Montserrat: a visit with 1000 years of history in the heart of Catalonia

Montserrat, the famous “Magic Mountain” of Catalonia, celebrates its 1000th anniversary in 2025. More than a more than a place of pilgrimage, this enclave near Barcelona combines history, spirituality, art and nature in a mix that has inspired
nature in a mixture that has inspired believers and visitors from all over the world.

Montserrat, which means “serrated mountain”, refers to the special morphology of the mountain, sculpted by wind and rain over millennia.

Why should you visit Montserrat in 2025?

Montserrat is not only a place of faith; it is a place where history, art and nature converge to offer a unique experience to the visitor. Converge to offer a unique experience to the visitor, both for those who are looking for a spiritual and religious
spiritual and religious experience, as well as for those seeking to enjoy the rugged beauty of the mountain and its natural environment. mountain and its natural surroundings.

On October 23, 1940, the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, as a follower of esoteric theories theories, visited Montserrat on the trail of the Holy Grail, the legendary chalice that Jesus used at the last supper and which was used to
the last supper and that served to collect his blood on the cross. to supposedly ensure Germany’s victory in World War II. Germany’s victory in World War II.
Montserrat is a very famous enclave among UFO enthusiasts, who come several nights during the year to scrutinize itthroughout the year to scrutinize its skies in search of flying objects.

As you can see, Montserrat is more than just a mountain. When you approach it, its imposing mass is already that the visit is going to be a special experience, in which nature, spirituality, tradition and art are combined, all of them in
tradition and art, all of them in equal parts. Its rounded peaks, called “needles”, are the most characteristic and spectacular feature of its mountain range.

At the highest peak of the Montserrat Mountain, is the summit of Sant Jeroni (1,236 m), from where you can admire a wonderful panoramic view of the Pyrenees, almost the entire province of Barcelona and even, on very clear days, the Balearic Islands.

Located about 30 kilometers from Barcelona on the border of the regions of Bages, Baix Llobregat and Anoia, Montserrat is with its monastery and abbey, undoubtedly one of the most recognized and visited places in Catalonia, which certainly should not miss during your stay in Barcelona.

These impressive architectural gems at 720 meters above sea level are a must-see in Catalonia according to the prestigious newspaper The New York Times in its list ‘52 Places to go in 2025‘, an article in which it recommends more than fifty perfect destinations to explore this year.

In this website of the Generalitat de Catalunya you can see what activities you can do in Montserrat.

La Moreneta, the origin of the magic of Montserrat

The Virgin of Montserrat, known as La Moreneta because of her black color, is the patron saint of Catalonia and the object of a devotion that transcends ideologies and borders.

Legends about the Virgin add a magical touch to the mountain. It is said that in the year 880 some shepherds found an image of the Virgin Mary in a cave illuminated by a mysterious light.
This vision was repeated several times and always on Saturday.

When the bishop of Manresa went to move the sculpture to the city, it seemed to miraculously resist being moved from the place. Believing that it was a design that the Virgin wished to remain in the place, the hermitage of Santa Maria was built to welcome her and the nucleus of the future monastery of Montserrat, which was built in the 11th century.

The cave hermitage of Santa Cova was built a little further down, around 1700, in the cave where the Virgin was found.

In 1025, Oliba, abbot of Ripoll and bishop of Vic, founded a new monastery and, in a short time, received pilgrims and visitors who contributed to make known among the people the stories of the miracles and wonders that the Virgin worked,” they point out from their official website.

Already in 1327 we have evidence of pilgrimages to the mountain, according to the Red Book of Montserrat, preserved in the abbey.

It was also in Montserrat where St. Ignatius of Loyola culminated his inner journey, which culminated in one of the most fruitful legacies of the universal Church.

The cave hermitage of the Santa Cova was built a little further down, around 1700, in the cave where the Virgin was found.

In 1881, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed the Virgin of Montserrat as patron saint of Catalonia, a fact that strengthened the identity link between the abbey and the Catalan people, whose feast day is April 27.

La Moreneta, due to the dark color of her skin, became the spiritual center of the place and gave rise to the current monastery of Montserrat.
The image of the Virgin is a seated and hieratic marededeu (mother of God) of Romanesque style, with a mysterious sweetness in her expression and with the child Jesus in her lap.

Known as La Moreneta because of the dark color of her skin, she became the spiritual center of the place and gave rise to the current monastery of Montserrat.

The most striking feature of the image is the dark color of her face and hands: many believe that it is due to the smoke from the candles placed under her, but the abbey says that it is “the result of the transformation of the varnish on her face and hands due to the passage of time”.

A Beacon of Culture and Spirituality in Europe

Since its foundation, Montserrat has been much more than a monastery. As we have seen before, already in the Middle Ages, its miracles and the devotion to “La Moreneta” attracted pilgrims from all over Europe, consolidating its fame.

In the 14th century, the Escolania de Montserrat was founded, one of the oldest choirs of children’s voices on the continent and a musical pillar of the monastery. The 19th century was a turbulent time for the monastery, marked by the destitution of church property, the destruction of its buildings and the expulsion of the monks during the Napoleonic wars.

However, despite all these adversities, Montserrat was reborn as a religious and cultural symbol with the official proclamation of the Virgin of Montserrat as patron saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII in 1881.

History of the Abbey or Basilica of Montserrat

The Abbey of Montserrat is governed by a community of monks of the Benedictine order. At present, the community is made up of about seventy monks who, as in any monastery of that order, dedicate their monastic life to prayer, hospitality and work, following the motto “Ora et Labora”.

