Barcelona is an amazing city to see and explore, but nothing compares to Montserrat. No such a place has ever touched my heart quite like this mountain refuge. From Barcelona, you will need to take a train (or 2) to Montserrat located about 38 miles northeast. This is a fully recommended day trip and I advise getting started earlier in the morning to have plenty of time to sight see. Also be sure to layer as the temp can change quickly if the clouds roll in.
Upon our arrival to the base of the mountain, we hopped the Cremallera Funicular – Rack Train, which is a type of cog railway, to climb up the mountain. It reminded me of watching Legends of the Hidden Temple on Nickelodeon where you would compete to climb the AGRO CRAGG, except Montserrat is WAY more impressive. We were super excited to see the Basilica and the treasure it held. Montserrat is home to the monastery of the world’s most well known black Madonna (Virgin Mary), the Patron Saint of Catalonia. The Black Madonna resides in the Basilica gilded with golden leaf as she sits upon her throne with the baby jesus. People come from around the world to pray to her and to touch her hand that sits outstretched beyond a glass frame, in worship. Passing through the corridor to get to the Black Madonna is quite captivating. It is as much a spiritual experience as it is breathtakingly beautiful.
Did you know that in the upper northern part of Spain that people identify themselves as Catalonians, not Spanish? We encountered this a lot when visiting Spain and depending on your audience, either term could be perceived as offensive. The true Catalonians do not want to be called Spanish and those that consider themselves Spanish, do not wish to be called Catalonians. Catalonians also have their own distinctive dialect as another unique part of their culture.
The Monastery is one of many buildings accompanying the Basilica in addition to several amazing art galleries. If you ever wondered where an amazing unseen cache of Monet, Dali, El Greco and Giordano reside, let me tell you, they are hidden away at Montserrat. The art work we saw there was in pristine condition and a lot of it has been kept very well over the ages from many of the monks that work at the facility. The monks are also quite busy making many goods to sell at the street markets that wrap around the beaten pathways of the Monastery. We were able to sample fresh honey, yogurt, wine and spirits all made by the monks on site. The freshness of the honey was literal divination. We still have the remnants of a jar leftover from the trip which we eat on toast or vanilla ice cream with cinnamon.
The last and most memorable part of our day trip was to hike along one of the many nature preserves that are part of the beautiful mountain. More specifically, we were walking “on the way” or the Camino Del Santiago as part of a spiritual Christian pilgrimage path dedicated to those looking to find a deeper spiritual connection. Also known in english as the Way of St. James, the actual pathway spans the upper north region of Spain. At Montserrat we walked a portion of the pilgrimage and were amazed at the monuments and relics left by other hikers. It felt really special to walk among the trees on such a well worn path. Even if you can only walk a few minutes it is certainly worth it to see.
Having spent the entire day at Montserrat there was still more to see when we left. We boarded the Funicular down and heard two families discussing their Catalonian lineage. The conversation sounded very warm and intentional from what we could hear through their broken English. I’d like to think that their conversation further explained the same warmth we felt on the mountain that day. I’d like to go back and experience that warmth again soon.
