Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), Girona (must see)
Not far from the Girona Cathedral, you'll find the Arab Baths. This public bathhouse is a remarkably preserved stone structure. Christians constructed the facility in 1194. Medieval Muslim baths and the baths of ancient Rome were the inspiration for the Arab Baths, though the architectural style is mostly Romanesque.
Visitors can explore the five rooms of the Arab Baths on a self-guided tour. The first room you enter, perhaps the grandest, is the apodyterium or dressing room. It was a place used for changing clothes and socializing. The cold room, known as the frigidarium, was enclosed by two double doors to keep the bath water cold. It was meant to be used at the end of a bathhouse visit.
Next, you'll find the warm room called the tepidarium. This room was a place that boasted more comfortable temperatures for relaxing, conversing, or enjoying a meal. The caldarium was the hottest room, similar to a hot sauna or steam room. In the adjoining furnace room, an ancient central heating system known as a hypocaust helped heat the caldarium and keep it steamed up!
The establishment functioned as a bath until its closure in the 15th century. Thenceforth, it had passed into private hands and been put to different uses. In 1617, a Capuchin convent used the building as a pantry, kitchen, and laundry. Throughout the 19th century, the term 鈥淎rab Baths鈥� got firmly attached to the site.
More recently, the baths gained fame as The Baths of Braavos featured in the acclaimed Game of Thrones series. One of the prevalent themes in season six is the hunting of Arya Stark by the waif. You may remember the iconic chase scene through the city which culminates in a terrifying climax. At one point, while fleeing from the waif, Arya ends up entering the baths, trying to hide.
When in here, make sure to pay a visit to the rooftop as you will enjoy some truly incredible views from up there, including the stone-domed skylight.
Visitors can explore the five rooms of the Arab Baths on a self-guided tour. The first room you enter, perhaps the grandest, is the apodyterium or dressing room. It was a place used for changing clothes and socializing. The cold room, known as the frigidarium, was enclosed by two double doors to keep the bath water cold. It was meant to be used at the end of a bathhouse visit.
Next, you'll find the warm room called the tepidarium. This room was a place that boasted more comfortable temperatures for relaxing, conversing, or enjoying a meal. The caldarium was the hottest room, similar to a hot sauna or steam room. In the adjoining furnace room, an ancient central heating system known as a hypocaust helped heat the caldarium and keep it steamed up!
The establishment functioned as a bath until its closure in the 15th century. Thenceforth, it had passed into private hands and been put to different uses. In 1617, a Capuchin convent used the building as a pantry, kitchen, and laundry. Throughout the 19th century, the term 鈥淎rab Baths鈥� got firmly attached to the site.
More recently, the baths gained fame as The Baths of Braavos featured in the acclaimed Game of Thrones series. One of the prevalent themes in season six is the hunting of Arya Stark by the waif. You may remember the iconic chase scene through the city which culminates in a terrifying climax. At one point, while fleeing from the waif, Arya ends up entering the baths, trying to hide.
When in here, make sure to pay a visit to the rooftop as you will enjoy some truly incredible views from up there, including the stone-domed skylight.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Girona. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Banos Arabes (Arab Baths) on Map
Sight Name: Banos Arabes (Arab Baths)
Sight Location: Girona, Spain (See walking tours in Girona)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Girona, Spain (See walking tours in Girona)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Girona, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Girona
Creating your own self-guided walk in Girona is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Game of Thrones Film Sites in Girona
Game of Thrones is one of the biggest and most expensive shows in the history of television made to date. Over the course of eight years of its production, from 2011 to 2019, this fantasy behemoth exploited several locations throughout Europe including the pretty medieval city of Girona, chosen for its well-preserved historic heritage.
Some of the Game of Thrones locations in Girona doubled as... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.7 Km or 0.4 Miles
Some of the Game of Thrones locations in Girona doubled as... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.7 Km or 0.4 Miles
Girona Introduction Walking Tour
The beautiful city of Girona is located in the northeastern part of Catalonia, Spain. The area was first settled by ancient Iberians that inhabited the region of the Iberian Peninsula as early as the 6th century B.C. The Romans later occupied the town, where they built a citadel and gave the city its original name of "Gerunda."
Girona is situated at the junction of several rivers. The... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Girona is situated at the junction of several rivers. The... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles