1. Montserrat: Morning or Afternoon Half-Day Trip with Pickup
Take a halfday trip from Barcelona to Monserrat. See views from the mountain, visit a famous monastery, and take a walking tour. Be picked up from your Barcelona accommodations in the morning and enjoy the most exclusive views of this spectacular natural setting, the Holy Mountain. This rocky monument is known for the whimsical shapes of its peaks soaring through the sky, its valleys and caves, giving an appearance of mysterious beauty. The mountain, 2,380 feet above sea level and surrounded by magnificent scenery, is home to the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, which you will visit on this tour. This religious site includes the Basilica, where you’ll see the Virgin of Montserrat, known as the Black Madonna. This is a venerated 12th-century Romanesque carving characterized by its unique dark color, hence the nickname. After visiting the monastery, your guide will take you on a walking tour to take in the stunning views from the site that was declared a national park in 1987. Next, you’ll visit the Holy Cave, where legend has it the Virgin appeared. It is now a center of pilgrimage and prayer. To conclude the tour, you can enjoy listening to the angelic voices of La Escolania de Montserrat, one of the oldest children's choirs in Europe. You will return to Barcelona with the guide at around 2:30 PM if you take the morning tour, or at 8:30 PM if you take the afternoon tour.