Girona: A City in Bloom

The city of Girona will undergo a botanical makeover this year from May 11th to 19th. Offering more than a hundred individual displays, Temps de Flors (the Girona Flower Festival) turns streets and squares into living art installations, accompanied by music, light shows and the intoxicating scent of thousands of blooms. A gift for all the senses, visitors will see how an ancient city becomes one giant canvas for artistic expression, where the beauty of floral compositions blends with its architectural and historical heritage.      

Since it was first held in 1954—when it was organized by female volunteers from the local Falange Española Tradicionalista (the sole legal political party under Franco)—this exhibition has bedecked some of the city’s best-known landmarks. The 90 stone stairs ascending to Girona Cathedral are typically covered in elegant, formal arrangements. Oversized water lilies float in the Onyar River, their stark white flowers a contrast to the multicolored facades of the houses along the water. And the central pool of the Banys Àrabs (the city’s Arab baths) spills over with blossoms as leafy vines curl up the slim columns supporting the cupola overhead. 

More sites have been added over the years as renovations to the Medieval Quarter have made it more attractive to tourists, and in 1993, the floral show became an official route. Visitors now have the opportunity to enter the patios and gardens of cultural centers and buildings that are normally closed to the general public. In past editions, the cloisters of the Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants have been packed with huge wicker baskets, tipped on their sides to release an endless carpet of pink and purple dahlias; color and action returned to the Cinema Modern, where audiences went to watch films from the Forties to the Nineties; and a tableau of flowering bicycles and model cars took on new meaning when spectators realized they were in a courtyard dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers. Displays have also incorporated photographs, fountains, games—such as a Scrabble board spelling out the names of flowers featured around the barri—and even old tires, spruced up with a coat of bright orange paint and stuffed with carnations and gerberas of various springtime hues. Who knows what the city has in store for this next edition. 

A native of Girona, Pilar Rodríguez Soriano has been attending the festival with her mother and grandmother for as long as she can remember. “Back then, all the work was done by volunteers, but today Temps de Flors also attracts professional florists, artists, architects, designers and creatives in general, who have raised the festival’s artistic standards,” she said. “This in turn generates more interest and greater economic gain for the city.” 

Beyond the designated stops, you’ll notice that the whole town takes part in the festivities. Some residents choose to line their windowsills with simple planters of daisies or rest bunches of sunflowers and poppies in their doorway, while the majority of storefronts exhibit displays as bright and colorful as Carnival—a testament to the close-knit community here. Rodríguez is one of the many residents who take a hands-on approach to the festival. “I collaborate with one of the four associations that organizes the event, Associació Amics de les Flors de Girona.” Although she had no previous experience working with flowers, Rodríguez is an architect and joined the group several years ago to have a more significant role in the celebration. 

In her opinion, the most impressive installation was created for the 59th edition. Hundreds of metallic human figures sat among potted flowers occupying the stairs of the cathedral, in memory of the founder of the festival Maria Cobarcí, who had passed away the year before. The stationary figures had no distinguishing marks in order to represent the anonymity of the collective effort behind the affair—of both the people who work to make it possible and those who enjoy it. “Cobarcí was known for her humility and wisdom, and the design recognized her unparalleled ambition to enrich the city’s public spaces and provide activities for the whole community,” said Rodríguez. The importance of moments like these coupled with the joy a beautiful bouquet can evoke, make the anticipation for the 64th edition of Temps de Flors that much higher. 

In addition to the intricate floral tapestries that carpet Girona's squares and buildings, the program includes live music, workshops, dance performances, art expositions and traditional sardana dancing.

No matter how you choose to see Temps de Flors this May, it’s great fun for a family weekend or romantic outing away from Barcelona. Even if you’ve been before, the exhibitions and displays are always fresh, so wander along the cobblestone streets and let yourself get lost among Girona’s blooming nooks and crannies.

Girona Eats

All these sights and smells are bound to leave you with an appetite. Here are a few places to stop whether you’re in the mood for a festival-themed menu, a savory snack or a sweet treat.

CASA MARIETA

Restaurant Casa Marieta is recognized by the Círculo de Restaurantes Centenarios de España. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was divided into a boarding house and restaurant, while next door was the area for guests to leave their carriages and cattle. Today the livestock has to stay on the farm, but the restaurant still offers more than 40 home-cooked, traditional Catalan dishes—something for every member of the family. 

Plaça de la Independència, 5-6.

OCCI

Although small, OCCI restaurant has a distinct personality. Using innovative techniques and seasonal products, its team of professionals works hard to translate its passion for the kitchen into elaborate dishes in the hopes of strengthening patrons’ appreciation of gastronomy. During Temps de Flors, the courses of its menú del día are kept simple and garnished with edible flowers. The chefs are careful not to add too many flavors to one plate, so as not to overpower the delicate taste of the florets. 

Carrer dels Mercaders, 3.

ROCAMBOLESC

"There’s no sincerer love than one’s love of ice cream." Jordi Roca, the mastermind behind the sweet side of El Celler de Can Roca’s menu, started this ice cream shop with that belief in mind. Here he combines artisan ice cream-making techniques with processes perfected in other fields by pastry chefs, graphic designers and scientists. On any given day, customers can choose from six different flavors—baked apple ice cream, pumpkin and mandarin sorbet, and coconut with violet sorbet being some of the most imaginative—and add all the toppings they want, from chocolate cake and shortbread, to guava jam and roca de miel. 

Carrer de Santa Clara, 50.

Published May 7, 2017, updated April 17, 2024.