Tourist Information Guide

Visit To Montserrat Spain - "The Trip of a Lifetime"

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This page will give you the highlights of Barcelona Montserrat in Spain. The Benedictine Monk retreat at Montserrat offers you some of the most spectacular mountain views of Catalunya. You will learn about the holy grotto where visitations by the Virgin Mary were reported, and the World famous Montserrat Choir boys recitals along with details on the mountain walks with breathtaking views. I took a day trip to Montserrat recently with my brother, and this page summarizes the highlights of what we experienced.

Barcelona Montserrat
Barcelona Montserrat

Speakers On? Click to hear the sound of the Montserrat monastery church bell as heard from the mountain over looking the Benedictine retreat.

Montserrat Spain in Barcelona
Montserrat near Barcelona

For many visitors a trip to Barcelona Montserrat Spain is the highlight of their visit.

Montserrat is a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about one hour North West from Barcelona by train.

Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking.

If you enjoy walking there are also some interesting walks through the mountains where you will experience magnificent views of some of the most unusual rock formations in the whole of Catalonia. You can take a funicular to the top of the mountain, and from there you can choose a number of different walks, all with amazing views of the Catalonian countryside.


Book tickets for your half day tour to Montserrat from Barcelona with return journey

There are two organized tours that save you the time and trouble of organizing your own trip to Montserrat. They include return journey from Barcelona to Montserrat in an air conditioned bus. You can choose either a half day morning tour or half day afternoon tour.

Morning Tour


Montserrat Spain in Barcelona
Montserrat near Barcelona


Montserrat Spain Choir Boy Performances in the Basilica

Click to hear the Montserrat Choir Boys in the Basilica

Montserrat Spain Choir Boy Performances in the Basilica
Montserrat Spain Choir Boy Performances in the Basilica

Another highlight of your visit to Montserrat monastery is to listen to the famous Basilica choir boy performances of Gregorian chants and other genres of religious choral music. The performances can be heard free of charge in the Basilica daily with the exception of Christmas holidays, July and some other festive periods during the year.

Choir performance time (daily): 13:00

Montserrat music is popular throughout the World and the Monastery choir boys have now recorded over 100 albums of choral music.


Montserrat Spain History - The Holy Visions

barcelona montserrat a view from the cable car to the monastry retreat
Barcelona Montserrat a view from the cable car to the monastery retreat

The history of Montserrat is fascinating and started in 880 when a small group of shepherd children saw a bright light descending from the sky in the Montserrat mountains. In the same moment, the children heard angels singing, and the music filled their hearts with a radiant joy.

the black Madonna in the basilica montserrat monastry
The black Madonna in the basilica Montserrat monastery

Overwhelmed by the experience the children ran home to recall the experience to their parents frantically. The parents were sceptical but knew their children were trustworthy and honest, and so they went to where the children had experienced the visions to see if they could see what all the fuss was about.

For the whole month following the first visitation the parents were also witnessing to the same heavenly experiences and were left with only one conclusion. The visions were a sign from God.

A local vicar was brought to the scene and witnessed the same experiences as the children and parents. The visions occurred in the same location in a cave on Montserrat mountain. When this cave was explored by the religious elders of the community, they found an image of the Virgin Mary. And from that moment on the cave became a holy sanctuary for religious pilgrims.

Today the site of the visions has been marked by a Holy Grotto on the mountain. You can walk to the Holy Grotto and see first hand where these events took place. The Holy Grotto has now been ordained a holy place and is visited by pilgrims and curious onlookers from all over the World.


Accommodation in Montserrat

Barcelona Montserrat Spain Cross
Barcelona Montserrat Spain Cross

Most visitors to Montserrat stay in Barcelona and then travel by train to Montserrat. However, if you would actually like to stay in Montserrat for the night, you can possibly get a room at the Abat Cisneros. I don't have any more details on this accommodation apart from their website Abat Cisneros Official Website.

A trip to Barcelona Montserrat Spain is highly recommended and if you intend to take a few of the mountain walks it is a good idea to schedule at least one day for your visit.


Book tickets for your half day tour to Montserrat from Barcelona with return journey

There are two organized tours that save you the time and trouble of organizing your own trip to Montserrat. They include return journey from Barcelona to Montserrat in an air conditioned bus. You can choose either a half day morning tour or half day afternoon tour.

Morning Tour


This page summarized a few of the highlights of Montserrat in Spain. However, there are many more attractions we have not discussed, e.g. the museum, and the different mountain walks along with small market stalls selling country food products etc. Many site visitors have told me that their trip to Montserrat was the highlight of their holiday, so if you have the time I highly recommend that you take a trip to Barcelona Montserrat.

Barcelona Montserrat Museum
Barcelona Montserrat Museum

Further reading:

We have put together a special page on everything you need to know on arranging your own trip to Montserrat from Barcelona by train.

Barcelona to Montserrat by train

We have also created an entire website dedicated to Montserrat. See Montserrat tourist guide


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