We leave in the morning from your hotel by deluxe bus and with our official English speaking guide on board towards the “Serrated Mountain” (=Mont Serrat) - with its highest peak rising to 1.236 m, it is a magnificent setting for Catalonia’s holiest place, the Monastery of Montserrat. The historic monastery was first mentionned in the 9th century, enlarged in the 11th century, and in 1409 it became independent from Rome. In 1811, when the French attacked Catalonia in the War of Independence, the monastery was destroyed and all monks were killed. Rebuilt and repopulated in 1844, it was a beacon of Catalan culture during the Franco years. Today Benedictine monks live here.
The most interesting sites of Montserrat, beside its fabulous landscape, is the Basílica, where the Virgin of Montserrat, “La Moreneta” is exposed, with its brilliant Neo-Renaissance façade; the Old Museum, which displays a collection of litugrical items brought from the Holy Land, and the New Museum, which has a collection of 19th- and 20th-century Catalan paintings and many Italian works. In the heart of the complex is Plaça de Santa Maria - the focal points of the square are two wings of the Gothic cloister built in 1477. Optionally, we can offer a nice lunch in one of the restaurants nearby.
Experience Information:
Duration: 4 hours
Location: outskirts of Barcelona
Price: this price is valid for a minimum of 12 people. It includes all transfers per deluxe bus, an official English-speaking guide (one per max. 30 people) and the entrance fee to the convent. The tour does not include lunch.
Extras: Different languages on request. We can offer this tour also to individuals and smaller groups of less than 12 people – please contact our office.