The Basilica of Montserrat began to be built during the 16th century and was completely rebuilt in the 19th century after it was devastated during the War of Independence against Napoleon. The Neoplateresque style interior façade, the work of the Catalan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Carmona, was completed in 1901.

A very ornate architectural style that finds its inspiration in the longing for the lost splendor of Spain’s past (it should not be forgotten that this was the time when the Spanish empire was in its last throes and the last overseas territories were being lost).

Built in a single nave plan, supported by central columns, 68 meters long by 21 meters wide and 33 meters high, the original organ dates back to 1896 and in the mid-twentieth century was moved to the presbytery.

The original organ dates from 1896 and in the mid-twentieth century was moved to the presbytery, although very deteriorated, and in 2010 a new organ was installed, which together with its children’s choir, places Montserrat at the highest international musical level.

Just above the main altar is the chapel of the Virgin, which is accessed after passing through an alabaster doorway (Puerta Angelica) in which various biblical scenes are represented. The Throne of the Virgin is of embossed silver, with two reliefs that represent the Nativity and the Visitation, and an image of San Miguel.

The carving is the original from the 12th century and is protected by angels holding the crown, the scepter and the lily of the Virgin. Once the Virgin has been visited, the exit from the chapel is through the so-called Ave Maria Way, where it is customary to make offerings in the form of candles, and which leads back to the inner square. It is worth mentioning that the path is adapted for people with reduced mobility.

From here, from the Plaza de Santa Maria, the nerve center and axis of the site, you can go through the whole in a fantastic tour, the result of the great reform of the nineteenth century led by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

Resistance and rebirth of the Catalan people

During the Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship, Montserrat played a key role first as a hospital and refuge for the politically persecuted and then as a symbol of cultural and religious resistance during and at the end of Franco’s regime.

In the 1970s, it became the scene of democratic protests that contributed to the recovery of freedoms in Catalonia. In December 1970, the famous lock-in at Montserrat took place, which lasted three days and brought together some 300 Catalan intellectuals to protest against the Burgos Trial, which condemned to death several ETA militants for the murder of three people.
Many of those who attended the lock-in later became involved in the creation of the Assamblea de Catalunya in November 1971.

It was also the scene of the founding of Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC), which brought together people aligned with social democracy, liberalism and Christian democracy around the figure of Jordi Pujol with the aim of rebuilding Catalonia.

Montserrat’s tourist boom

The steam rack railway, inaugurated in 1892, facilitated public access to Montserrat. But it should be remembered that for many centuries the essential motivation for traveling to the mountain was to ask for the Virgin’s help or to express gratitude to her.

This is still attested to by the candles lit next to the abbey; and also by the votive offerings of those who have recovered their health, passed an exam or given birth to a child that are offered in the hermitage of the Santa Cova. Today the faithful to the Virgin and those who perform some kind of spiritual practice in Montserrat have ceded ground to those who come to exercise in a spectacular nature and hardly approach the basilica.

But in their own way and by different paths, both seek greater depth, harmony and balance in their lives. This is precisely what this mountain seems to have specialized in over the last thousand years.

Today, Montserrat is one of the most visited destinations in Catalonia, with more than two million tourists a year. The millennium celebrations, which began in 2024 and run until 2025, include cultural events, concerts and exhibitions that invite you to rediscover this emblematic place.

Visiting Montserrat is free?

Visiting the outside of the abbey and the natural park is free, but visiting the abbey and the Virgin of Montserrat is paid for tourists.

Non-residents of Catalonia must buy tickets, with different combinations: access to the basilica, adding the visit to the Virgin’s Chapel or the attendance to the singing of the Salve and the Virolai by the Escolania or the complete visit -basilica and Chapel, Museum of Montserrat, Audiovisual Space and open-air museum-, which includes in all cases the audioguide.

Transport:

From the center of Barcelona by train R5 (stop Monistrol Montserrat), then on foot, by cable car or the Cremalera mountain train.

Opening hours and times:

Basilica with the Black Madonna: daily, from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Choral performances: Monday to Friday at 13:00 and 18:45 (except Friday); Sundays and holidays at 12:00 and 18:45.

Museum: Monday – Friday, 10:00 – 16:45, weekends and holidays 10:00 – 17:45

Tourist prices:

Individual tickets without transport:

Basilica: 6 €, Black Madonna: 8 €, Choral performance: 8 €, Museum: 8 €, see more official €, ver más web oficial

Tours to Montserrat from Barcelona

If you want to visit Montserrat, now that it is 1000 years old, you can do it in a very easy and fun way with one of our all inclusive tours to Montserrat from Barcelona.

Hiring one of these tours you won’t have to worry about buying train or bus tickets or tickets, traveling by car, looking for information about the buildings. We take you to and from Barcelona by bus and the entrance fees are included.

In Barcelona Local Experiences we offer you the possibility to spend a very special and fun day in a group of maximum 12 people accompanied by a local guide specialist in Montserrat who will explain in detail all the curious facts and secrets of this fantastic place that combines spirituality, culture and nature.

We have 2 options for you:

-A half day tour to get to know Montserrat in depth.
-A full day tour in Montserrat that includes a typical lunch in a local farmhouse and a visit to a winery where you can learn about and taste the famous Catalan wines.

Since 2015 we organize guided tours in Barcelona, in small groups and private tours to visit without queues or waste of time the most important places in Barcelona.

Day Tours Barcelona

Private Tours Barcelona:

We can also help you plan your vacation or trip to Barcelona so you can enjoy the city to the fullest. Our concierge service in Barcelona allows you not only to plan your stay, we can take care of booking all the services and shows you can enjoy in this wonderful city.