We were looking for a great day trip from Barcelona; something that would get us out of the city and into the countryside. We decided to head to Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey on a mountain about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona.
We took a taxi over to the Julia Travel office where we got on the morning bus to Montserrat. The ride takes about an hour out of the city and then up and into the hills. The day we went, there was some haze that obscured the mountains for our trip up to the abbey. When we arrived, we were above the clouds that were covering the valley and any view of Barcelona. However, the sky was clear above us and we could see the distinctively carved mountain rising to 4055′.
History of Montserrat
The history of the abbey goes back to Roman times when there was a temple worshiping Venus. The first written mention of construction at the monastery site is in 880 AD. The current monastery was founded 1025 as an expansion of existing sites built by hermit monks. That’s a long time ago.
Activities
A tram/cog train climbs from the monastery to the base of hiking trails above Montserrat. There are several well-marked hiking trails that lead through the nature park Montserrat. These hikes are worth the effort – you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of Catalonia and Montserrat in particular. Make sure that you wear sturdy shoes. As long as you’re in relatively good shape you should be able to manage any of the hikes.
Having a few hours to kill after the overview tour of the abbey, we elected to take the tram (funicular) which ends at several trailheads. From there we headed North along a trail that winds through the woods and across a rock face where a path had been carved into the rock face. We had some great views and an exciting time as we navigated across the terrain. After a couple of apples and water for lunch, we headed back down the funicular to the abbey.
There are normally several other options for exploring the abbey at Montserrat. I think it all depends on how much time ypu want to spend there. Check out the Montserrat website for more information.
It was really great to get up into the mountains with the fresh air and fantastic views. I have to say that all in all, we had a good time and enjoyed the excursion. We think others will as well.
More Barcelona photos can be found in the Barcelona Photo Album.
Love the description of your day. Thanks Terri