GR8 2CU BCN: on edge on Montserrat

An outing to Montserrat is the most popular day trip from Barcelona and the time it takes in getting there means an early start is recommended. We set off from the train station at Plaza Espanya, the gateway to Montjuic and a major intersection for several metro and train lines. All these are underground and it is a complicated labyrinth to negotiate (details below in IF YOU GO section), but in the ticket hall we found a couple of booths where people were on hand to explain the options for getting to Montserrat.

We chose the cable car as opposed to the mountain railway, declining the hair-raising flying daredevil-in-a-wingsuit approach:



NO THANKS! Trains leave hourly and we had missed one by 15 minutes, giving us time to head back upstairs to the bull ring shopping centre for coffee and croissants in the basement cafe. Returning to the platform, we joined the other tourists who between us ended up taking nearly every seat on the train. No doubt it is a crush during rush hour or summer. The train was slow, staying underground for the first half dozen or so stops. Once overground it seemed to stop every 5 minutes so we never built up any speed and it was quite awhile before the jagged peaks of Montserrat came into view. The train line followed a wooded river valley and we hopped off at the station for the cable car over an hour after leaving Barcelona.

The air hitting our faces was cool and fresh, giving us an extra kick to our step as we trotted along to be among the first 30 or so tourists boarding the cable car waiting for us. The monastery clung to the side of a cliff thousands of feet above us...

...and not long after boarding the cable car we were soaring into the air heading towards it like eagles catching a breeze. Here's my video (note the lack of any wingsuits):


Arriving at the monastery was like walking into a small town: almost every available inch of open space in this  mountain cleft has been paved over so that the millions of pilgrims who throng here each year can be fed, watered and ministered to.

Visitors walking around the sprawling complex will find monastic quarters, a famous school of music, an art gallery, shops, restaurants, a hotel and apartments plus an underground train station and car park which have been drilled into the side of the mountain itself. The basilica itself with its holy relic is sheltered inside the fortress-like building above; step into the courtyard of this plain monolithic edifice and you'll see this highly decorated archway and clock tower.

We joined a queue coming out of one of the doors for the church, thinking it was the way in, but instead it turned out to be the line for cuddling up to the effigy of the Virgin Mary. No ta. We entered the gaudy interior through another door and took a seat to soak up the atmosphere. It was a bit difficult to admire the stained glass and murals on the ceiling what with all the cameras constantly flashing and clicking.

Why does the statue attract such devotion? St Peter apparently visited Spain and decided to hide a statue of the Virgin Mary which had been carved by St Luke himself. Years later some monks find the statue, which they name La Moreneta ('the little tanned one'). Each time they try to take the 'Black Virgin' with them somewhere, the statue disappears and returns to where they found it. Heavenly music and miracles also accompany the relic, so the monks give up and build their monastery around it.

Although the original monastery was established over a thousand years ago, the basilica is a comparatively modern construction dating back to the 1850s. Some of the decor was not completed until nearly the turn of the century so there are strong modernista influences in the designs. The reconstruction project coincided with a surge in Catalan pride, sealing the monastery's role as a symbol of pride and identity for the region. Along with St George the Black Virgin of Montserrat is a patron saint of Catalonia.

Along either side of the nave is a virtual conveyor belt of pilgrims paying their respects to the statue. Newlyweds in particular flock here. All the touching and kissing of the relic didn't strike me as being particularly hygienic.

We had a half hour before the renowned boys choir were due to come out for their daily number, so we returned to the sunny courtyard and ate the sandwiches we'd bought earlier. The crowds were building up so we squeezed back inside the basilica to catch the boys choir as they filed in. A priest gave a welcome message in about six different languages, then he handed over the floor to the boys for their piece. More and more people were crowding in and the service was soon drowned out by cameras clicking and beeping.

