MONTSERRAT, MIRACLE 45 MINUTES FROM BARCELONA

History of Christian Montserrat

 The mountain Montserrat has been of religious significance since pre-Christian time. Before Christ a temple to worship Venus was built by the Romans. In the first written mention of 888 was reported the adoption of the construction by the first monastery of 880 AD. There were hermit monks, the various hermitages the Montserrat had built. The monastery was founded then by expanding of the hermitage of Santa Maria 1025.

This abbey houses the statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, one of the black madona of Europe. When Saint Benedict was around twenty years old he left Rome and went to live in a cave in a mountain, for three years.

Then in the 12th Century Black Madonna, still the target of pilgrimages, things were attributed to miracles. These miracles owed the monastery a strong growth period.
Numerous famous personalities’ pilgrimage to Montserrat: Pope Benedict XIII., Columbus, Cervantes, von Humboldt, King Fernando and Isabella, Carlos I, Felipe II. and Louis XIV..
Columbus named on his second trip 1493 an Antilles island to Montserrat.
In 1811, the monastery was largely destroyed by Napoleonic troops. The Benedictine monastery was rebuilt.

At the time of the Franco dictatorship the monastery made resistance. It was still there despite the ban on Catalan spoken and fairs held in Catalan, there were many hundreds of persecution of the Franco regime hiding here. More than 20 monks were so executed. 
This resistance makes the monastery now an important symbol of Catalan self-evident.

Montserrat, Basilica

The Escolania, Montserrat’s Boys’ Choir, is one of the oldest in Europe, and performs during religious ceremonies and communal prayers in the basilica.
 Gregorian chants will be sang daily by about 50 choir boys (every day 12.00, Sat sang by the monks). The Basilica houses a museum with works of art by many prominent painters and sculptors including works by El Greco, Dalí, Picasso and more.

 Montserrat publishing House

The Publications de l’Abadia de Montserrat, a publishing house, one of the oldest presses in the world still running, with its first book published in 1499.

 Montserrat, Mountain

Montserrat name means serrated mountain, is an apt name for the jagged cluster of peaks located one hour outside Barcelona. Although it looks like a range of hills, Montserrat is in fact one single mountain with multiple peaks. Is ideally located to play an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of Catalonia. Groups of young people from Barcelona and all over Catalonia make overnight hikes at least once in their lives to watch the sunrise from the heights of Montserrat, next to the Benedictine monastery nestling in the towers and crags of the mountain.

 Montserrat nature park hiking

Magnificent views of Catalan’s landscape. Already from afar, the about 1,200-meter-high mountain is a grand sight. Even from above, you can experience a view far into the landscape of Catalonia, is a foretaste of what you can expect on the summit of Montserrat

A man clearly fond of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the abbey at Montserrat seems to want to do just that as well. This feeling that the abbey was built with a massive, invisible ‘do not disturb’ sign is heightened when you trek up the mountain the old hard-to-do way.

A walk that brings to the highest point of Montserrat Mountain and allows you to take in some of the most interesting points of natural interest in Montserrat Natural park.

The distance to hike from Monistrol up to Montserrat abbey, then on to San Jeroni which is the highest peak and back to Montserrat, is roughly 20 km. A reasonable hike. However, the cumulative elevation gain in this particular hike is around 1200 meters.

Adventure tours are a good way to discover Spain.

 To the top. Firstly, you will need to get the upper station of Funicular de Sant Joan from Montserrat Monastery, to turn right and follow the path facing North West. later you will arrive at the Gorra Frigia and on the horizon you will be able to see the peak of Sant Jeroni. You have walked along the path that takes you through the rocks, you will see a lookout to your left. Continue along the edge of the ridge.

"This walking tour is the best way to discover the fantastic land of Spain." 

This path will lead you to the head of the valley. Here you will enter a forest.

Them you will need to cross the Torrent of Santa Maria and you will arrive at the Hermitage of Sant Jeroni. Continue to your left, going up. About 10 minutes later you will have arrived at the top of Sant Jeroni. Pain is quickly forgotten though, with the euphoria of getting to the top. Apart from that particular peace that can only be found on tops of mountains, there are views to take your breath away and ancient monolithic boulders to rest your back on.

Montserrat mountain is the perfect day trip from Barcelona in terms of accessibility, distance and powerful, raw natural beauty

Making Tracks Travel offers you Spain’s best Hiking tours. Please, contact us for more information.