The experience
You begin your day in Barcelona where you take the bus to Montserrat. The mountain is 1236 meters above see level. The rocks of Motserrat are formed through the ages by natural cement or sand. The wind gave Montserrat her special shapes. Let your imagination speak and try to recognize human or animal shapes. Be amazed by the amazing view offered by Montserrat.
Once in Montserrat you will visit the Royal Basilica where 12th century Romanesque carving Verge Morenata (Black Madonna) rest. You can admire this famous statue from a distance. The Benedict sanctuary of Montserrat was found in 1025 and offers a mysterious background for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia which is included in the Royal Basilica of the monastery. The little monastery got quickly pilgrims and visitors who contributed to spreading stories about the miracles done by the Virgin. Today, Montserrat has been modernised in order to continue to follow up the needs of thousand of pilgrims, a thousand years after it was originally established.
You get free time to attend an audiovisual exhibition about the history and the emergence of Montserrat. The exhibition is based on 3 fundamental pillars: mountain, monastery and sancturary. You will also get the chance to taste different kind of liqueurs of Montserrat.
The "Escolania" of Montserrat is one of the oldest boy choirs in Europe (16th century). On some days the children of the choir sing in the monastery. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones to attend one of their performances. Their timetable is subject to the school calender and special event of the choir and monastery.
After this fantastic visit you will return to Barcelona to start the second part of the tour. Barcelona is known as the capital city of Modernism and the place where the famous architect Antoni Gaudi has worked and lived. Gaudi, one of the greatest innovators of his time, has left a large number of treasures for the tourists. This Art tour of Barcelona begins with the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi"s unfinished masterpiece and Barcelona's most famous sight. A guide will give you a tour around the outside of Sagrada Familia to admire the rich and symbolic decorated façades.
Next you will discover Gaudi's Park Guëll which has been declared as UNESCO World Heritage. Be carefull because it is easy to get lost in the erratic design of strange but interesting public park with a perfect integration of the architectural elements in the nature.
The tour continuous towards Passaig de Gràcia where you can view Gaudi's famous apartments such as Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera. The tour stops at this point.
Vital information
There is approximately 25 minutes between both parts of the tour when you get the time to lunch in the center of Barcelona.
The tour is bilingual. Park Guëll will be visited first before Sagrada Familia in the period of 1st November till 31st March.
The weather
Montserrat tour is not dependent on the weather. .
Session length
The Montserrat tour takes approximately 10 hours.
Departure time: 9:15 am.
End time: 7:15 pm.
Numbers
This ticket is available for one person (+13). Children up to and including 3 years old have a free ticket.
What to wear
It is recommended to dress comfortably and wear walking shoes. Montserrat has a mountain climate, depending on the season it is advised to wear protective clothes against the rain and/or the cold.
Availability
Montserrat tour is the whole year through available.
Location
Montserrat from Barcelona, Spain.
