Barcelona to Montserrat

Car Employ Spain - Barcelona

Barcelona is well-known since of its links with Gaudi, its museums, its shops and its nightlife, and is actually a terrific spot to get a vacation or short break. Nonetheless, should you employ a car if you are in Barcelona, you could also visit some of the great attractions that lie outside of the city. Get additional data about Manresa travel guide

Barcelona for the Monastery of Montserrat

If you are on a car hire vacation in Barcelona, you may take a break in the hustle and bustle with the city by jumping inside your hire car and driving to Montserrat, one on the highest mountains in the Prelitoral Catalana variety. The mountain is named just after its jagged appearance, with Montserrat translating as "Saw-toothed Mountain" or "Serrated Mountain", and one of its key attractions could be the Monestir de Montserrat (Monastery of Montserrat).

Driving from Barcelona to Montserrat

It will take you about 90 minutes to drive to Montserrat from Barcelona within your hire car. To have there, head out of Barcelona on the Avinguda Diagonal and take the B-23 motorway. Take the A2 motorway and leave at the Manresa exit. Take the C-55 to Monistrol de Montserrat after which either park your hire car there and take the cable car or railway for the sanctuary, or take the BP-1103 to Montserrat. There's restricted parking offered in the sanctuary.

The Monastery of Montserrat

The Monastery of Montserrat was founded by Olbia (the Abbot of Ripal and Bishop of Vic) in 1025 in order to mark the place where the religious icon of Our Lady of Montserrat (also known as La Moreneta, or "the Dark One"), now the Patron Saint of Catalonia, was discovered.

Legend has it that this statue in the Virgin Mary was brought to Montserrat by St. Peter and hidden in a cave. It was discovered by shepherds in 880, following a series of visions, and despite the fact that the Bishop of Manresa ordered that it really should be taken to Manresa, it became also heavy to carry as soon as any individual attempted to move it. He took this as a sign that the Virgin Mary did not want the statue to be moved, and so ordered a chapel to become constructed to honour her.

The statue at present housed in the shrine within the monastery's basilica is usually a 12th century Romanesque carving.

You are able to take a tour with the monastery's Open Air Museum using the audio-guides and maps offered out of your car hire company. You will discover 4 routes out there: the initial will take you around the monastery's most important buildings, such as the basilica; the second will take you along the path that pilgrims used to work with to reach Montserrat; the third will take you towards the Holy Grotto exactly where Our Lady of Montserrat was discovered; and also the fourth will take you on a tour of some of the monastery's buildings and enable you to see a number of monuments.

You could also stop by the Museum of Montserrat, which consists of six permanent art collections; see the interactive "Inside Montserrat" exhibition; check out the Montserrat Library, which houses greater than 300,000 books and manuscripts; take a break out of your hire car with a trip on one of the two funicular railways; or hike in the surrounding area, that is a designated nature park.