Montserrat is a beautiful multi-peaked mountain range near Barcelona, Spain. Visiting Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona due to its hilltop Abbey and religious history, amazing hiking trails, and stunning views. I hope you enjoy this guide to a day trip to Montserrat, Spain!
GETTING THERE
There are several options to get from Barcelona to Montserrat:
Train + Cable Car
This is the most popular and scenic option. From Plaça Espanya in Barcelona, take the R5 line to Aeri de Montserrat where you will find the cable car. Taking the cable car up the mountain was one of my favourite parts of the day!
Train + Rack Railway
From Plaça Espanya in Barcelona, take the R5 line to Monistrol de Montserrat. From there, take the Cremallera railway.
Train + Hike
From Plaça Espanya in Barcelona, take the R5 line to Monistrol de Montserrat. From there, you can take a hiking trail up to the top of the mountain.
Bus
You can take a bus from Barcelona Sants Train Station to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. This is a cost-effective but less scenic option.
Tour
Many tour companies offer half day or full day tours from Barcelona to Montserrat.
Taxi
This is the most expensive option.
Driving
There is one parking lot at Montserrat or you can park your car for free at the rack railway or cable car stations.
WHERE TO EAT
There are only 4 dining locations in Montserrat: La Cafeteria, Montserrat Buffet, Restaurant Abat Cisneros, and Cel-les Abat Marcet.
Another great option would be to bring your own picnic!
WHAT TO DO
Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey
The most popular thing to do in Montserrat is to visit the Abbey, which is the focal point of Montserrat. The monastery was founded in the 11th century and still functions to this day with over 70 monks. Set against the mountains of Montserrat, the Abbey is definitely a sight to see and the interior is stunning.
Many people visit Santa Maria de Montserrat to see and touch the “Black Madonna,” a statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, the Patron Saint of Catalonia, Spain. The Black Madonna is located in the Basilica of the Abbey in a gorgeous gold room. Although most of the statue is covered in glass, one of her hands that is holding a sphere is not covered and it is tradition to touch the sphere for good luck.
NOTE: The lineup to see the Black Madonna can take hours. I highly recommend lining up at opening time or near closing time.
Santa Cova de Montserrat
Santa Cova (Holy Cave) of Montserrat is a hillside cave where the Black Madonna was hidden during the Moorish invasions and later discovered by shepherds in 880. The discovery made Montserrat a pilgrimage destination, and led to the founding of the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. To reach Santa Cova, you can walk a path from the Abbey, or take a funicular down part of the way. Fifteen different religious sculptures were placed along the path, including works by Antoni Gaudí.
I loved walking this beautiful path and admiring the sculptures! Enter the chapel that was built around the Holy Cave to see the spot where the Black Madonna was found.
Ermita de Sant Joan
I highly recommend hiking Montserrat’s Way of the Hermitages. For thousands of years, hermits lived in Montserrat’s mountains. On this trail you will pass by some of the chapels that the hermits built.
From the Abbey, you can take the Sant Joan funicular down to the start of the path. Head to the right and after a short walk you will arrive at the Ermita (Hermitage) de Sant Joan.
Ermita de Santa Magdalena
Continue on the path that goes upwards from the Ermita Sant Joan. Walk along Jacob’s Stairway to see the remains of Ermita de Santa Magalena. This hermitage is so fascinating because it is carved into the mountains!
Ermita de Sant Miquel
To get to the Ermita de Sant Miquel, head back to the funicular station and take the path in the opposite direction. This hermitage has the coolest little rock sculptures, which I’m assuming were put together by travellers.
Creu de Sant Miquel
As you continue along the path towards the Abbey, you can take a detour to the Creu de Sant Miquel observation deck. The views from here are stunning!
Sant Jeroni
Another popular hiking trail is from the Abbey to the top of Sant Jeroni, the highest peak of the Montserrat mountain range. This hike is more difficult and takes longer than the other hikes.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to a day trip in Montserrat, Spain!
To read my blog post, “3 Days in Barcelona, Spain,” click here.
