Surroundings, Gerona

On the east side of Bañolas is the church of San Esteban, originally founded in the ninth century, destroyed by French troops in 1665 and thereafter rebuilt in Neo-Classical style. It contains a very beautiful Gothic retablo, the Retaule de la Mare de Deu de l'Escala (by Joan Antigo, 1437-39).

To the west of Bañolas lies the Lago de Bañolas, the largest natural inland lake in Catalonia, which was the venue of the rowing events in the 1992 Olympic Games. At the southwest end of the lake is the village of Porqueras (Catalan Porqueres), with a beautiful little Romanesque church.

Northwest of the Plaça Major is the Late Romanesque parish church of San Vicente, with a 16th century tower. On the southeast side is the fine Porta de Sant Rafael, with a round-headed arch and figural capitals.

South of the Plaça Major is the massive church of San Pedro, one of the finest Romanesque churches in Catalonia. The columns on either side of the middle window in the otherwise undecorated west front have richly carved figural capitals and are flanked by two figures of lions. Opposite the church is a handsome mansion, the Casa Cornelià.

On the road to the medieval bridge spanning the Fluvià, on the right, is a Jewish ritual bath (mikwe). The bridge, which was rebuilt in 1315, has a defensive tower in the middle and a gate with a portcullis at the end nearest the town.

Castellfullit, 16km/10mi west of Besalú on C 150, is fantastically situated on a spur of basalt which falls almost vertically down to the Riu Fluvià. Near the outermost tip of the crag, high above the abyss, is the old church.