A Trip to Monserrat: What to See, Taste and How to Get There
Barcelona is a city of endless possibilities, but one of the most exciting is the art of exploration. Countless stunning locations, breathtaking scenery and captivating stories, all without spending a penny! It's a true all-inclusive adventure for the avid adventure seeker. So, one Saturday evening, we spontaneously decided to venture north-west of Barcelona to the sacred and mysterious realm of Montserrat!
WHY EVERYONE GOES TO Monserrat
Montserrat is not just a mountain; it's a natural sanctuary and a Benedictine monastery, a spiritual beacon for Catalonia. Pilgrims and tourists from all over the world make their way here every year, drawn by the allure of the Black Madonna, affectionately known as 'La Moreneta' ('the little dark-skinned one' or 'the little dark one'). She holds a special place in the hearts of the Catalans, who worship her as their patron and main deity. People travel here in search of answers, blessings and healing, especially in matters of marriage and fertility. Legend has it that if you touch the ball - the universe - in the Madonna's palm and kiss her hand, all your deepest dreams will come true.
SACRED LEGEND
Legends surround the history of the Madonna. One of the most popular says that the figure was made by St Luke. St Peter brought it to Spain. Over time it got lost in the mountains. The Black Madonna lay there for several centuries until it was found by shepherds in 880. It is said that they were attracted by the dazzling light coming from the crevices in the rocks and the music coming from there. The rumour of its discovery reached the Bishop of Manresa. He visited the place of the magic light and dared to enter the cave. You can probably guess what they found. They wanted to take the Virgin to the city temple, but with each step the statue became heavier. Taking this as a sign, they left the wooden statue in the mountains and began to build the monastery around it. It will celebrate its millennium in 2025!
I have already seen the Black Madonna and I know that the queues to see it stretch for dozens or even hundreds of metres. So my number one advice is to get there as early as possible. The average wait is 20-30 minutes, and before 10am you can get to the Madonna almost immediately. I will write about train and bus timetables later. We had other goals: to get to the top faster than the first groups of tourists, to meditate, to breathe the mountain air, to taste the local cheeses and to listen to the world famous choir of boys - "Escolania de Montserrat" / L'Escolania. Many visitors say their singing is so moving that even stern, bearded men can't hold back the tears.
OUR MORNING AT MONSERRAT
The sawed or toothed mountain (that's the Catalan translation of Monserrat) appeared on the horizon just 30 minutes into our trip. And the closer we got, the more "strange" and fabulous it became! We imagined that the mountains were giant frozen waves, a little closer we started to see animals in them, and after parking under the monastery we agreed that they were the guardians of the holy place - bald-headed giants! And what do you see?
There is a parking fee at the monastery. We paid €6 for four hours. You can also leave your car in the free car park at the Cremallera de Monistrol Vila railway station and take the rack-and-pinion road (return ticket for adults €11, for children aged 4 to 13 - €6.50). We chose the first option so as not to waste a minute, but we agreed beforehand that next time we would walk up through the mountains! The Monserrat Nature Reserve has special routes with different levels of difficulty.
At 10 a.m. there were already quite a few people there, mostly those who, like us, had travelled by car. The shopkeepers had their cheeses on display and were happy to welcome Madonna's new guests. Surprisingly, the locals speak several languages. We were invited in Russian, a group of Chinese - in Chinese, Germans... well, you get the picture :)
- Let me treat you too, we hear in Russian. Our cheeses are really something! This is our parmesan, this is goat's cheese with rosemary and this is truffle cheese, my favourite. I've lived here for 19 years, I'm from Transcarpathia (Ukraine). I work on a local farm, which will soon be 200 years old! - Nikolay tells us.
It turns out that the local cheese-makers live 2 kilometres away. There are 12 farms in the village. And they all make cheese because "it's in their blood...".
- My ancestor was selling cheese here when Columbus set off to conquer America," says farmer Toti proudly. I'm a fifth-generation cheesemaker! Now I have 150 goats. We keep them in the Pyrenees, where the air is cleaner and there are no carcinogens. We bring the milk back and make our cheese here.
Caroline from the neighbouring stall explains that everyone except her family does it. They keep their 100 goats right in the village. She also shows us a photo of a goat and invites us for a tour (see the material from the farm here!).
Cheeses cost an average of between 5 and 15 euros each. You can also try them at the market:
Fresh cottage cheese and the Catalan favourite dessert "Crema Catalana
Honey from local beekeepers
Nuts and dried fruit sweets
4 types of liqueurs made according to the recipes of the Benedictine monks: 60 herbs, Crema Catalana, walnut, hazelnut
After a mini tasting, we walk up to the monastery and find ourselves on the viewing platform. We are 720 metres above sea level. Below us is an endless green carpet - the National Park of Catalonia. The rich flora of this corner of nature includes more than one and a half thousand species.
