Montserrat Monastery Shore Excursion from Barcelona

This Barcelona shore trip takes you into the unique Montserrat Mountains to one of Catalonia's holiest places, the Montserrat Monastery, where you visit the Basilica interior and museum.

Leaving the city you head to Montserrat Mountain (Serrated Mountain), rising majestically almost 4,000 feet above sea level. This area is unique in the world and is now a natural park. The famous monastery is located within this almost incomparable setting of geologic beauty.

A chapel and religious cult on this mountain date to the 9th century, and the monastery itself was founded in 1025 by Abbot Oliba, later enlarged over time to its present form. During the 1811 War of Independence, Napoleon's troops attacked Catalonia, and the monastery was burned and some monks were killed. It was soon rebuilt, and today the site is one of Spain's holiest shrines, inhabited by Benedictine monks.

You will see the square, courtyards and panoramic views of the monastery. During your visit you'll go inside the Basilica interior and see the Moreneta Black Virgin. On select days you may even have the opportunity to hear the Escolania singing the Montserrat hymn.

Next you explore the main museum at Montserrat, which houses six different permanent collections and also hosts temporary exhibitions. A lot of visitors to Montserrat are not aware of the treasures that lie within the museum. You will find the likes of Picasso, Dali and Caravaggio nestled in amongst less well-known artists. There are over 1300 pieces housed in the museum covering a broad historical period: the earliest exhibit is an Egyptian sarcophagus from 13th century BC and the most recent exhibit is a sculpture from 2001 by Josep M Subirachs.

• The Basilica at Montserrat is an active religious site and requires shoulders and knees to be covered. We recommend bringing a light layer to avoid being turned away at the entrance.