A walk to remember in Montserrat, Spain

While I was in Barcelona, I decided to take a day trip to the sacred mountain of Montserrat and visit to a local 2000-year-old Castle/vineyard for a wine tasting.

Montserrat is an hour away from Barcelona by car. You can also travel by train, or a tour bus.

Montserrat has an ancient history of religion, dating back when Romans constructed a temple to worship Venus (aka Black Madonna). Later, it became tied to Christianity as hermit monks built several hermitages around the mountain. in 1025, the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery was built and began attracting pilgrims, who witnessed and proclaimed the miracles performed by the Virgin of Montserrat.

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In 1409, the monastery became an abbey. It expanded in size and eventually became a cultural centre, which included the Montserrat Music School and a Museum, which feature works from Picasso and Dali. The Monastery was destroyed and abandoned during the French War in the early 1800s. However, it was rebuilt again, but then became a place of religious violence during the Spanish Civil War. It was saved and recovered by the Catalonian government.
Because of the strong resistance of the Catalan people, Montserrat continues to be a symbol of heart and strength for the Catalan region.

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Be prepared to wait almost an hour to see the famous Venus (aka Black Madonna) as she is the main attraction of the Montserrat Abbey.

If you want to explore and do a hike there are many trails.

My next destination for lunch and a wine tasting was Oller Dl Mas. Oller del Mas, is a Century (964 A.D) castle surrounded by gorgeous vineyard fields with breathtaking views.

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The wine tasting was very interesting and fun. The winery tour was informative covering all aspects of wine production. I found out they have an MRI of the grapes.

Be sure to book your tour by a third-party in order to experience both tours in one day and there may be a cost-effective last-minute deal.  I booked my tour through Trip Advisor.

Sending loving zen vibes!  💋

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Featured image credit:  Scott Shapiro saved to Barcelona Monserrat, Barcelona, Spain – ✯ http://www.pinterest.com/PinFantasy/viajes-espa%C3%B1a-en-im%C3%A1genes/

19 Comments

  1. aditya748

    Wow!! I clearly am in love with the Beautiful sites Spain has to offer ,Well I can very much sense the perfect architecture and yes the peace and harmony in this place.That is clearly majestic..Great pictures

  2. Barry O'Leary

    Wow. Looks great. I’ve been to Barcelona a few times, but never even heard of Montserrat Abbey.

    Loved being in Barcelona though and will go back with the kids.

    I live in Seville, have you been there?

    Thanks

    Barry O’Leary

    1. IngridMadisonAve

      Yes, Montserrat is a mystical and beautiful place to visit. No, I have never been to Seville, but I heard it’s beautiful.

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