When you search for things to do in Barcelona, you’ll often see a day trip to the Monastery at Montserrat recommended. This hilltop haven is tucked high up in the Montserrat mountain range, about an hour’s drive from Barcelona. Visiting Montserrat by car from Barcelona is very easy, and I will give you all the tips you need to have a successful day trip.
The Benedictine monastery was founded in 1025 and has been a pilgrimage site ever since. Although the current structures are more modern than this, it is a beautiful collection of buildings nonetheless. Along with the basilica and monastery, there is also a museum, two funiculars to further scenic locations, and a few accommodation options.
Where is Montserrat?
Montserrat is located an hour north-west of Barcelona, in the Montserrat Mountains. Situated in Catalonia, this area has a diverse landscape, from mountains like at Montserrat, down to the sea of Barcelona and the Costa Brava coastline.
Driving to Montserrat
We stayed on the outskirts of Barcelona, in Sant Cugat, as we were driving a large passenger van, therefore it was easy to jump on the highway from there. Take the A-2 highway out of Barcelona in order to avoid tolls, although they aren’t much if you do take a toll road. After around 30 minutes, take the C-55 road to the various public transport options up to the monastery – the views of the rock formations are great along this road.
While there is some parking up at the monastery itself, it is a small winding road up there, and the parking fills up quickly in the summer. There’s always the possibility that you’ll drive up there only to find the parking facilities full. The far more genteel way to reach the monastery is to take either the Cremellera (cog / rack railway) from Monistrol-Vila or the gondola from the Aeri de Montserrat station.
Parking at Monistrol-Vila
There is a large multi-storey carpark at Monistrol-Vila (the Cremellera station), that is 2.2m high, which means the average passenger van can fit in. This carpark is FREE. There is also a huge carpark for buses and campers on the other side of the tracks from the carpark building. We also noted a limited amount of street parking nearby too.
We noted how easy it was to reach the Cremellera station, and that there are amenities here too, should you have a wait for your train. It couldn’t have been easier.
Address: Aparcament del Cremallera de Montserrat
Maps: JR8R+6X Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain
What3Words: ///drags.discourage.petites
Taking the train from Barcelona
Taking the train to Montserrat from Barcelona is also a super easy option for those visiting without a car. Just take the R5 train from Barcelona-Plaça Espanya towards Manresa-Baixador. You’ll go 22 stops and get off at Monistrol de Montserrat station for the rack railway, or 21 stops to the Aeri de Montserrat station to take the gondola.
We found taking trains in and around Barcelona very easy, with ticket machines in English and helpful attendants when we got stuck figuring out what tickets would be most cost-effective.
Various Ways to Reach the Monastery
There are various ways to reach the monastery – by car, by cog / rack railway, by gondola, or by hike. Personally, I can only recommend the rack railway or gondola. The fun way to do it is to take the rack railway up and the gondola back down (or vice versa).
Cremellera (Cog Railway)
The Cremellera is a cog / rack railway system. These use a cogged rail in the middle of the normal rails to help aid the train on these steep mountains. It means the train goes a bit slower, but it’s a wonderful engineering feat. We took a similar one up from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg in Switzerland – it’s a very scenic way to travel!
The Cremellera doesn’t take very long to climb to the monastery – only about 20 minutes from Monistrol de Montserrat station, or around 15 minutes from Monistrol-Vila station, and the views are fantastic!
The ticket counter is well organised and the facilities are all very modern. Tickets cost around 14€ per person [2024 pricing] for a return rack railway trip, with senior and child rates available too.
Gondola (Teléferic)
The other main touristic way to reach the monastery is to take the teléferic / gondola. Taking a very quick 5 minutes to reach the top, you will leave from Aeri de Montserrat station, and be deposited near the rack railway upper station for easy access to the monastery complex. It is perhaps not the best for those who are afraid of heights, but it is a fun and fast way to get up / get down the mountain, and has amazing views.
I recommend taking the rack railway up and the gondola back down. Bear in mind that you will then have to make the short hop on the train from the Aeri de Montserrat station back to Monistrol-Vila station (1 stop) to get back to your car.
Hiking
From Monistrol, you can hike the Camí de les Aigües or Camí Vell (Old Path). This is a challenging uphill hike of around 8kms / 5 miles, and takes around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on fitness level.
From Collbató, a nearby town on the southern side of Montserrat, you can take the path via St. Michael’s Cross Path (Creu de Sant Miquel). This trail is less steep than the one from Monistrol and offers beautiful views of the monastery as you approach. At around 7kms / 4.3 miles, it will take you 2-3 hours.
