- Location Montserrat
- Province of Barcelona, 50 km north of Barcelona
- Construction XI century -1025
- Country Spain
- Religion Catholicism
- Diocese of the Order of Saint Benedict
- Architecture Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Eclectic
- Address 08199 Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain. Phone: +34 938 777 765 abadiamontserrat.cat
The mountain and monastery of Montserrat (Cat. Monestir Santa Maria de Montserrat, Spanish. Monasterio de Montserrat) in Spain.
•A stay in Spain in Catalonia and do not rise to the famous Montserrat - can mean to miss important.
Montserrat - the creation of a peculiar nature, it contains the most important shrine of Catalonia, the core of spirituality, is the site of a large number of pilgrims. You can not be indifferent to the unusual sight of the mountain place of volcanic origin. Rock stone blocks have their bizarre name. The monastery is located in a fairly humid climate, during the day you can see from the top of the mountain shrouded in mist, dropping to a monastery, and for dinner has a clear blue sky.
Montserrat - Benedictine monastery in Catalonia, the largest and one of the oldest in Europe, built at an altitude of 725 meters above sea level, it is the most influential in Spain.

The name of the island of Montserrat is directly related to the discoveries of Columbus in 1493 and named in his honor, the island is a territory of the United Kingdom. You climb to the monastery on one side of the mountain, contemplating the beautiful landscapes and spectacular views, and after the tour bus - on the other, he saw a mountain with a few on the other side of the back.
Accompanied by a guide (but you can do it yourself) will make a fact-finding tour of the monastery, visit the audio-visual room, a museum of the monastery, which displays archaeological artifacts of the Biblical East, religious objects and paintings XIII-XVIII centuries, works by El Greco, Caravaggio, Picasso, Dali and others. In addition, taste the liquor, the monks insist on herbs gathered on the mountain.
This place is shrouded in various legends and mysteries, mainly due miraculous properties the figure of Our Lady, which was found on a mountain in the IX century, received from local residents affectionate name "La Moreneta", which means "Darkie" because of the dark color of the tree from which it It was cut. The fame of the miracles performed by the Virgin Mary, sold far beyond Spain, it has always attracted a large number of pilgrims.
According to legend of local people, the image of the Virgin Mary has a miraculous power and can fulfill even your most secret desire. Entering the basilica, you can touch the statue of the Virgin Mary and make a wish. At 13:00 in the temple, you can hear the hymns by the choir boys in the oldest music school in Europe "Eskalaniya" opened at the monastery (in the summer of 21/08 to 23/06 there is no choir). This team at one time learned the basics of vocal art Jose Carreras.
Duration: 08: 30- 18:30. Dress code: arbitrary, according to the season. Tour obyachno incorporated include: a trip to the tourist bus accompanied by a guide, lifting the mountain train, cable car, visiting the monastery hall, a visit to an art museum of the monastery, tasting liquors "Aromas of Montserrat".
Historical dates
The first references occur in 1025, today it has acquired the form in the 12th century.
In the XVI century, it was consecrated a large gothic cathedral monastery.
In 1811 the monastery was nearly destroyed Napoleon's troops.
Since the beginning of 1844 began its slow recovery in his recovery attended the Benedictine Order and simple Catalans. Worked here master of architecture and artists, including the most eminent of Antoni Gaudi, the work lasted for almost 100 years.
Gaudi was here twice, at that time he was not yet independent, he was an ordinary assistant architect involved in the restoration of the temple. Gaudi took part in the restoration of the temple chapel, which houses the sculpture of St. George slaying the dragon, and worked on the creation of several cultural compositions decorating the path from the monastery to the chapel in the holy cave. In his youth, Gaudi was a zealous opponent of the church, in maturity he became a staunch Catholic.
Usually the questions asked by travelers and people wishing to visit the monastery are:
- What is the best way to get to the monastery from Barcelona or from the south of Spain?
- How much is the ticket?
- Monastery opening hours
- When is the best time to visit?
- Why does it have that name?
Getting there
Geography where Montserrat. It is a monastery in Spain, in the province of Catalonia on the mountain of the same name in the north - west of Barcelona at a distance of 50-60 kilometers. Translated from Spanish, "Mont" means mountain, and "Serrat" - sawn or cut. You can get here by private car, cable car, funicular or sightseeing bus. Pilgrims used to spend hours climbing, now you can reach the mountain in minutes.
In the photo: The path to the mountain and the monastery of Montserrat. Road to Montserrat. On the bus on the way to Montserrat. Parking in front of the Montserrat transport lift.
On the Spanish roads of Catalonia we move towards the mountain, where the most famous monastery in Spain Montserrat is located. Among the tourists there are people from all over the world speaking different languages and dialects, both from Europe and Asia, as well as from other parts of the world.

Black Madonna
The Catalans have a tradition - be sure to visit the sacred mountain and the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary once a year. Ancient monastic documents testify that even then the pilgrims asked for protection not from the Mother of God, who was miraculously found in the cave. The disappearance of the revered Madonna was as mysterious and mystical as her appearance in her time. Chronicles say that around the XII th century a new figure of Our Lady of Montserrat was made, but what happened to that miraculous statue is nowhere to be found. The new Madonna was carved from wood and covered with a special protective composition, over time this composition darkened and in subsequent chronicles we are already talking about the Black Madonna and to the common people this fact became a confirmation of the miraculous properties of the statue. The Catalans fell in love with the statue so much that they come to it as to a native person and even more sincerely believe in its miraculous power. Just like centuries ago, brides are brought to Morineta today to ensure prosperity in family life. Different people turn to her: politicians, creative people, businessmen, ordinary people for blessing and support, they come to ask, they come to give thanks.
Boys' choir

Cost of visit, address of the monastery
Entrance fee - free, museum visit €7.00, Teleférico return trip €10.0, BUS PLANA tour €35.0.Address of the monastery: Spain, Monasterio de Montserrat, 08199, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, GPS: 41.593549,1.836798 , plan a tour, make purchases in the store. The famous monastery is located 60 kilometers from Barcelona.
What to buy as a keepsake
Shops are open for tourists and visitors, where you can buy local products: various sweets, nuts, cheeses, jamons, delicacies, wines, liquors.
Many people buy the famous Montserrat walnut liqueur from Catalonia, Spain, which tastes different from other liquors due to its viscosity, a special taste when snacking on sheep or goat cheese. In the manufacture of liqueurs, the monks do not use grape juice, only local berries, nuts, and herbs. Whoever wants, he can take away the picture as a keepsake. reproductions, albums and small figurines of the Black Madonna.