Montserrat

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Area Focus Montserrat

There is an unusually-shaped mountain in the heart of Catalonia made from huge slabs of grey rock. At the top of this spectacular massif stands a statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia. This nature reserve is covered with pine and holm-oak woods and is home to squirrels, boars and genets, among others. There are many different itineraries and guided visits that will help you discover its most hidden spots.

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Montserrat Town & History

At the peak is the majestic sanctuary dedicated to 'La Morenata', the 12th-century Romanesque-style statue of the Virgin Mary. The architectural site comprises various squares and a basilica originally built in the 16th century and subsequently rebuilt in the 19th, with a hostel for pilgrims and visitors. Close by is the Benedictine monastery with its beautiful chapterhouse and neo-Romanesque cloister and refectory, refurbished in 1925 by the architect Puig i Cadafalch. It is also home to works by artists such as Picasso, Dalí and El Greco.Also open are the New Audiovisual Space and the Open-Air Museum where –thanks to an audioguide– visitors can see the Modernist sculptures and the Santa Cova (a chapel attached to the rock in which the image of the Virgin was said to have been found).

Source from: Spain.info

Montserrat Funicular Railways

There are two funicular railway lines from the sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat.

These are the Sant Joan and Santa Cova (Holy Grotto) funicular railways, which were built in 1918 and 1929 respectively to take pilgrims and visitors to the most emblematic sites on the mountain, the Chapel of Sant Joan and the Santa Cova (Holy Grotto) where, according to legend, the image of Our Lady was discovered.

Funicular de Sant Joan

The result of late19th and early20th century engineering skill, this funicular railway takes passengers up to an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level, over gradients of up to 65.5%, in just seven minutes.

At the top, Pla de les Taràntules commands incomparable views of the monastery, the surrounding countryside and the Pyrenees. You can also visit the Nature Centre, in the building at the head of the Sant Joan funicular railway, where you will find information about the history of the mountain and its climate, flora and fauna.

Funicular de la Santa Cova

This line joins the monastery with the spot where, according to legend, the image of Our Lady of Montserrat was found. The funicular railway ends at the square marking the start of the Monumental Rosary, the most important open-air exhibition of Catalan Modernist (Art Nouveau) sculpture.

The funicular railway entered into service in 1929 when work on the Monumental Rosary was complete and pilgrims began to visit the Holy Grotto in large numbers. The original funicular was replaced after suffering serious damage during storms in June 2000.

Find timetable and buy tickets.

Source from: Montserratvisita.com

Montserrat Gastronomy

The association Amics de la Gastronomia del Montserrat (Montserrat Gastronomy Friends) was the result of a private initiative (restaurants located on the surrounding area of Montserrat mountain) as well as by initiative and support from various public administrations, mainly the Montserrat Mountain Trust.
The members of this association share not only the territory, but also the products and ingredients they use at making their dishes. Their main aims are:

To promote and spread the gastronomy of the Montserrat Mountain surroundings.
To encourage teamwork among associates and collaboration with other gastronomic agents in this territory.
To promote those gastronomic products, which are typical or traditional of Montserrat’s area, within the sector’s quality standards.
To study and investigate new recipes and versions in order to include them in the local gastronomy.
To promote support and advice among associate members to improve the business management in agreement with the aforementioned aims.
To collaborate in providing the Montserrat’s gastronomic origin guarantee with prestige among touristic markets and other areas of the sector.
To encourage and support the initiatives that imply growth, improvement and the dissemination of Montserrat’s Gastronomy.
To safeguard the quality of the food and beverage establishments which belong to the Montserrat Gastronomy Association.
At present, they are working on the following products: mató (cottage cheese), honey, Montserrat tomato, Vilamaric’s chickpeas, Montserrat’s mountain’s herbs, the Palomar variety of olive oil, Montserrat’s liquors, walnuts, wine, wild boar, cod fish, Ganxet beans, etc.

This is not a complete list of products, but one we expect to grow with the work that is being carried out.

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