Short Catalan courses, built around Girona
Every course mixes small-group Catalan classes with local excursions. You learn the basics in class, then hear about the history and traditions from the people who live with them.
Girona Essentials
Is 5 nights in Girona too many? Not when every day has a theme, a Catalan class and an afternoon out with a local guide. Arrive on Sunday and leave on Saturday speaking more Catalan than you expected.
Sunday · Benvinguts
Arrive, check in, and meet the group for a welcome vermut by the Onyar.
Monday · Hola, Girona
Class: greetings, introductions and survival phrases. Afternoon: Barri Vell walk to the Cathedral steps and Sant Feliu, where you kiss the Lleona so you come back to Girona.
Words: bon dia, em dic…, si us plau, gràcies
Tuesday · Al mercat
Class: numbers, food and shopping. Afternoon: Mercat del Lleó, where you buy your own ingredients, then a pa amb tomàquet and local produce workshop.
Words: quant val?, mig quilo, pa amb tomàquet
Wednesday · Història i llegendes
Class: directions and talking about the past. Afternoon: the Jewish Call and its history museum, the Banys Àrabs, and a sunset walk on the city walls. From Roman Gerunda to the siege of 1809.
Words: on és…?, a la dreta, la muralla
Thursday · Volcans i pobles
Full-day excursion: medieval Besalú and its bridge, Castellfollit de la Roca on its basalt cliff, and a walk in the Garrotxa volcanic zone. Lunch at a country masia.
Words: el pont, el volcà, bon profit!
Friday · Festa!
Class: traditions, castellers, Sant Jordi, the Tió. Afternoon: sardana lesson in the square and a final mission, a real conversation with a local shopkeeper. Certificate and farewell dinner.
Words: fins aviat, salut!, visca!
Saturday · Adéu
Breakfast with a xuixo, then departure. Or stay on and explore by yourself.
Catalan & the Costa Brava
The full Girona Essentials week plus two extra days in the province: the coast, Dalí, medieval villages and Empordà wine. More vocabulary, more places.
Days 1–5 · Girona Essentials
Classes, the old town, the market, the Jewish quarter, the volcanoes and the festa.
Day 6 · Dalí i el mar
The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, then Cadaqués: whitewashed streets, fishing boats and lunch by the sea.
Words: el mar, la platja, peix fresc
Day 7 · L'Empordà
Walk the camí de ronda coastal path at Calella de Palafrugell, wander medieval Pals and Peratallada, then a wine tasting at a family winery.
Words: un got de vi, salut!, m'encanta
Un Dia a Girona
Only one day in Girona? Spend it well. A survival Catalan class in the morning, a guided walk through the old town, and a vermut where you order in Catalan.
- Survival Catalan
The 30 words and phrases that make locals smile.
- Barri Vell walk
Cathedral, the Call, the Onyar bridges and the legends behind them.
- Vermut & tapes
Your first mission: order for the table, in Catalan.
Catalan for the festes
The Girona Essentials format, timed for the city's biggest celebrations, with vocabulary and activities built around each one.
Sant Jordi
April. Books, roses and Catalonia's patron saint, the most romantic day of the Catalan year.
Temps de Flors
May. The old town filled with flower installations, in courtyards, on the cathedral steps and in hidden patios.
Fires de Sant Narcís
Late October. Girona's big annual fair, with fairground rides, concerts, castellers and gegants.
Nadal
December. Christmas markets, the caganer, and the Tió, a log that brings presents.
Pedals & Paraules
Girona is Europe's cycling capital, and plenty of cyclists bring a partner who isn't riding. Pedals & Paraules runs afternoon Catalan classes and outings so riders can join after their ride, and partners have a full programme of their own while the riders are out.
- Afternoon classes (16:00–18:00), timed to fit after a morning ride
- Partner programme: morning class + daily cultural outing
- Cyclist's Catalan: café stops, mechanics, directions, and “on és el cafè?”
- Partner offers with Girona cycling hotels, cafés and tour operators
Your dates, your group
Any course can run privately for families, friends, schools, new residents or company teams. We also offer longer intensive Catalan and Spanish courses (we are an Instituto Cervantes accredited centre) for anyone moving to Girona.
Not sure which one?
Tell us how many days you have and what you're into. We'll reply within 24 hours, in English, Spanish or Catalan.
Start learning before you arrive
Get your ear and your first words ready at home with two free resources we recommend to our students:
Viquiràdio
24-hour radio entirely in Catalan, made by volunteers: music, news, games and a live quiz. The easiest way to get your ear used to Catalan.
Global Method
Free Catalan vocabulary from A1 to C2: ten words a day with pictures, definitions and example sentences, without translation.