Thread: Barcelona Sights: Montserrat

If you have two or more days pre or post cruise, I can't recommend this highly enough! Montserrat is easily one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring sites anywhere. Imagine building this complex of buildings centuries ago! It was truly a labor for the love of God that made it happen. (I'm not terribly religious, but can easily see how this was the case.)

Montserrat clings to the side of a mountain some 2,000 feet from the base. It can be easily reached by taking the R5 train (Monveda) at Plaza Espanya in Barcelona. Be sure to purchase the combination ticket at Plaza Espanya; it is slightly less expensive to purchase the ticket this way. A ticket with the round trip train fare plus aerie fare is 12.40 euros; a RT train fare with the aerie fare plus funicular fare is 18.40 euros.

If you want to see the boys choir sing at 1 p.m., I recommend that you take the 10:35 a.m. train at the very latest. The train ride is approximately an hour; get off the train at the first Montserrat stop (Montserrat Aerie) and take the aerie tram up to the site, which can easily add another hour or more to your journey waiting for an aerie. (There is one aerie car with a capacity of 35 in each direction; this process can take a large chunk of time.)

The boys choir sings at 1 p.m. in the Basilica. Be sure to get there early to get a seat. The place becomes packed, so don't expect to get in at the last minute.

Anyone who wants to see the Black Madonna up close, the line forms outside the Basilica to the right and is usually pretty long.

There is a hotel and a fine restaurant on the site, as well as an art museum, gift shops and a casual cafe and cafeteria.

Also, for anyone who enjoys hiking, take the Sant Joan funicular up to the top and take one of the trails to enjoy spectacular views and photo opportunities. There is also a nature center just above the funicular station at the top of Sant Joan.

Your most comfortable shoes are a must! We spent a good seven hours here, and still did not do all we wanted to see, so plan to make a day of it.

Hope others add their experiences to this thread.

Cheers~
Nicki

Nikki thanks for the suggestion.....