Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona. But before you decide whether to take a Montserrat day tour, take a day trip yourself by train or car, or even spend the night and stay in a hotel in Montserrat, it’s good to have an idea of what to do in Montserrat and how you can explore this special place. I’ve been to Montserrat several times and have created this ultimate guide to the best things to do in Montserrat near Barcelona, Spain so you can plan your visit!
What is Montserrat?
Montserrat is a spectacular mountain and a National Park range located about 50 kilometres northwest of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. The name “Montserrat” literally means “serrated mountain,” and refers to the jagged, saw-toothed appearance of the mountain’s peaks and rock formations, which have been sculpted over millions of years by wind and rain.
Montserrat Monastery is a Benedictine abbey at the heart of Montserrat, which has been a significant religious and cultural site for centuries. The monastery is home to the revered statue of the Black Madonna (La Moreneta), which attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.
Why Should You Visit Montserrat?
Montserrat is a popular day trip from Barcelona for good reason, and it is well worth visiting while you are in the city.
The mountain range has some of the most dramatic and picturesque landscapes in Catalonia, with its unique rock formations and panoramic views. Hikers and nature lovers will enjoy exploring the many hiking trails around the National Park, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the stunning scenery.
The spiritual significance of Montserrat is another great reason to visit. Montserrat Monastery is a major pilgrimage site, drawing visitors from around the world who want to see the Black Madonna.
There are more than enough things to do in Montserrat to keep you busy for a day trip or a weekend getaway, so don’t miss this unique site close to Barcelona.
How to Visit Montserrat
The easiest way to visit Montserrat is to join a Montserrat day tour from Barcelona, or take the train from Barcelona and explore on your own.
Montserrat Tours from Barcelona
There are various tour companies offering tours to Montserrat from Barcelona; these are my favourites:
Montserrat & Cava Winery Tour: Day Trip from Barcelona with Lunch
This tour run by Devour Tours is a special experience including a visit to a winery in the Penedes as well as a guided tour of Montserrat Basilica and free time to explore.
Departure time from Barcelona is 7.50am so you’ll arrive in Montserrat before the crowds, and will visit the Black Madonna and the Monastery while it is still quiet. After some time exploring and sampling cheeses at the Farmers Market you will head off in the mini bus to the winery.
At the winery, you’ll have a tour of the vineyards in a 4×4 and enjoy a delicious lunch with wine pairings before learning about the bottling process and having the chance to win a bottle of cava to take home. The minibus will then drive you back to Barcelona.
How to Get to Montserrat by Train from Barcelona
Take the R5 Line from Plaça Espanya towards Manresa-Baixador, which is operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). The train station is underground, and you can follow signs for the green Ferrocarrils symbol to find the station in Plaça d’Espanya.
You can buy your ticket at the station, including the extra journey to the top of the mountain, either by cable car or rack railway.
Both options are the same price, and both have spectacular views, but you’ll need to decide which one you prefer before you buy your ticket if you want to save money on the combined ticket option. Otherwise, you can buy separate tickets when you arrive.
The train journey takes about an hour, plus the ride to the top in whichever transport you choose. For the cable car, get off the train at Aeri de Montserrat, and for the rack railway, get off at Monistrol de Montserrat, which is the next stop. This article has more information comparing the two options so you can decide which is best for you.
Tickets for Montserrat
Residents can visit Montserrat for free (although they need to make reservations for Mass, to see the Black Madonna and the Boy’s Choir).
Non-residents and tourists visiting without a tour group will need to buy tickets on the Montserrat visitor’s website here. There are various combinations of tickets available, depending on what you want to see and do there. Advance tickets are required for the Basilica, the Black Madonna, and the Escolania (Boys’ Choir), for other additional things like the museum, you could buy tickets on the day, or get a combined ticket to include them.
The Best Things to Do in Montserrat
Explore the Montserrat Monastery Complex
The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey and Monastery complex includes the basilica, chapels, and museums, so take some time to explore. The Abbey is still home to around 70 Benedictine Monks, and while you can’t visit their living quarters, there are plenty of things to see in Montserrat.
The Monastery was founded in 1025, but the current basilica was completed around 1900, after undergoing extensive rebuilding due to damage inflicted during the Napoleonic Wars.
You can still find some remnants of the original buildings, as well as various sculptures and statues dotted around the area, which make up an Open-Air Museum in Montserrat.
The Information Office at Montserrat has a map and audio guide for the Open Air Museum of Montserrat so you can take a self-guided tour of the complex.
