyone who loves both photography and history.

• The bridge scene where Arya gets stabbed in Game of Thrones was filmed in Girona—but the bridge doesn’t cross the River Onyar, and in fact it has no water at all. You can see it if you visit the archaeology museum.

• Girona is reasonably wheelchair friendly, but to capture photos of the Onyar River views, you’ll need to head to the Pont de Pedra or Sant Feliu bridges. The other bridges are not wheelchair accessible.

How to get there

The Onyar River runs right through the heart of Girona. To walk from the train station, which is about 0.5 miles (800 meters) southwest of the river, head up to Plaça de Catalunya, where the river runs underground, then follow the river north, crossing bridges as often as you need or want to.

When to get there

Like most natural attractions, the River Onyar has no opening hours. Photographers will want to spend the night in Girona to capture the river at its best, in the early morning light.

Gustave Eiffel’s bridge in Girona

Many bridges cross the River Onyar, including several pedestrian ones. Architecture buffs won’t want to miss the Eiffel Bridge, properly known as the Pont de les Peixateries Velles (bridge of the old fish sellers). Designed by Gustave Eiffel’s firm, shortly before they built his eponymous Eiffel Tower, it’s a small but perfectly formed web of scarlet-painted iron.