When Västervik was founded at its current location in 1433 by Eric of Pomerania, the inhabitants were granted four tax-free years, the first of which was to build a church. Services were held here for nearly 500 years, with the last high mass on the Feast of Christ the King (Domssöndagen) in 1905. The new church, St Peter's, was consecrated on the first Advent of the same year. Since then, St Gertrud's was used for various purposes, including for grain storage during the First World War. Eventually, the idea to restore the church as a place of worship emerged, and St Gertrud's was re-consecrated on 18th June 1933. The church's original tower, destroyed by lightning during a service in 1762, was replaced in the 1780s by the current one, designed by the renowned architect Carl-Fredrik Adelcratz. Among the church's many valuable artefacts is a Wistenius organ from 1743, considered one of Sweden's most precious organs.

A Gothic gate built in the first half of the 14th century, it consists of a square tower with a walkway on the ground floor. After the reconstruction of the tower in 1960-61, the Town Museum established a Museum of Weapons there. Michael’s Gate is the only city gate that has been preserved of the medieval fortifications and is one of the oldest town buildings in Bratislava.

The Carnival is a lively party at which everyone is welcome. Attendees typically don disguises and masks, and the streets fill with groups of chirigotas, comparsas, or a special type of murga that is indigenous to Bornos. Two weeks before the party, the Peña Carnavalesca de Bornos organizes the "Morcillá Popular". Beer and blood sausage can be tasted for free while the groups participating in the party present their songs. A provincial contest is held every year in the auditorium of the Corpus Christi Convent. Groups from the whole area participate. In any act of the contest you can enjoy an atmosphere of genius and magic. Carnival takes place on the second weekend in the so-called Domingo de Piñata. A parade and costume contest mark the day.

Plaça de la Independència is the elegant neoclassical heart of Girona, designed by Martí Sureda in the 19th century on the site of a former Augustine convent. Its porticoed arches frame a lively scene of locals and visitors dining or sipping coffee under the shade. The square’s name honours Girona’s defenders during the 1808–1809 siege by Napoleonic forces, a struggle memorialised by Antoni Parera’s central monument in 1894. By day, it’s a prime spot for people-watching; by night, the terraces fill with revellers enjoying tapas and evening drinks. An essential stop for both history and atmosphere.