The Magic Mountain

Montserrat is a rocky massif of sandstone and calcareous cement that over millions of years has adopted the peculiar form that makes it so recognisable from afar. Located a short distance from Barcelona, the mountain offers a spectacular natural environment, in addition to various cultural and religious spaces like the Cova Freda or Cold Cave, which is a Neolithic necropolis, the Romanesque Monastery of Santa Cecília and, above all, Montserrat Abbey.

Like all pilgrimage sites, Montserrat has its own legends. The oldest of which explains the origin of devotion to the Virgin Mary, in 880, when some shepherds received a visit from the Mother of God in the form of light and music. It is also said that to receive a fast horse to help carry his wood a woodcutter made a pact with the Devil. But one of the most popular legends is the one that refers to the Drummer of El Bruc, a young man who thanks to his drum managed to warn the militia and defeat the invading troops during the Peninsular War in 1808.

Montserrat is the departure point for numerous excursions and routes to appreciate nature in all of its splendour: Hikes to Collbató, El Bruc, Monistrol or along the paths you can follow from the monastery to the Romanesque chapels are the healthiest option to spend a day in the open air.

In addition to religious devotion, the abbey has a museum full of surprises that includes works by artists like Velázquez, Caravaggio, El Greco, Tiepolo, Monet, Sisley, Picasso, Dalí and Ramon Casas, in addition to collections of sculptures, drawings, icons, archaeological pieces from the Near East, Japanese prints, Goya’s "Los Caprichos" etchings and Alphonse Mucha’s printed ephemera.

Points of interest

• Route to the Romanesque chapels from Marganell
• Route from the monastery to the top of Sant Jeroni
• Circular route through Les Agulles and Els Frares Encantats on the hill of Coll de Port