Travel to Montserrat in Spain to see the magnificent views of Catalonia.
Montserrat Monastery, Spain
A wonderful day trip from Barcelona is to travel to the mountains of Montserrat located 45 miles northwest of Barcelona. While some adventurers will hike the mountains, you can reach the Benedictine Abbey via car, or the Sant Joan funicular, which is more fun to ride in. The view to the Abby from the funicular is breathtaking.
Views from Santa Maria de Montserrat
The Benedictine Abbey
The overwhelming beauty of the rocky mountain ranges of Montserrat emanates from the radiant pink coloring of the rock. As the Sun shines over the mountains towards Sunset, the reflecting colors change and produce a magical glow which monks from the Benedictine Abbey have admired for centuries.
Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey
Dating back to the 10th Century
Today, over 150 monks still live and worship in the Santa Maria Abbey. You can visit the museum and see works by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, yet the highlight is the famed Montserrat Boys Choir who sing at 1pm on certain days. Be sure to check the calendar! If you are a historian or a fan of science fiction, you can also explore the connection between Montserrat and The Holy Grail.
Olesa de Montserrat
There are various small towns which make ideal lunch or dinner spots enroute to Montserrat. Olesa de Montserrat is an ideal town to dine in. As you drive into the town, the olive trees will guide you to the small commune where local restaurants serving tapas with delicious locally-made olive oil and wine from terraced vineyards will be served.
