Experience this scenic mountain monastery, then enjoy some local wine and tapas at a family-owned vineyard.
If you find yourself with a free day in Barcelona, we highly recommend a visit to the nearby medieval monastery of Montserrat, nestled in the mountains above the city, less than an hour away. This Barcelona to Montserrat tour is one of the best, with a perfect 5.0 rating on Viator on over 4,000 reviews! Here are some of the reasons why you’ll love it:
- Beautiful mountainous scenery outside of the big city
- The chance to ride a cog railway to the top
- Visit the basilica and view the Black Madonna
- Free time to take a hike, visit an art museum, or enjoy the famous boys’ choir
- Enjoy tapas and sample local wines at a boutique vineyard
- Relax in air-conditioned comfort on round-trip coach transfer
We took this day trip from Barcelona to Montserrat recently and had an amazing time. It started and ended at the Estación del Norte in the l’Eixample neighborhood of Barcelona, and lasted around 8 hours. The guide was friendly, knowledgable, well-organized and quite funny. During the short drive, she gave us some history on the monastery and the cog railway. Once we arrived in Montserrat, we had an hour or so of free time, and she gave us lots of great options.
Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery
The medieval monastery of Montserrat is over a thousand years old. A Benedictine abbey founded in 1025, it is still in use today and houses about 70 monks.
Cremallera (Cog Railway)
Once we arrived in Monistrol, the small town at the foot of Montserrat Mountain, we rode the famous cog railway up to the top. First opened in 1892, the cog railway (known as Cremallera, Catalan for “zipper”) takes around 15 minutes to wind its way to the top. (There is also a cable car that whisks visitors to the top of the mountain.)
Arrival in Montserrat
Montserrat is actually quite small. There are a few buildings that make up the monastery, including the courtyard and basilica, the cloister, the museum, a restaurant and gift shop, a market with cheeses and other foods, and a few hiking paths. There is another funicular that goes even further up the mountain, to a viewpoint, but there isn’t anything else up there. You can go during your free time (at an additional charge), but our day was a bit foggy so it didn’t make much sense.
We were divided into several more manageable groups of 12, then taken on a brief walking tour of the area. We went into the basilica, then after that, we were free to explore on our own.
Basilica of Montserrat
The basilica was originally constructed in the 16th century and has been subsequently destroyed and rebuilt. It is a pilgrimage site primarily because of its Black Madonna sculpture (“La Moreneta“) which is enshrined above the altar.
Market, Gift Shop and Snacks
There is a cafeteria where you can grab some food – warm dishes, salads, pastries and coffee – if you need a snack. There is also an outdoor market where vendors sell local foods, particularly cheese, bread, honey and nuts.
Museum of Montserrat (Museu de Montserrat)
This museum is a hidden gem! It only costs €8 to get in, and it includes works by Caravaggio, Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Dalí, and El Greco. As if that were’t enough, there is also a nice collection of ancient artifacts from Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt. It’s a small museum but easy to get through during the allotted free time.
Hiking in the Mountains
The tour itself doesn’t include much walking. However, Montserrat is located within the Serra de Montserrat Natural Park, with jutting peaks surrounding the town. We were given the option to hike on one of the five nearby paths that vary in length and difficulty. Mark chose this option, then spent about forty minutes hiking to Sant Miquel’s cross on a moderate 1.4-mile out-and-back paved path with magnificent views.
Boys’ Choir (Escolania)
The abbey is well-known for its boys’ choir, one of the oldest in Europe. Founded in the 14th century, it’s known as the Escolania de Montserrat and is composed of boys aged 9 to 14. The choir sings daily in the Basilica so you will have the option to hear them perform (for an additional fee) during your free time.
Boutique Winery
After our time in Montserrat was done, we boarded the bus and were taken to a nearby family-owned, low production winery in the beautiful green Spanish countryside. Upon arrival, a representative gave us some history on the vineyard and the types of wine produced there.
Tapas and Wine
Inside the main building, we were shown to the tasting room and large table set for our group of 12. Local tapas were served, along with bread and our first glass of wine, a white varietal made with 100% native Picapoll white and black grapes. The tapas included a piece of tortilla, a Spanish omelette not to be confused with tortillas we know in the U.S. There were a couple of other tapas, plus a selection of meats and cheeses. We snacked and chatted as they served two more glasses of wine, both reds.
Wine Patio
After our tasting was complete, we filed outside to the al fresco wine patio, where we had the opportunity to purchase additional glasses of wine for our enjoyment. The ones we had sampled were only available by the bottle, but there were other vintages available by the glass, so we took the chance to try some of the others. More wine is always preferable to less; that’s a basic economic law. In particular, the Arnau was a delicious blend of Merlot and Red Picapoll. We enjoyed the wine outside and played with the vineyard dog, Vino.
Barcelona to Montserrat Day Trip Summary
Around 4 pm, it was time to head back to the bus for the short drive back to Barcelona. Our bellies full of wine and tapas, we napped all the way back to the Estación del Norte. If you have extra time in Barcelona – and you love food, wine, history and scenic beauty – definitely consider this day trip from Barcelona to Montserrat.
➡️ Book this Day Tour to Montserrat Here!
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