Barcelona, A popular and much loved Tourist destination in Spain. Whether your here to do the whole ‘tourist’ thing or just hang out, you wont run out of things to do and see in this colourfully cool, hip city. Everyone who’s been here will have their ‘favourite’ must-do in this vibrant Catalan city and they will chew your ears off talking about it. From countless architectural icons, to landmarks, museums, bars, beaches and attractions. They will repeat their demand of you over and over again and if you dare to return home without evidence of having followed their advice and also been where they told you to go, you’ll be met with such disappointment you just want to shrink and pretend you never went to Barcelona at all.

Now, I’m not going to preach tourism to you here but if you get to Barcelona and you don’t take the chance to visit Montserrat then your life has an empty void in it. Just saying.

As far as I’m concerned Montserrat is an underrated wonder of the world and a natural park of phenomenal standings. I can’t call it beautiful because it does not fit my definition of beauty. If anything its better. Monserrat is the epitome of breath taking. Standing up there staring down at Catalonia/Spain, I truly lost my breath and it wasn’t just because I’d climbed about a thousand steps in 28 degree heat.

Montserrat is actually a monk retreat way up in the rocky mountains of Catalonia. The name ‘Montserrat’ translated means ‘Serrate mountain’. All the guides and websites say it takes about an hour to get to by train. Of course this is written in the Spanish way not inclusive of siesta time. A handy hint for Spanish time frames, take the Estimated time of a journey or wait, and add a half hour of ‘siesta time’ to that and you’ll have a more accurate idea of travel time. There is also a bus option which is a lot cheaper if you’re scrambling for coins and don’t mind leaving at 9am, returning at 5pm and the even longer travel. Being an impatient human I consider the extra euro for flexible and faster train ride euro well spent.

So Montserrat is a place of great religious significance and a destination of pilgrimage. Yet you don’t have to be religious to want to come here. I will admit, The Basilica is worth a look whatever you’re level of spirituality. I was just following the crowd digesting my lunch before attempting to climb the mountains (ain’t nobody got time for the stitch) and I wondered inside.

I thought after the UK I was all ‘churched out’ but turns out there’s always room for being impressed and in this case I actually stepped inside and exclaimed out loud ‘oh my god’. I’m not religious but the inside of the basilica is something else. Decorated with stained glass, monuments and glowing amber lights it’s hard to decide what to stare at first. All around the seating area are individual lights encased in these ornately designed lanterns, each one of them unique. I don’t even have the words to describe the rich imagery and décor of the altar and head of the Cathedral.

The basilica is famous for holding one of the black Madonnas of Europe, la Moreneta (means the little dark skinned one, which I think is a very PC translation). She’s a statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus and the line to say hola to her was at least a Kilometre long. I don’t do lines and I’m not full of enough faith to wait for three hours to come face to face with her but by all means, join the line if the need takes you.

After my ‘holier than thou’ walk through the Basilica I turned towards the unusual rock formations and began what was to be a hike I wasn’t prepared for involving several views I wasn’t prepared for. In 28 degree heat in my New Balance sneakers I began a walk that killed my calves and made me a lot sweatier then id anticipated. That will teach me. Not only is 80% of the path a bloody steep climb, it also tends to disappear leaving you wondering where the hell you’re supposed to step next. One section was connected by a log over a gap in the cliff, another section was broken up by some rockslide and you had to clamber over rough large gravel to get to the next part. Great fun if you like to walk on the wild side. Every time I thought of giving in and retreating back down I would see a new obstacle, or catch sight of the view which would be so stunning or exciting I would be motivated to clamber on and up in search for an even better view or just to best the broken path in front of me. Yeah, my inner Bear Grills was getting a bit carried away.

Sadly I never made it right to the top. After an hour long climb I had to turn around. It started to rain and no one wants to slip alone up here I’m telling you. It’d be you and the mountain goats. I also don’t fancy ending my time on the road dead in a crevice, no matter the view. Its ok though because I’m coming back to Barcelona soon and when I do l will be ready to tackle Montserrat once and for all.

 

So why on Earth should you travel 2 hours (give or take) to a monastery in some rocky mountains when Barcelona has so much else to offer within the city itself?

Montserrat is a unique place. It’s not just another building, or another church, or another museum/gallery in the middle of another city. Which after 8 months of traveling and seeing all that shit over again can be more of a turn off then anything. At least it was for myself.

For me, Montserrat was an escape from the city and the masses of noisy people. I mean, you can still expect a lot of people up here, it is a tourist draw card after all. But at least you leave the noises of streets, of traffic and the smells of urine and dirty air far behind in exchange for quiet and crisp fresh oxygen in your lungs.

There’s something for everyone. Those with The Faith can visit the Basilica and wait in that line! History buffs have a museum to enjoy. Outdoorsy humans and nature lovers have a range of walks and hikes around the monastery to choose from.

The walks are not all missions either. There’s plenty of flat little walks near and around the monastery which are just as peaceful and also give a great view of the landscape. So whatever your fitness there’s a path you can take.

As well, to get to the very top you don’t have to do the massive hike if that’s not your thing. For an extra 7 euro you can get what they call a ‘funicular’ which is kind of trainish except it climbs a practically vertical slope to the top of one of the rock towers. I’m the kind of soul who needs to conquer these thing’s on her own two legs. But at least if the top and a view to make you topple off the edge is what you want, for an easy extra cost, it’s what you’re going to get.

If I could do this again (AND I will when I return) id wear sturdier shoes and pack a picnic to take with me (cos trust me, you’re going to want and need fuel). There’s also some pretty sweet spots I passed where I couldn’t help thinking how awesome it could have been to have a munch while looking at the vast rocky canyons surrounding you. My best advice is not to be a wank like me and be prepared. You don’t have to go hard core but proper shoes, and an emergency rain jacket wouldn’t go amiss.

Up among the great rock pillars of Monserrat I felt like I was on top of the world, in the clouds, and all alone. It found the moment of solitude I needed up here. My travels in Europe coming uncomfortable close to the end for 2014, it was a pretty cool place to have some time to reflect on the insane, beautiful, scary and life changing moments of the past 7 months.

Montserrat was the touristic highlight of my stay in Barcelona. So you should totally go here. It’s an absolute must see. Not that I’m going to be disappointed if you don’t… who am I kidding, don’t you dare tell me you skipped out on Montserrat without a legit excuse.