My day trip to Monserrat can be summed up into: cheese, spectacular views, where natural and man made beauty collide and "wow-i'm-out-of-shape".
I made some friends! Extremely coincidentally, a girl I worked with at school is getting her masters here and invited me to an event the other day. She also invited her friend from school who was visiting his friend who's also getting his masters here. And we all went to AU. Smaaalll world... And with my two new friends, we visited a mountain and took some photos.
How to get there from Barcelona:
To get here form Barcelona you take the R5 Ferrocarril towards Manresa Baixador from Barcelona-Plaça Espanya. The Ferrocarril leaves every hour starting at 8:36 AM. At the station, you have several ticket options at the machine. These include:
FGC+ Aeri: Round trip ticket for Ferrocarril and Aeri/Cable car. The aeri is a cable car that takes you up the mountain in about 7 minutes. [ 20,20 € ]
FGC+Cremallera: Round trip ticket for Ferrocarril and Cremallera. The Cremallera (zipper) is a train that goes up to the mountain in about 15 min. [ 20,40 € ]
Tot Monserrat: All inclusive ticket. Includes transportation via Ferrocarril and Cremallera, entrance to Museo Montserrat/ interactive exhibition, unlimited use of Sant Joan and Santa Cova Funicular and buffet lunch. [ 46,95 € ]
I went with the Ferrocarril + Aeri option. [€20,20] Despite my fear of heights, being hoisted up a mountain in a box hundreds of feet above the ground sounded way cooler. Plus, you get some awesome views and get up the mountain faster.
The total trip time was about an hour and a 45-min. The train ride took about 45 min but the wait for the cable car was quite long- since can only hold up to 35 people at a time. Like always, I would recommend going as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
What to bring:
Well, it is a mountain- so just make sure to wear shoes that you can walk up and down in. I wore my trusty- all white All Stars. The majority of the mountain is paved so you don't necessarily need hiking boots but for those who love to hike there are several trails you can take around the mountain. I would also bring a water bottle and some snacks (any form of exercise always calls for snackies!). You can also pack a lunch for a nice picnic in the sky. Don't forget to bring your phone or camera!! The views here are spectacular and 10/10 Instagramable.
What to see:
The mountain, duh. Besides walking through the paths and exploring the mountain, you can also visit some tourists spots in this small city. Upon arriving, you'll see the local farmers market. Try a sample of some fresh made cheese, honey or nuts. That alone could be your lunch and dessert.
Keep walking and make your way to the staircase (to heaven) statue for a bocadillo at the cafeteria and photo-op near the outlook points. You can get some incredible views of the mountains from this end of Montserrat. If you look close enough, you might even see Barcelona in the distance. (not really.. but we'll say you can for poetic purposes)
A must-see is the Monastery of Monserrat- for a dose of Gothic architecture, an impressive atrium and a feel for Catalonian culture. I've been to a lot of churches and cathedrals and this one was absolutely spectacular. Something about the atrium's facades, the basilica's arches, the mosaic coverd chapels and the unique lamps outlining the pews- made this place a little special. (also that its on a mountian)
[ Take a quick second to think about that- Some guys were like- "Yeah, so I was trying to heard my sheep and I climbed this mountain- and I think we should build stuff up there" "Cool- sounds like a great idea. Lets get the horses and cut up some rocks and make a foundation for a city." "You know how to pave roads and stuff?" "Nah, but I'm sure we can figure it out." I mean! C'mon! Thats so impressive! To build such a thing on a mountain?! Think about trying to get your sofa up the staircase when you move! (*click FRIENDS gif*) It's amazing to see what nature and man is capable of. ]
Make sure to find the Cruz de San Miguel for these awesome views! You can see the monastery, the cable car and the mountain sides from this point. I also got a great shot of this pair and I really just wanted to go down there and ask them to take the same picture of me...
This is the money shot. All the walking and trekking was worth this one view. I could've sat there for hours just looking into the horizon and past the Pyrenees, thinking about life and my place on earth. I also got lucky it was perfect weather. Nature is really cool and its so important to appreciate it and preserve it! >Good think Planet Earth is making a come back<.
iPhone Pics: Here are some silly selfies and other random photos from my day.
There are plenty of other spots to see in Montserrat, but my out-of-shape-self was tired after a few hours of exploring. Although I didn't get to see the museum or go rock climbing (yes, you can rock climb) I'm sure they're fantastic. For more ideas and sights visit www.montserratvisita.com.
If you're in Barcelona for a while and want to be in touch with nature ( and maybe 'find yourself') definitely take the trip out to Montserrat. You can stay here for as little as 3 hours and as long as a 3 days! As long as you take the time to appreciate nature, breath in some fresh mountain air and try some cheese- you'll have a successful trip to Montserrat.
Check out my gallery page for some more great photos of this trip!
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