What better time to visit the monastery's art gallery & museum?? Sure enough, we had the whole place practically to ourselves with its two floors of art and artefacts. Their Caravaggio was out on loan, but it was one of his many St Jeromes and I'm sure we've seen a version or two already. El Greco found us yet another saint with glossy eyes staring up into a black sky; the works by Monet were also quite stereotypical and not particularly memorable.

I was surprised to see that much of their collection was made up of secular art, with plenty of Catalan artists, including a few by Picasso such as a realistic portrait of an old fisherman which proved he knew how to paint 'properly' before moving on to Cubism. We admired several portraits by Ramon Casas, whose work we'd first encountered in MNAC on Montjuic; his depictions of well-dressed socialites amid the local cafe culture reminded me of Manet. It was also interesting to recall his self-portrait we'd seen at MNAC and to compare it against the one here, done when he was much older.

In addition to the paintings there are several rooms of icons and Holy Land artefacts like Mesopotamian tablets and Egyptian mummies. It took about a half hour to walk around the exhibits so it was a bit overpriced at €6.50 each, but it was a quiet diversion from the circus taking place at the same time in the basilica.

Time to enjoy the number one attraction of Montserrat: the mountain itself! Click back next time for a lovely walk and magnificent views.

IF YOU GO Although it is possible to drive the 30 miles out to Montserrat and there are plenty of coach tours leaving the city, the train is more comfortable and relaxing. Whether arriving by car or train, you have two options for ascending the mountain, either by cable car or mountain railway.

I recommend buying the TransMontserrat ticket which includes 1) a return ticket on the Barcelona metro for connecting with the train at Plaza Espanya; 2) your return train journey to Montserrat and back; 3) a return trip on either the cable car or mountain railway up the mountain; 4) unlimited use of the funiculars while on the mountain and 5) entry to a slideshow presentation (more on that in my next post). Tickets currently cost €26.60 and can either be bought in advance from the link above, or purchased on the day in the ticketing hall of Plaza Espanya train station. Staff representing both the cable car and mountain railway run booths in the ticketing hall handing out leaflets and answering questions, while someone is also stationed next to the ticket machines to make sure you are buying the correct ticket.

When buying the TransMonsterrat ticket you have to decide before joining the train whether you want to ride the cable car (AERI) or take the mountain railway (Cremallera). You cannot take one up and the other down. For the cable car, alight at Montserrat AERI station, which takes 1h5m from Barcelona. For the mountain railway, stay on the train another five minutes or so until reaching Monistrol de Montserrat station.

Not sure which one to take? Don't take the cable car if you are claustrophobic or afraid of heights!

I also thought the cable car had better connections. It meets trains as they arrive and should descend from the mountain about 15 minutes before the return train pulls in. Leaving Barcelona on the 10.36am train, we arrived at the cable car around 11.40 and were stood in front of the monastery 15 minutes later, meaning we only had a half hour to wait for the choir service. In high season though you might be left waiting for a cable car at the station unless you hustle off the train, although as one cable car goes up another should be coming down.

The last cable car heads down at 5.30pm in low season, which still left us with a full afternoon to see the monastery, art gallery and slideshow plus a ride up on one funicular and a walk back to the monastery.

You can also buy a Tot Montserrat ticket which includes all the perks of the TransMontserrat ticket, plus admission to the museum & art gallery and lunch in the cafeteria. At €42.65 each, you're better off with buying the TransMontserrat ticket, packing a picnic lunch and paying €6.50 for a museum ticket if you're interested in seeing the artworks.

A third option is to buy a train ticket at Plaza Espanya, booking your cable car or mountain railway connection at the same time, although this means buying separate tickets for the Barcelona metro and Montserrat funiculars. See if you can figure out the fares and savings on the local travel website?! Thought so. Stick with the TransMontserrat ticket!

In order to find the ticket hall and trains under Plaza Espanya, follow signs for what looks like a sideways S (see left): the route is called the R5 and trains are bound for Manresa. You don't necessarily have to to join the train at Plaza Espanya as the train calls at a number of suburban stations, but even on a mid-morning weekday departure in November the train was nearly full when it left Plaza Espanya.