Some interesting features to look out for, aside from the main attractions, include:
- The original gate and door to the complex, which dates back to 1565
- Part of the rebuilt 15th century cloister to the left of the entrance of the Basilica
- Statue of the Bishop of Vic, Abbot Oliba, who founded the monastery in Montserrat
- Statue of Sant Jordi (Saint George) by Josep Maria Subirachs
Basilica of Montserrat
The Basilica of Montserrat was constructed in phases over several centuries, with its most significant development occurring between the 16th and 19th centuries.
The architectural style of the Basilica of Montserrat is predominantly Gothic with Renaissance influences, with vaulted ceilings, ornate altars, and intricate carvings.
There are over 400 oil lamps inside the Basilica, each of which is unique, and the organ is made up of 4000 pipes, making it one of the largest in Europe. Another detail to look out for is the sculpture of Jesus that hangs above the altar, which could be the work of Michelangelo (although it isn’t confirmed!).
The facade of the basilica features a Neo-Gothic design with elaborate stonework and sculptures of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles that stand above the entrance. It is said that if you stand on the sphere on the floor of the atrium, you are in direct contact with God, so many pilgrims stop here before entering.
Visit the Black Madonna
The Black Madonna of Montserrat, known as La Moreneta, is a deeply revered Romanesque sculpture dating from the late 12th century and is housed in the Montserrat Monastery. Legend has it she was discovered in a cave on the mountain, and when people tried to move her to a different location, she became so heavy they couldn’t carry her any further.
They took this as a sign that La Moreneta didn’t want to leave Montserrat, so they built a church on that spot, and then the monastery. It is said that she will grant wishes and has the ability to heal people who touch her, so people line up to place their hands on hers and have a few moments to ask what they want of the Black Madonna.
Many also light candles and leave notes or tokens of devotion to her. The pilgrimage to Montserrat, which usually includes a hike up the mountain, is seen as an act of penance and devotion, and thousands of people make the journey every year.
Beyond its religious importance, the Black Madonna is an important symbol of Catalan identity and pride, and many Catalan people visit as a cultural pilgrimage as well as a religious one.
We also visited the chapel behind the Black Madonna, which is beautifully decorated with carvings, mosaics and stained glass windows. The architect who designed the chapel, Francesc de Paula del Villar i Carmona, was helped by a young Antoni Gaudí.
See the Escolania – Boys’ Choir at Montserrat
The boys’ choir of Montserrat, known as L’Escolania, is one of the oldest and most renowned boys’ choirs in Europe. They perform regularly in the Montserrat Basilica, and their performances are a highlight for many visitors to the monastery.
Boys aged from 9 to 11 attend a special school here in Montserrat, and usually perform every day after mass (except on Saturday), and on some evenings, although not during the summer holidays when the school is closed.
If you’re visiting Montserrat without a tour, you will need to book in order to see the choir performance, you can do that on the Montserrat Monastery website here.
L’Escalonia Montserrat Choir Times:
From Monday to Friday:
13.00h Salve and Virolai
From Monday to Thursday:
18.45h Vespers, Salve Montserratina and Polyphonic Motet
Saturdays:
The Boys’ Choir doesn’t sing
Sundays and religious holidays:
12.00h Salve and Virolai
18.45h Vespers, Salve Montserratina and Polyphonic Motet
If you’re visiting Montserrat on a day tour, be aware that not all of the tour options have the opportunity to see the choir so choose your tour carefully. For example this private tour includes an afternoon performance of the choir, and this tour has an option to include the choir on days it is available.
Please note that the schedule can sometimes vary due to special religious celebrations, school holidays, or other events. It is always a good idea to check the latest schedule on the official Montserrat Monastery website or contact the monastery directly to ensure you can experience a performance by L’Escolania.
If you don’t manage to see a performance of the Boy’s Choir at Montserrat you can watch a video of them in the Espai Audiovisual (see below). Their performances are also broadcast live on Montserrat TV here.
The Espai Audiovisual Interactive Exhibition
The Espai Audiovisual at Montserrat is an immersive exhibition that showcases the mountain’s complexity and all its grandeur.
Using cutting-edge museographic techniques and state-of-the-art audiovisual elements, the exhibition gives visitors the chance to learn more about Montserrat and monastic life through three key pillars – the mountain, monastery and sanctuary.
Tickets cost €5.50 per person and can be bought on the day of your visit.
The Museum of Montserrat
I was pleasantly surprised by this lovely museum, filled with a wonderful collection of art by Catalan artists and artists who spent time in Catalonia, including works by Salvador Dalí and Picasso. I recognised many scenes from Barcelona and paintings of Montserrat in pieces by Josep Palau Oller and Joaquim Mir and others.
