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 Cova down from the monastery (20 minutes). Otherwise, it's a 2.7km, 1½-hour (return) walk along a precipitous mountain path with stomach-plummeting views of the valley below.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
21.34 MILES
The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is considered to be the symbol of Barcelona by many residents, and the…
20.05 MILES
Visitors and locals alike love Park Güell. The waving balcony and the colorful Guard’s House, with the imposing Barcelona skyline and sea in the…
21.46 MILES
One of Europe's strangest residential buildings, Casa Batlló (built 1904–6) is Gaudí at his fantastical best. From its playful facade and marine-world…
21.18 MILES
In the top tier of Gaudí's achievements, this madcap Unesco-listed masterpiece, with 33 balconies, was built in 1905–10 as a combined apartment and office…
22.17 MILES
Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…
22.39 MILES
Located along the grand, medieval street of Carrer de Montcada, the Museu Picasso is dedicated to one of the world’s greatest artists, Pablo Picasso. Born…
22.32 MILES
Joan Miró was a Catalan painter and sculptor born in Barcelona who combined abstract art with surrealism. He is considered one of the most influential…
22.33 MILES
La Rambla is a tree-lined boulevard featuring a wide array of architectural delights, beautifully decorated flower stalls and particularly talented (and…
Nearby Montserrat attractions
0.49 MILES
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…
0.5 MILES
Catalonia's most renowned monastery was established in 1025 to commemorate local shepherds' visions of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by celestial light and…
0.5 MILES
With marbled floors and art nouveau–style frescoes visible between graceful archways, the open courtyard fronting Montserrat's basilica immediately sets…
0.52 MILES
This insightful walk-through multimedia space illustrates the daily life and activities of the monks, the geology of Montserrat, and the history and…
0.54 MILES
This museum has excellent displays, ranging from an archaeological section with an Egyptian mummy to Gothic altarpieces to fine canvases by Caravaggio, El…
9.22 MILES
Basque theologian Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Ignazio Loiolakoa), founder of the Jesuits, spent 1522 in Manresa, during which time he was inspired to…
9.29 MILES
On the site of a Romanesque predecessor, Manresa's elegantly austere basilica is a gem of Catalan Gothic architecture, commissioned in 1322 yet 160 years…
9.34 MILES
Originally an artisans' street, this hushed, slender alley is one of only two entirely medieval streets that survive in Catalonia. It was privatised in…