If you’ve been to Barcelona (or you’re planning your trip there now), there’s a good chance that your activity list is pretty concentrated on the city center. After all, your trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting Gaudi’s creations, touring the Barcelona Cathedral, or meandering through Park Ciutadella. But before you fill up your schedule in town, be sure to clear some time to visit Montserrat.
The Montserrat mountain range is the highest natural point in Barcelona, as well as the home of Santa María de Montserrat, a monastery that was founded nearly 1000 years ago! In addition to the absolutely breathtaking view of Barcelona and the valley below the mountains, Montserrat also boasts plenty of beauty in the natural park area and the lavish monastery.
It’s a refreshing place to step away from Barcelona’s bustle, and it makes for a great day trip–especially since things tend to wind down in the sleepy town around 5, giving you plenty of time to be back in Barcelona by dinner.
A Video Tour of Montserrat
How to Get to Montserrat
Montserrat is located a decent way from central Barcelona, but you do have plenty of options for getting there. The fastest way is to drive or take a taxi (about an hour without traffic), but you can also catch the R5 train from Placa Espanya to the Aria de Montserrat cable car and be there in less than 2 hours.
However, my favorite option is to drive or take the train to the Monistrol de Montserrat station and ride the cog-wheel train (Cremallera) to the top! You’ll get fantastic views of the mountainside as the train winds back and forth.
Top Things to Do at Monsterrat
Explore the Town
First things first, take a stroll through the scenic town on top of the mountain. Built around the exterior of the monastery, this little village features a collection of small shops, a museum, and two hotels, including one that dates back to the 1500s.
There’s also a small farmer’s market where you can buy local cheeses, fresh veggies, small souvenirs, etc.
If you’re hungry, you can grab a snack from the local supermarket or dine at Buffet de Montserrat or Restaurant Abat Cisneros.
Take in the View
Montserrat is gorgeous from literally every angle, so you can spend quite a bit of time just looking around. In town, the jagged peaks of the mountain range soar overhead in curious formations. And from the many lookout points, you can see the valleys sweeping below and smaller mountains fading off into the distance.
If you have time to take a hike into the natural area, do it! You’ll get some more great views and be able to visit a few of the sites on the road less traveled, like Santa Cova Chapel and Sant Miquel’s Cross.
This area is particularly beautiful at sunset, so I highly recommend that your time your visit with the day’s end if possible!
Tour the Montserrat Monastery
The crown jewel of Montserrat is the monastery, which houses a large and rather famous Black Madonna statue. Parts of the current monastery have been here since the 12th century, although most of it had to be rebuilt in the 16th century due to damage by Napoleon’s troops.
During your visit, you’ll be able to see two beautiful courtyards, the sanctuary of the Basilica, the Black Madonna, an anterior prayer chapel, and several hallways and alcoves filled with relics.
I particularly enjoyed the second courtyard, which has a beautiful stained glass window and an impressive clock. I also liked the anterior prayer chamber, which had a large statue of Saint George killing the fabled dragon and lots of stained glass windows. However, the main sanctuary was also a site to behold, with its soaring roof, massive organ, and ornately painted walls.
Tour or Self-Guided Visit?
I don’t think you can really go wrong with either option, but there are pros and cons to each.
Tours are great because they handle all of the transportation (which can get a bit tricky) and will give you detailed insights about Montserrat throughout your trip. On the downside, you are tied to the tour’s schedule and activity list.
A self-guided visit is a good option if you want to spend some time hiking and/or have your own car to use during your stay. This would also give you the option of staying overnight in Montserrat at one of the historic hotels so you can really soak in the atmosphere.
We found a half-day tour (pretty rare) and spent a beautiful afternoon on the mountain. However, it did have a number of issues. For example, our bus’s air conditioning was broken, and there was a problem with the brakes when we went to leave. So we ended up waiting an hour for a different bus to come pick us up. We also got stuck in awful afternoon traffic, so we lost over an hour of the time we were supposed to be able to walk around the natural area.
On the plus side, our tour included a free batch of monastery “cookies,” a knowledgeable guide, and all transportation costs. There are plenty of great Montserrat tours to choose from on Viator, so just read the reviews and pick the one that’s bet for you!
So in the end, the choice comes down to what’s most important to you.
Closing Thoughts on Montserrat
I’m so glad we added a trip to Montserrat to our itinerary! It was such a stunning place from start to finish. It’s also quite different from anything else we saw in Barcelona, and that made it stand out even more in my memories.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes if you plan to explore the natural area, and don’t forget a jacket, as it can get quite chilly up there in the evening and fall/winter months.
If you’re interested in learning more about Barcelona, click here to check out my full bucket list for first-timers! And for another relaxing day trip or getaway from Barcelona, I highly recommend taking a visit to Mataro!
I’ll be sharing more about Barcelona in the days ahead, so don’t forget to sign up for the blog newsletter before you go! You’ll get one weekly email when the newest post drops and occasional notifications on exclusive travel deals! No spam, and no-nonsense.
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