Montserrat

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Montserrat Mountain viewed from Sant Cristofol. Bages. Barcelona Province. Catalonia. Spain / Macizo de la Montana de Montserrat, visto desde Sant Cristfol, en la Comarca del Bages. Provincia de Barcelona. Cataluna. Espana

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Overview

Montserrat, 50km northwest of Barcelona, is at the heart of Catalan identity for its mountain, monastery and natural park weaving among distinctive rock formations. Montserrat mountain is instantly recognisable, sculpted over millennia by wind and frost. Its turrets of rock, a coarse conglomerate of limestone and eroded fragments, extend like gnarled fingers from its 1236m-high bulk. More than halfway up the mountain lies the Benedictine Monestir de Montserrat, home to La Moreneta ('Little Brown One', or 'Black Virgin'), one of Spain’s most revered icons. Extending from this sacred spot is the Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat, superlative hiking terrain where brooks tumble into ravines and lookout points deliver panoramas of rocky pillars.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Monserrat Monastery in the mountains of Catalonia.

    Monestir de Montserrat

    Montserrat

    Catalonia's most renowned monastery was established in 1025 to commemorate local shepherds' visions of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by celestial light and…

  • Wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, in the Benedictine monastery of Santa María de Montserrat.

    Cambril de la Mare de Déu

    Montserrat

    Signs to the right of the entrance to Montserrat's main basilica lead into the intimate Cambril de la Mare de Déu, where you can pay homage to the famous…

  • Basílica

    Basílica

    Montserrat

    With marbled floors and art nouveau–style frescoes visible between graceful archways, the open courtyard fronting Montserrat's basilica immediately sets…

  • Espai Audiovisual

    Espai Audiovisual

    Montserrat

    This insightful walk-through multimedia space illustrates the daily life and activities of the monks, the geology of Montserrat, and the history and…

  • Santa Cova

    Santa Cova

    Montserrat

    To see the 17th-century chapel built on the spot where holy visions of the Virgin Mary appeared to astonished shepherds, take the Funicular de la Santa…

  • Museu de Montserrat

    Museu de Montserrat

    Montserrat

    This museum has excellent displays, ranging from an archaeological section with an Egyptian mummy to Gothic altarpieces to fine canvases by Caravaggio, El…

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