About 50 kilometers from Barcelona, there is a mountain range, impressive for its picturesque scenery, called Montserrat. Before the beauty of its unusual shapes has not yet resisted any traveler. And if you want to experience delight, awe or even peace, we invite you to go to these mysterious mountains, whose individual rocks and cliffs look like giant idols.
n
It will be an unforgettable journey! You will see firsthand the enchanting beauty of the stone mountain peaks – a mysterious place with narrow channels creating patterns of bizarre shapes, gloomy caves and lush greenery at the foot. All this beauty has been and remains a source of inspiration for painters, poets and writers.
n
You will definitely want to stay here all day, but there is a new discovery waiting for you – an interesting car adventure and a visit to the ancient town of Sitges.
n
What is a must-see on Montserrat Mountain
n
Your exciting journey starts from Barcelona. By car, accompanied by a guide, guests will travel to Montserrat Mountain. During an hour you will admire incredible, changing landscapes outside the car window and listen to interesting stories of the guide.
n
Time will fly by and you will see the majestic massive mountains, which from afar resemble frozen fairy-tale stone giants. There is one amazing legend connected with their appearance. The belief says that this is the work of bored angels who once lived on the very top of the mountains.
n
So, they were bored, and to amuse themselves, they sawed a monolithic block into pieces, and then molded stone sculptures. If you look closely, you will see the outline of the figures – “God’s finger”, “Elephant’s head”, “Camel”. By the way, these are the names that were given to these peaks later.
n
So what awaits tourists at the top of Mount Montserrat?
n
Turning the eye to the very top, travelers will see our main goal – the complex of the eponymous male monastery. Getting to the Benedictine monastery, built more than 1000 years ago is not easy – after all, it is placed on top of the mountain, the height of which is more than 700 meters!
n
Several interesting routes:
n
- n
- Take the cable car to the summit of St. John (976 meters), from where various hiking trails start and the nature museum of the area is located;
- Tickle your nerves by taking the cable car for a kind of aerial journey;
- Take a train ride on the “Cremagliera” or “Lightning” cog railroad;
n
n
n
n
One way or another – you will get to the monastery, the religious center of Catalonia, famous all over the world. Here you will see amazing relics and a lot of unforgettable impressions:
n
- n
- You will plunge into a world of calming music, enjoying the singing of the famous choir Escolania de Montserrat. The boys come from all corners of the globe to hear them sing. Its popularity is so great that it is necessary to take seats in advance in the main church of the monastery to listen to the angelic children’s singing.
- You will certainly see the most valuable Catholic shrine – the statue of the “Black Virgin of Montserrat”. According to legend, if you touch it, every childless woman will soon be able to know the happiness of motherhood.
n
n
n
Drive to a quiet town on the coast
n
Tired of the impressive beauty, you will get back into the car to get to another fabulous, quiet place in about 1 hour – the ancient town of Sitges. It is tucked away in a cove on the Costa del Garraf, retaining its unique Catalan charm.
n
You do not need to specially select the time for its visit – all year round here are organized festivals, colorful carnivals and other, no less exciting holidays. Tourists can enjoy shopping, fashionable boutiques, visiting seaside restaurants and, of course, strolling around the historic center.
n
