Panorama taken shortly after setting out on the Hermitage Trail walk on Montserrat. The views from the trail over the valley are amazing.

Montserrat Monastery Hermitage Trail - Montserrat visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Montserrat Monastery Hermitage Trail' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Catalonia.

The mountains of Montserrat are most famous for 11th century Monastery of Montserrat which houses the Black Virgin statue (La Moreneta) inside the Basilica of Santa Maria de Montserrat. It is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Spain, attracting over a million visitors a year, a popular attraction and day trip from Barcelona.

Montserrat literally means 'jagged mountain', and the mountains rise sharply from the plains of Catalonia north of Barcelona to a height of 1236m. Aside from the monastery itself, the mountains are popular for walking and climbing. Over time, several hermitage sites were established around the monastery, and the mountains also contain several caves.

A popular walk is the Montserrat Hermitage Walk. Hikers can take the Funicular de Sant Joan from the main plaza ascending 248m up to the mountain. From here a long, looping trail winds back down to the monastery, passing an abandoned Hermitage and the stunning Cross Viewpoint with dramatic views back onto Montserrat Monastery en route. Two other trails from the top of the funicular lead to other isolated hermitages further in the hills.

Another popular trail leads down from Montserrat Monastery to the Santa Cova, (Holy Grotto), the cave where the original statue of Mary was supposedly discovered by Shepherds in the 9th century.

Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat
08199 Montserrat (Barcelona),
Catalonia,
Spain

Funicular: Funicular de Sant Joan from Placa de Santa Maria at Montserrat Abbey or walk.