Temps de Flors
Every May, Girona's Barri Vell becomes an ephemeral garden: Temps de Flors fills more than 100 spaces across the medieval old town — the cathedral, the Arab baths, private courtyards that only open for the occasion — with around 140 floral installations. Nine days, free admission, and over 400,000 visitors at the last edition.
Seventy years of flowers among stone
It didn't start as a grand festival — just a modest flower competition in 1954, set up in the Saló de Descans of the Teatre Municipal by a group of Girona women led by Maria Cobarsí, alongside doctor Miquel Oliva and Josep Tarrés. It worked, so it stayed. In 1958 it moved to the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants; in 1985 to the convent of Sant Domènec; and in 1992 the city council took over the organisation and extended it to the entire Barri Vell — the leap that made it what it is today. The name 'Girona, Temps de Flors' was coined by poet Josep Tarrés in 1993. It takes place in May for purely seasonal reasons: this is when the Catalan countryside is in full bloom. Don't link it to Corpus Christi or Sant Jordi — no official source connects it to any religious celebration, even though many people assume so.
Around 150 installations throughout the medieval quarter
The usual format involves 140–150 floral installations spread across more than 100 spaces in the Barri Vell, over nine days (two full weekends) in mid-May. They are created by floral artists, schools, cultural organisations and neighbourhood collectives who spend weeks combining fresh flowers, dried blooms, recycled materials and varied elements to enter into dialogue with each piece of architecture. What makes it different: private courtyards and gardens in the old town that are closed for the rest of the year open their doors. You'll find installations on the steps of the Cathedral, at the Banys Àrabs, the monastery of Sant Daniel, the Passeig Arqueològic along the old walls, the Torre Gironella, and the narrow lanes of the Call Jueu. Admission to everything is free. Tip: download the official map and prioritise — trying to see it all in one day leads to exhaustion and rushing. Better to pick three or four areas and take your time.
The most photographed event in Catalonia
The reason is simple: flowers and medieval stone together make for one of the most compelling combinations around. The evening route — monuments lit up and draped in flowers — creates an atmosphere many describe as almost surreal, and it generates the most widely shared visual content of the year across Catalonia. The official @tempsdeflors account on Instagram has over 15,000 followers, and there are entire Pinterest boards dedicated to it. The flip side of that popularity is the crowds: the last edition broke the 400,000-visitor record, and seven in ten visitors from outside Girona are Catalan, many coming from Barcelona. What that means in practice: the most photogenic spots — the Cathedral steps, the Call Jueu — fill up fast, and getting a shot without people mid-Saturday morning is nearly impossible. If you're going for photos, go at dawn or late in the day. The evening light on the stone is also much better.
How to get there and avoid the queues
From Barcelona the fastest option is the high-speed train: AVE or AVANT from Sants in around 38–39 minutes, with over twenty departures a day. The AVANT ticket is cheaper than the AVE on the same train, so check that one first. The budget alternative is the Rodalies R11, around 81 minutes. Forget the car: the Barri Vell is pedestrianised and parking during the festival is a nightmare. The key advice is about timing. Weekends are chaos; on weekdays the crowds drop significantly. If Saturday is your only option, arrive right when it opens (around 9:30) or go from 18:00 onwards — the organisers actively promote 'vesprejar', the late-afternoon visit, as a way to avoid peak hours. Paid guided tours with an official guide are available; check prices, dates and book in advance on the official website, as spots are limited.
Frequently asked questions
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Passeig de la Muralla
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