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 | Barcelona Day Trip: Montserrat Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 49 |  |
 | |  |  | Day Trip: Montserrat: Monasterio de Montserrat | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
Catalonia's most important religious retreat is Montserrat. Here athletes pledge barefoot pilgrimages if prayers are answered and vital competitions won. Groups of young people from Barcelona and all over Catalonia make overnight hikes at least once in their lives to watch the sunrise from the heights of Montserrat. "La Moreneta" (the black virgin), Catalonia's favorite saint, resides in the famous sanctuary of the Mare de Deu de Montserrat, next to the Benedictine monastery nestled among the towers and crags of the mountain. Montserrat, whose name means serrated mountain, is 48 kilometers (roughly 30 miles) west of Barcelona, and can be reached easily and spectacularly by train and cable car. Just take the FGC train from Plaça d'Espanya station (R5) and go to either the cable car stop or the funicular stop. I suggest the first stop, the cable car for it's remarkable view! Make sure you buy the combination ticket before leaving (saves you some money!) Looming 1236 meters (4055 ft) over the valley floor, Montserrat, the highest point of the Catalan lowlands, stands central to the most populated part of Catalonia. The massive conglomerate stone monolith is ideally located to play an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of Catalonia. The Basilica houses a museum that is packed with works of art by a long list of prominent painters and sculptors including works by El Greco, Dalí, Picasso and many more. Lastly, Montserrat's highest point, Sant Jeroni, can be reached by funicular (price included in combination ticket) from the Romanesque monastery of Santa Cecilia. From Sant Jeroni, almost all of Catalonia can be seen. You can see more about this monastery soon on my Monistrol de Montserrat page. Leave a Comment Website: http://www.abadiamontserrat.net/
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| | | | Day Trip: Montserrat: MONSERRAT AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Montserrat - massif 50 km NW of Barcelona with dolomite-like rocks. Richard Wagner stayed there - his opera Parsifal uses the mountain as its backdrop. The Benedictine monestery is a popular shrine in Catalunya, with its Black Virgin (La Moreneta), a 12th century wooden sculpture. Splendid views and rambles - an ideal day out. Monastery (f. 1025) sacked by Napoleon's troops in 1811. Dissolution of monestery in 1830s (anti-clerical laws). Choir sings the 'Virolai' at 13:00 and the 'Salve Regina' at 19:10 Mon. through Sun. Hike along one of the paths behind the monestary to the far side of the massif (next to the radio masts). There is an impressive sheer drop of a 1000 feet of so if you fancy peering over the edge (warning, do not try this in fog!). The monestery is ugly. The side streets offer trinkets and dear catering. Avoid weekends and holidays (coach parties galore!). A local wag said of Catalonia that "a country with a black virgin and a white gorilla can't be all bad" - cruel but funny. Sadly, the gorilla ("Floc de neu", a.k.a. "Snowflake") died in 2003 and it turns out the Montserrat virgin only went black over the ages. She is a sickly cream colour beneath the grime. Should you be one of the few VIPs asked to sign the visitors book, ask to see the entries for 1940/41. Lo and behold, there is Heinrich Himmler's name! The old bugger was convinced the Holy Grail had been taken there from Montsegur after the Pope and his cohorts wiped out the Cathars in 1244 (the Catholic Church at the time had its own version of "The Final Solution"). Wagner, Parsifal, Himmler, and the Nazis' obsession with the occult - you won't find this kind of information in the tourist brochures. FGC (Catalan railways): Dep: Placa Espanya stn. Barcelona Arr: Monsterrat Aeri stn. (Journey time approx. 1 hr.) then cable car to monestery Enter stations, travel date & departure time in the 2nd. web below for timetables. Round ticket includes cable car. Leave a Comment Website: http://montserratweb.iespana.es/montserratweb/
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