Once up at Montserrat, there are lots of hiking opportunities further into the hills, to religious hermitages and to special viewpoints.
Things to do at Montserrat
The Benedictine Monastery and Abbey
The monastery is home to the Benedictine Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. It has a revered statue of La Moreneta (the Black Madonna), the patron saint of Catalonia within the abbey. It has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries due to the statue’s religious importance. There is also the world class Escolania boys’ choir, which runs ticketed performances Monday-Friday.
Tickets into the abbey and to see the madonna and choir are timed, and should be purchased in advance if you want to guarantee your spot.
Montserrat Museum
The Montserrat Museum has a wide collection of art, including pieces by El Greco, Caravaggio, Monet, and Picasso. We were impressed by the array of Spanish artists on show, with both paintings and sculpture on display across two floors. There was also a religious iconography section.
We bought the cog railway / museum combo ticket, which made the process of visiting the museum very easy. There isn’t a timed entry for the museum, and it wasn’t very busy during our visit (a Saturday morning in October). Compared the crowds at the abbey and around the complex, it was actually a bit of respite!
There are also sculptures all around the complex, like a town turned sculpture park.
Funiculars
There are two funiculars at Montserrat. The Sant Joan funicular up to a beautiful viewpoint and hiking options, and the Funicular de la Santa Cova, down to a short hike to the Holy Cave.
- Sant Joan Funicular – This funicular goes up the hill to the Sant Joan lookout and walks to various hermitages and viewpoints. The views down this long straight stretch of track back to the abbey are truly captivating. Try to get the lower position on the funicular, pointing down the hill / back towards the abbey – the view is phenomenal.
- Santa Cova Funicular – This funicular goes down the hill, down to a short walk to the Santa Cova (Holy Cave), a revered site believed to be where the statue of the Black Madonna was discovered. Along the way, you’ll enjoy religious sculptures and monuments, called the Mysteries of the Rosary.
I wasn’t sure if we were going to go on the funiculars, as my husband isn’t keen on heights. But in the end I decided to do a trip up the Sant Joan viewpoint, and just bought a ticket at the station. In hindsight, I would have bought tickets to both these funiculars with our combo tickets at the start of the journey.
Viewpoints
Out past the buffet restaurant is an amazing multi-level viewpoint. You don’t need to use the one of top of the restaurant (reserved for those dining), just go past the restaurant and down the steps to the right. The steps get steep in parts, but the views back up to the monastery complex are worth it!
You may have to wait for instagrammers to move along from their painfully slow photoshoots along the lookout edges, but the many levels make this easier to avoid.
While the ugly architecture of the restaurant (Mirador dels Apòstols building) somewhat sullies the view, you can crop it out. The further down the viewpoint you go, the easier it is to avoid this late-70s abomination.
Amenities
There are a variety of amenities up in Montserrat, meaning that you can stay overnight and enjoy the quiet of the place after all the tourists have left for the day!
- There is a couple of cafes for coffee, sandwiches and snacks and drinks
- There is a buffet restaurant in the more modern part of Montserrat (out on the point, on the lower level of the complex)
- There are a few accommodation options: Hotels Hotel Abat Cisneros Montserrat and Alberg Abat Oliba; vacation apartments at Apartamentos Montserrat Abat Marcet; and a hostel: Hostatgeria de Montserrat
If I have one tip it is to bring your own food up to Montserrat and picnic. The food offerings are limited and expensive, and the queues can get really long, so bring your own sandwiches and sit at one of the views for your lunch.
Montserrat By Car
I’m always nervous visiting large tourist sites by car in Europe, as they are so often from long before cars were invented. Luckily, recent upgrades to the infrastructure at Montserrat mean that visiting by car is easy and hassle-free. If you are visiting in winter, mid-week, early morning or away from any religious holidays, then you may choose to drive all the way up. But honestly, the Monistrol-Vila parking and Cremellera complex is so modern, convenient and easy, it is definitely my recommended route for visiting Montserrat by car.
If, by any chance, you want to skip the drive, there are tours available that start in Barcelona:
- Barcelona: Montserrat Tour with Cog-Wheel & Black Madonna
- Barcelona: Half-Day Morning or Afternoon Montserrat Tour
- Barcelona: Montserrat & Ancient Winery Tour with Tapas/Lunch
Don’t miss a weekend in Barcelona on your road trip through Spain!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.
