Thanks to my hosts in Barcelona, I arrived at Montserrat before the tour buses. It was deserted except for a few people like myself who took the early train from Barcelona. I was drawn by the beautiful vistas and started with a walk along one of the paths. By the time I had finished my walk the tour buses had arrived and all headed to the Black Madonna and Monastery. Because of the detour, I did not avoid the line to see the Black Madonna. I spent a full 8 hrs on the Mountain, I took 2 walks, heard the boys choir, saw the Monastery and Black Madonna. I had time to go in a few shops. There are other walks besides the ones I took. It was a wonderful day and I would love to return one day and spend a night to best enjoy the area.
Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine Abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain. The Virgin of Montserrat is housed here. It is an important site for religious pilgrimage in the world.
The famous boys choir sing in the basilica every day. There are a few walks around Montserrat Mountain which are well worth a trip in itself. There are unforgettable memories.
Montserrat can be seen in a day trip from Barcelona and easily accessible by train.
It would have been better to go directly to the monastery however I was drawn by the view and walking path with the Ceramic Icons of the Virgin Mary.
Breathtaking Vistas
Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine Abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain. The Virgin of Montserrat is housed here. It is an important site for religious pilgrimage in the world.
The famous boys choir sing in the basilica every day. There are a few walks around Montserrat Mountain which are well worth a trip in itself. There are unforgettable memories.
Montserrat can be seen in a day trip from Barcelona and easily accessible by train.
It would have been better to go directly to the monastery however I was drawn by the view and walking path with the Ceramic Icons of the Virgin Mary.
Breathtaking Vistas
Photos of the Monastery
Interior of the Monastery
"Statue-Madonna-von-Montserrat" by Misburg3014 - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue-Madonna-von-Montserrat.JPG#mediaviewer/File:Statue-Madonna-von-Montserrat.JPG
Walk with views of the Mountain and the wall with Ceramic Icons all along the walk
It is an easy walk and peaceful as there were only a few people
The path of the Santa Cova leads to the chapel of the cave where, according to legend, the image of the Virgin Mary appeared. The funicular leads to easy access to this path however it is a hike albeit a short one but expect an incline round trip.
This is the Santa Cova
Information to tour Montserrat
http://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com
http://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com/en/transport/barcelona-to-montserrat-train.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain)
