{"id":84420,"date":"2017-03-10T10:54:58","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T09:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=84420"},"modified":"2018-06-27T12:34:35","modified_gmt":"2018-06-27T10:34:35","slug":"magical-montserrat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/magical-montserrat\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the magical Montserrat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you\u2019re looking for a serene place in Barcelona to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-spend-a-relaxing-day-in-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\">relax<\/a>, re-centre yourself and declutter your mind and body, a day\u00a0trip\u00a0to the <strong>Monserrat Mountain<\/strong> is the best option there is. <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.montserratvisita.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Montserrat<\/a><\/strong> is a multi-peaked rocky range located 50km Northwest of Barcelona and has a rather curious geological formation. Its name is derived from Catalan which translates to the \u201cserrated mountain.\u201d It has very distinct rock formations and is composed of conglomerate, a coarse-grained sedimentary rock.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/the-natural-side-of-barcelona-collserola-mountains\/\" target=\"_blank\">The natural side of Barcelona, Collserola Mountains<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/w.ticketbar.eu\/js\/widget\/Widget.min.js\" async=\"true\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"Ticketbar-Widget\" data-widget-guid=\"54ea0923-27ba-458a-9a63-fba6b0003ce7\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/magical-montserrat\/#What_is_there_to_see\" title=\"What is there to see?\">What is there to see?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/magical-montserrat\/#How_to_get_there\" title=\"How to\u00a0get there\">How to\u00a0get there<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_there_to_see\"><\/span>What is there to see?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_84491\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-84491\" class=\"wp-image-84491 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/16648435340_962c0c8296_b-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-84491\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo by Cairn 111 via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aside from its distinct formations, <strong>Montserrat<\/strong> has an intricate blend of nature, breath-taking views, rich art culture, intriguing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/hidden-architectural-gem-in-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\">architectural structures <\/a>and a sense of sacredness which is all very relaxing. The mountain offers scenic views of the <strong>Pyrenees <\/strong>to the north, Barcelona, the <strong>Mediterranean Sea<\/strong> on the southern horizon as well as the river <strong>Llobregat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is home to the <strong>Benedictine Monestir de Montserrat,<\/strong> which has historically been a stronghold of Catalan culture and helped to conserve its distinct language, customs and traditions. The Monastery houses the revered <strong>Black Madonna<\/strong> popularly known as \u201c<strong>La Moreneta<\/strong>\u201d in the basilica. Most tourists visit the monastery to see the black Madonna and whisper a prayer in her presence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Montserrat<\/strong> is home to one of the oldest boys\u2019 choirs in Europe the &#8220;<strong>Escalonia Boys\u2019 Choir<\/strong>\u201d whose members are aged between 10 to 14 years. The choir performs religious choral music in such melodious voices that are guaranteed to lift your spirits. These performances can be heard at no charge in the Basilica almost every day except Saturdays, July, August and some festive periods of the year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">One other important sacred site is the cave on the mountain, the Holy Grotto known as Santa Cova. Legend has it that the image of the Virgin Mary was found here. The Holy Grotto is a holy place, frequented by pilgrims from all over the world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.museudemontserrat.com\/en\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Museum de Montserrat<\/strong> <\/a>boasts of a rich cultural heritage with some of the important collections of art including works by internationally renowned artists such as El Greco, Caravaggio, Picasso, Nonell and Monet to name a few.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also of note, in 1987 Montserrat was declared a natural park to protect its unique geological features. The <strong>Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat<\/strong>\u00a0is an attractive spot for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/climbing-montserrat-mountain\/\" target=\"_blank\">hiking<\/a> and to go on nature trails.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/montserrats-railways\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Montserrat\u2019s mountain railways<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_get_there\"><\/span>How to\u00a0get there<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_84493\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-84493\" class=\"wp-image-84493 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/485004984_ae6428f60b_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-84493\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo by rytc via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The most popular way to get to <strong>Monserrat<\/strong> from Barcelona is by train (The R5 Barcelona \u2013 Manresa line). It is by far the most affordable and fastest means with a travel time of up to an hour. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/train-stations-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\">train station <\/a>is located at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.es\/maps\/place\/Pl.+Espanya\/@41.3745179,2.1462789,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x12a4a279143ddfff:0xb71b60eb075c68c3!8m2!3d41.3745179!4d2.1484676\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Pla\u00e7a Espanya<\/a>. However, this train only goes as far as the bottom of the mountain.To get to the top, one must decide between taking a rack railway or a cable car.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Train tickets are sold at the train station and their prices vary depending on the combination of activities selected for the trip. For example, the \u2018Tot Monserrat\u2019 ticket (approx. 46,95 \u20ac) is an all-in-one ticket that covers a single return journey, the Rack Railway up to Montserrat Mountain, unlimited funicular rides on the mountain, entrance to the Monserrat museum and a Catalan buffet lunch. Often, with the help of station attendants, one should be able to select the ticket most suitable for the activities intended.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i>Looking for an apartment in the city? Let <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>ShBarcelona <\/i><\/b><\/a><i>help you in your search.<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>*Main photo by <span class=\"subsection-user-name\">Jordi@photos<\/span> via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"84420\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 150px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">3<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            votes        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re looking for a serene place in Barcelona to relax, re-centre yourself and declutter your mind and body, a day\u00a0trip\u00a0to the Monserrat Mountain is the best option there is. Montserrat is a multi-peaked rocky range located 50km Northwest of Barcelona and has a rather curious geological formation. Its name is derived from Catalan which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":84489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4346],"tags":[6986,1364,1853,6985,6987,1093],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84420"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96057,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84420\/revisions\/96057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}