The air here is filled with an enchanting, almost intoxicating aroma, like a delicious elixir that you can't help but taste. With a new-found sense of Zen, we made our way to the basilica. As the first wave of tourists began to trickle in, we encountered a fascinating sight on our way to the monastery - a graceful statue of St George created by the visionary Josep Maria Subirax, famous for adorning the facade of the Sagrada Familia. What makes this sculpture truly fascinating is the optical illusion: no matter where you stand, the watchful eyes of St George seem to follow your every move!
BASILICA OF MONSERRAT
We are in the atrium, an open courtyard in front of the basilica. It looks bright and fresh! This is because the church was badly damaged during the Napoleonic invasions and was restored several times in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Facing the façade, turn your head to the right, where the most important churches and basilicas of Christianity are depicted on the walls. On the wall to the left, you can discover the history of Monserrat. The black and white marble floor of the atrium is a whole world! Sea creatures and Latin phrases make the place even more magical. It's not surprising that the designers were inspired by the Roman Capitoline, decorated by Michelangelo himself!
SCHEDULE OF MASSES
We went to the morning mass and were told that we would not hear the boys' choir today. They perform every day (at 13:00 and 18:45). The exception: the whole of July (what luck!) and the Christmas holidays. So check the choir's schedule on their websitebefore you go.
Despite this, there are three main masses every day in Monserrat:
11:00 - Main Mass of the day
12:00 - Second Mass of the day
19:30 - Mass when the monks and the boys' choir sing.
+ there may be additional services on feast days, about them write on the main page of the monastery's website.
As we left the Basilica, we saw a long queue for the Black Madonna (of course, this is the rush hour, it was 11:30 on the clock). We turned right and found ourselves on the Ave Maria Way. Thousands of candles burn solemnly in niches. On the walls are images of saints in majolica. You can pray and place a candle. They are free here, but next to them you can see the price: €1 for a small one and €2 for a bigger one. You drop a coin and take the candle with a clear conscience.
CHOIR OF BOYS
A few words about "Escolania".
Firstly, this music school is mentioned in manuscripts dating back to the XIV century and is considered to be one of the oldest music schools in Europe. Children between the ages of 10 and 14 are taught music and choral singing. It is not easy to get in, the competition is very high.
Secondly, the choir tours extensively and is recognised as one of the best children's choirs in the world.
Thirdly, they have recorded over 100 albums! You can buy one of them in the souvenir shop on the grounds of the monastery.
As well as souvenir and food shops, a café and a hotel, there are two museums on the site, the Monserrat and the Espai Audio Visual. There are more than 1,300 exhibits! We went down to them after mass and were a bit surprised. It turns out that the first one houses works of art from private collections: works by Monet, Sisley, Degas, Pissarro, Casas, Picasso, Torres-Garcia, Dali have found a home here. In the second, an interactive museum, you can learn more about the monastery - its history and secrets, the daily life of the monks here, the cultural and academic life.
OPENING HOURS AND COSTS OF MUSEUMS
The Monserrat Museum is open from 10:00 to 18:45
Adult: 8.00 €
Seniors and groups (more than 20 people): 6.50 €
Children (8 to 16 years old): 4.00 €
Espai Audio Visual Museum is open from 9:00 to 20:00
Students, seniors and groups (more than 20 people): 6.50 €
Temporary exhibitions: 3 €
It is free to see the Black Madonna, visit the basilica and listen to the choir. You will need cash to go to the farmer's market, the Shrine (there are donation boxes) and the Hail Mary Way (if you want to light a candle).
We ended our spiritual journey with a cheese snack and went home! If you are visiting Monserrat for the first time, I suggest you come on a weekday and take at least 5 hours to see everything I wrote about above. And to catch that spirit that makes me want to come back again and again!
2. By bus. It leaves every day at 9:15 from the Sants / Estacio Sants, but it is best to check the timetable on the website website. The cost of a ticket is 15 €.
3. By train. From Plaza España, take the FGC line R5 to Manresa. It runs daily, with the first train leaving at 8:36 and the last at 16:36 (according to the 2019 timetable). It is important to decide now how you want to get up the mountain and to buy the right ticket. If you decide to take the cable car, you will have to get off at Aeri de Montserrat station; if you decide to take the rack railway, you will have to go past Aeri de Montserrat and get off at Monistrol de Montserrat (the board will say "Monistrol de M").
The thing is that combined tickets (train + ascent) are called combined tickets and cost the same, but the tickets are not interchangeable. This means that if you buy a ticket for the train and the funicular, you will not be able to go up on the funicular. Don't be lazy, ask the station staff to buy you the right ticket. The cost of a round-trip ticket (whichever way you go) is €22 for adults, €16.80 for children and €20.85 for retired people.
