There are cities that we visit, and then there are Hostalricwhere they hand you the keys directly. This is not a metaphor: the Tourist Office provides you with a real key ring to open doors, lift locks, climb towers and travel an exceptional section of road. medieval walls who still guard the northern entrance to the jungle. It is a unique proposition – and silent, without groups or rush – which allows you to travel through a fortified heritage that was a strategic frontier for centuries. And the best: it is done at your own pace, with a road map and the feeling of being the temporary guest of a historic place that is still alive.
At a time when closed guided tours and linear tours are multiplying, this formula stands out for the recovery of something as fundamental as freedom. Here you don’t follow anyone: you move forward whenever you want, decide which tower to climb first and observe Hostalric from the perspective of those who once protected the passage between Barcelona and Girona. The experiment, named visit with keyis already one of the most original Tourism in Girona and another way to rediscover a medieval town which retains its layout almost intact.
A self-guided journey through history: the magic of visit with key
The proposition is simple, but it works because it is deeply narrative: the key is not just an object; This is symbolic permission to enter an area that for centuries has remained closed to anyone without permission. After passing through the Tourist Office (rue Raval, 45), the visitor receives the key and a detailed map. From there, the choice is free.
The wall, one of the best preserved parts of Catalonia, allows you to discover walkwayan elevated corridor from which access, fire and enemy movements were controlled. Today, the silence is total: the echo of footsteps on the stone is heard and the view opens onto the roofs of the historic center and the fields surrounding the city.
The route also leads to two essential rooms. The first is the Torre dels Frares, one of the most emblematic defensive elements, accessible thanks to the visit with key and with a promotion that rewards: from above, we perfectly understand the privileged position of the enclave. The second is the Ararà Tower, more modest but with an equally attractive viewpoint. As a whole, the route offers a clear reading of the medieval Hostalric, a core that prospered thanks to trade, travelers and its role as a surveillance point.
Experience designed for everyone
The system is organized in such a way that any visitor can take the tour without difficulty, including families with children. General entry costs €5, with reduced access for young people, seniors and people with functional diversity, and free access for children under six. Subscribers to several Catalan newspapers can benefit from 2×1, and payment is made only by card, a measure implemented in 2025.
Hours change depending on the time of year, but the morning slot – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – is guaranteed all year round. In summer, the afternoon is also extended. It is worth remembering that ticket sales stop one hour before closing and the activity does not take place on certain designated dates, such as Christmas, New Year or Easter Monday.
This time flexibility allows the traveler to more easily integrate the excursion into a broader itinerary through the region, but what is interesting is that it does not force them to fit it into a fixed schedule: autonomy is part of the charm. There are no guides, no groups and no time limit inside the tours. The experience adapts to the person who lives it.
A medieval town to discover in silence
Hostalric’s charm doesn’t stop at the wall. The historic center preserves portals, remains of towers and buildings which recall its strategic importance, linked to the old royal road. But the essence of the visit is to feel part of the defensive mechanism, if only for a few hours.
It is a route that invites you to walk slowly, open doors normally closed to the public and look down from high points that few medieval towns preserve. For many, this is precisely the appeal: the experience is simple, but gives the feeling of access to something reserved.
And even if the key is returned at the end of the visit, the image it leaves – that of a visitor walking alone through a fortification that once protected a kingdom – endures. Hostalric is not just a destination: it is a small exercise in historical imagination, built with stone, silence and autonomy.
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