Montserrat with Marta and Pepe

One of the most memorable parts of our last trip to Spain was a visit to Montserrat with Marta and Pepe.

Montserrat is a mountain top monastery in Catalonia, Spain. Situated atop an unusual rock mountain, it is very popular among Catalans, and Catholic pilgrims come from far and wide to see the Black Madonna.

The monastery is Catalonia’s most important religious retreat and groups of young people from Barcelona and all over Catalonia make overnight hikes at least once in their lives to watch the sunrise from the heights of Montserrat.

At 1236 meters (4055 ft) above the valley floor, Montserrat is the highest point of the Catalan lowlands, and stands central to the most populated part of Catalonia. The stone monolith is ideally located to play an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of Catalonia.

Montserrat’s highest point, Sant Jeroni, can be reached by a footpath from the topstation of the Funicular Sant Jeroni. From Sant Joan, almost all of Catalonia can be seen and on a clear day the island of Majorca is visible.

* Take the cable car ride up – definitely not for the faint hearted, this cable car is at some height!
* Hike around the peaks.