The Majestic Montserrat Mountain
About 60km northwest of Barcelona lies a small village called Monistrol de Montserrat. Perched high up in the mountains (and I do mean high up) is Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey.
It offers some spectacular views once you get up there. Just how you get up there is up to you. You could take one of the tour buses (lame) or you could take a cable car (sweet). Since we are awesome, we took a cable car.
Here’s a view on the way up of the village below.
Still ascending…
Once you’ve completed the ascent, 4055 feet up, you can walk even further up some stairs to the main plaza where you will find “La Moreneta” (the black virgin), which is Catalonia’s favorite saint. Rumor has it, it’s also the location of the Holy Grail as well! The queue to see the virgin was way too long so we roamed the grounds instead in an attempt to find the Holy Grail.
We didn’t see it anywhere down there…
So we rearranged some of the stones in this statue to get a better view…
Our efforts proved to be fruitless, so we just went to the cafeteria and ordered some fruit instead, and ate it while dangling on the edge of the world…
That’s when we got the idea that we just weren’t high enough yet, and needed more elevation (elevation: not to be confused with cow bells). It just so happens I am a funicular fanatic, and just my luck they had not one, but TWO funiculars. Funicular de Sant Joan climbs up the side of the mountain at a maximum steepness of 65%!! These nuns really know how to put the fun in FUNicular!
How’s this for a stunning view!?
Still not satisfied, we made the adventuorus decision to hike up EVEN FURTHER where there are various abandoned hovels in the cliff faces that were previously the abodes of reclusive monks.
And abandoned shrines high atop the cliffs.
REALLY high up.
Incidentally “Montserrat” literally means “jagged (serrated) mountain” in Catalan, and here you can see where it gets it’s name.
Despite our best efforts to find the Holy Grail, we had to call it a day as the last funicular of the day was leaving, and even though there were plenty of caves in the side of the mountain to provide shelter, we forgot our flint at home. So it was back down, down, down…
Hey, I went to this monastery 35 years ago! I don’t think they had the additional funicular then and perhaps not the cliffside cafe. Great photos! Wish I could talk to you in person as this trip unfolds. Mom
— Mom G
September 6, 2008 10:16 am.