Montserrat, Spain | A Must Do Day Trip From Barcelona

Montserrat

Going to Barcelona? Add Montserrat as a day trip! 

Montserrat is a place I had never heard about prior to going to Spain. When I was exploring Barcelona, I still was unwell due to a lung infection. Staying indoors was not an option and I was craving an adventure. When I was in Madrid, I had done a day trip to Toledo and heard about Montserrat, so I made an executive decision to go there.

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Montserrat tips:

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  • Travel Insurance: Having gotten sick on my travels in the past, I never travel without being insured. You never know when something may happen. For my round the world trip and extended long-term travel, I use World Nomads. For other trips, I have used Roam Right and they cover activities like extreme sports.

 

Montserrat is about an hour and a bit away by train from Barcelona. If I recall correctly, I paid around 20 odd Euros for a return ticket. Before I arrived, I had already decided to take the cable car up to the monastery. There is an option to take the Cremillera or rack rail to the monastery but I thought I would get some aerial views of the area.

When I was leaving Barcelona, I missed my originally scheduled train because at the time my American credit and debit cards did not have chips in them. Since my cards did not work at the automated ticket machines, I had to line up at a ticket booth. This took up valuable time since I didn’t realize this was the problem. I ended up missing my train by a couple of minutes. The reason this was a disappointment was that I missed the Benedictine boys’ choir that sings at the monastery. 

If you have a chance and time when you’re in Barcelona, I really recommend going. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the stunning views and atmosphere here. You can even hike around the mountains in the area. I do not practice any faith but my late mother was very Catholic. When I was in Montserrat I did go to the famous Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, which is home to the famous Black Madonna statue. For fun, I lined up to see it close up. I also lit candles and prayed for my mother and attended part of a mass. European churches are like no other and quite awe-inspiring.

Here are just a handful of photos from my Montserrat trip:

Monserrat Spain

View from the train ride

Day Trip From Barcelona

View from the aerial tramway

Day Trip From Barcelona

Gorgeous light everywhere, magical really

Day Trip From Barcelona

Funicular, I love that word

Montserrat - Day Trip From Barcelona

Day Trip From Barcelona

Montserrat - Day Trip From Barcelona

Montserrat

Montserrat

Day Trip From Barcelona

Montserrat

Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey

Abbey view from behind where the priest stands

Day Trip From Barcelona

Gorgeous stained glass

Day Trip From Barcelona

I lit candles for my late Mama

Montserrat wedding

I witnessed a wedding!

Black Madonna - Montserrat

Santa Maria de Montserrat or the Black Madonna

Montserrat - Round The World Girl

Selfie time!

Tips for Montserrat:
  • You can hire a car to get to Montserrat but I loved the short train journey. It is only about an hour and a bit each way. Take the train from Plaça D’Espanya in Barcelona to Montserrat by taking the FGC train in the direction of Manresa
  • You can choose to either take the Aeri de Montserrat or aerial tramway or take the Cremillara. I’m a little bit foggy about how I got back to the station but I am pretty sure I took the funicular down as I didn’t have proper footwear for a hike. I did some walking around the area but not as much as I’d like to. I am definitely keen on going back, staying around the area, and hike.

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Montserrat - An easy day trip from Barcelona

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