The Painted Houses of the Onyar River
The row of ochre, terracotta, mustard and rust-red houses clinging to the banks of the Onyar River is Girona's most iconic image — and the view from the Pont de Pedra stone bridge is even better in real life than in photographs. This is the city's living postcard, best appreciated by crossing every bridge and lingering on each one.
Why the Houses Are Coloured
The pastel palette isn't decorative whimsy — it evolved over centuries as different families painted their facades to distinguish their properties and protect the render from river damp. The effect, stacked four and five storeys above the water on narrow medieval plots, is genuinely theatrical.
Architect Rafael Masó, Girona's own Modernista master, designed several of the buildings along the riverbank in the early 20th century. His Casa Masó at Carrer dels Ciutadans 29 is now a museum open for guided visits and gives a rare look inside one of the painted houses.
The Best Bridges to Cross
There are seven bridges crossing the Onyar through the city centre. The Pont de Pedra (1856) is the busiest and most central, but walk south to the iron Pont de les Peixateries Velles — designed by Gustave Eiffel's engineering company in 1877 — for a different angle on the facades and a quieter crossing.
The east bank (Rambla de la Llibertat side) has the best light in the morning; the west bank (old city side) catches the warm afternoon sun. For the classic reflection shot, visit after rain when the Onyar runs high and still.
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