Montserrat Monastery

Montserrat — the name means 'jagged mountain' in Catalan — rises dramatically to 1,236m from the plains of central Catalonia, 50km northwest of Barcelona. The serrated pink conglomerate rock formation is visible for miles across the Llobregat basin and is one of Catalonia's most iconic landscapes. The Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat clings to the sheer south face of the mountain at 720m altitude, founded in the 9th century around a cave where, according to tradition, a statue of the Virgin was discovered in the 9th century. La Moreneta (the Black Virgin), a 12th-century polychrome Romanesque figure, is housed in the basilica's camarín (upper chapel) and is the patron saint of Catalonia. On weekends, the queue to venerate the statue in person can reach 45 minutes; visiting the camarín before 9AM or after 6PM reduces waiting. The monastery is home to approximately 80 Benedictine monks and receives around 3 million visitors annually. The celebrated Escolania de Montserrat — one of the world's oldest boys' choirs, documented since the 13th century — sings in the basilica at 1PM daily and at 6:45PM on weekdays except Friday (seasonal schedule applies). The cremallera rack railway from Monistrol de Montserrat and the Aeri cable car from the Aeri de Montserrat station on the R5 FGC train line both serve the monastery. From the monastery, four hiking trails lead to summit hermitages and viewpoints; the Sant Joan trail (1.5 hours return) and Sant Jeroni summit trail (4 hours return, reaching 1,236m) are the most popular.