There is also a large collection of religious art, including Penitent Saint Jerome by Caravaggio, and various depictions of the Madonna and child, as well as some intricate altarpieces.
There is also a section displaying the remains of the original walls of the oldest buildings in Montserrat, so if you are interested in art and art history then this is certainly one of the best things to do in Montserrat – especially on a rainy day!
Tickets are usually 12€ per adult, with discounts for retired people, students and children, or 11€ if you buy tickets online.
Ride the Sant Joan Funicular
At the time of writing in November 2025 the Sant Joan and Santa Cova Funiculars are out of service – check the official website here for news of re-opening
Take a ride on the funicular railway to reach the summit of Sant Joan, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Montserrat and its surroundings. The view from the top is absolutely stunning, and you get some excellent views of the Monastery on the ride up (and down).
Once at the top, there is a viewing platform and paths to different hikes. Depending on how much time you have you could just take a few photos at the viewing area and then come back down, or explore more.
Hiking to the Creu de Sant Miquel
This is a moderate walk that takes around 25 minutes at an average pace, although it is almost all uphill. If you are on a tour of Montserrat, check with your guide to see how long you have to explore and if you have time to walk here and back. It is a lovely viewpoint with 360 views of Montserrat mountain, the monastery and the countryside.
There are several other hiking trails around the mountain, so it depends on how much time you have which hikes you will be able to do.
Ride the Montserrat Cable Car
Most tour options don’t include a ride on the cable car as the mini-buses usually drive up the mountain and park at the Monastery, but if you are coming to Montserrat by train, there are two ways to get from the mainline train stations up to the Monastery – the Cable Car and the Cremallera Rack Railway (also known as the cog-wheel train).
Both options have wonderful views of the valley and countryside around you, although the cable car probably has the best views and adds to the adventure.
That said, the Rack Railway is probably the more sensible option as it is more comfortable (and suitable for people with reduced mobility), and gives you a better chance of getting a seat on the train home as it stops at the train station before the cable car.
See the Stairway to Heaven Sculpture
Now fenced off for safety reasons (which does ruin the ambience somewhat) the Stairway to Heaven Sculpture at Montserrat is a striking installation by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs.
Its official name is the “Monument to the Passion” but has gained the popular nickname “Stairway to Heaven” due to its distinctive design of large rectangular blocks arranged in a spiral, giving the impression of a stairway rising towards the sky.
Josep Maria Subirachs, the artist behind the sculpture, is also known for his work on the Passion Facade of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and the Sant Jordi sculpture in the Monastery complex, which is by the same artist.
Taste Liquor Made by the Monks
Inside the store at Montserrat you can do a liquor tasting and sample some different types of alcohol produced by the monks at Montserrat. The crema catalana one was my favourite, although it is very sweet! Avellana is a hazelnut liquor, and the ratafia and aromes ones are more herbal. You just get a small taste with the opportunity to buy a bottle of your favourite to take home.
Sample Local Produce at the Farmer’s Market in Montserrat
Every morning, there are several market stalls that set up between the car park and the monastery, selling local cheeses, honey, nuts and dried fruits.
Most of the sellers will offer you tastings of the cheeses, and I bought an AMAZING truffle cheese that was delicious. Other varieties we tried included charcoal and a basil pesto cheese which was also very tasty.
Rosemary honey is a local speciality, and another popular item is the soft cheese mató, which is a bit like ricotta, and when served with honey is a typical Catalan dessert known as mel i mató.
Visit a Winery in El Penedes
While there are no wineries actually on Montserrat Mountain, the Penedes wine region is not far away, so combining that with a visit to Montserrat is a great way to maximise your day.
Many day tours to Montserrat include a winery visit after visiting the Monastery, with some including lunch as well as a wine tasting and tour of the winery.
There are lots of Montserrat tours from Barcelona that you could choose from, all offering slightly different things, but this Montserrat & Cava Winery Tour: Day Trip from Barcelona with Lunch by Devour is certainly one of the best small group tours of Montserrat and El Penedes you can find.
If you prefer a private tour, Barcelona Slow Travel offer this incredible private Montserrat wine and olive tour, with an add-on to visit the Basilica at Montserrat and the Black Madonna. This experience focuses on visiting local producers of olive oil and wine, and includes a delicious lunch prepared at a local farmhouse.
I hope this post has given you a good idea about what to do in Montserrat, but if you have any more suggestions for cool things to do in Montserrat Mountain please do let me know and I’ll add them to the list!