Montserrat Mountain

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What makes Montserrat Mountain so special

The first time you stand before Montserrat, you immediately understand why people call it the “saw-cut mountain.” Up there, it doesn’t look like ordinary mountains like those in the Alps. The mountains of Montserrat look more like someone drove giant, rounded stone posts into the landscape. For the Catalans, Montserrat is much more than just rock – it’s their sacred mountain .

Montserrat is the national symbol of Catalonia. During the Franco dictatorship, the Catalan language and culture were banned. Nevertheless, masses were secretly held in Catalan at the Montserrat monastery, keeping the culture alive. Catalans still celebrate this today.

More than just a Montserrat mountain: The Montserrat mountain range

Montserrat isn’t just a single mountain, but a mountain range roughly 10 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. The entire massif covers an area of ​​50 square kilometers. The highest point of this rocky landscape is the Sant Jeroni peak, at 1,236 meters above sea level. The mountains of Montserrat look like giant, rounded fingers or cones that rise vertically into the sky. There are no long, continuous ridges. You’ll find hundreds of individual rock pinnacles here. As you walk through the mountains, you’ll notice that the pinnacles have names that often allude to their shape. For example, there’s “The Camel” ( El Camell ), “The Elephant” ( L’Elefant ), and “The Mummy” ( La Múmia ). One of the most famous rocks is “Cavall Bernat”—a huge, freestanding pinnacle that is legendary among climbers.

Depending on the direction of the light or the angle from which you view it, you can recognize faces, praying monks, or mythical creatures in the rock formations. Especially in the evening light, when the rocks shimmer reddish, the scene appears quite magical and a little surreal.

But be warned: the bare rocks in the blazing sun get incredibly hot. If you’re there in summer, you should head for the shady north faces or the lower valleys. The many small caves are worth seeing. The most famous is the Coves del Salnitre near Collbató. This is a huge cave system with stalactites and stalagmites, where it remains consistently cool all year round – perfect if you want to escape the heat for an hour.

Hiking in Montserrat

You can experience the beauty of Montserrat mountaint, withour beeing a Pro mountain climber. Most people take the rack railway (Cremallera de Montserrat) or the cable car (Aeri de Montserrat), to the famous monastery of Montserrat to come. So you uphill save you, the first few hundred meters. When you walk, want, I recommend you from the monastery to the summit of Sant Jeroni. So are you coming over for the famous stone steps to the top: The Escales dels Pobres lead directly between the rocks to the top. The drags on a bit, and you’re going to feel at the end of your legs, but the experience between the rocks, and then the view from the top is unbeatable – you see, in the Montserrat mountains from the top. Those who like a more relaxed, simply running over to the Holy cave. Since the path is fixed and you can comfortably stroll, while the views of the valley enjoys.
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What you have seen above

Of course, the monastery is the main attraction. La Moreneta, the Black Madonna, is a must-see. If you don’t fancy a long wait, simply visiting the basilica is perfectly fine. A highlight is the performance by the boys’ choir L’Escolania. When these boys sing in this enormous church, it’s a truly moving experience that makes you pause for a moment. And if you’re interested in art: the museum up there is a real surprise. You’d expect to find churches and nature in the mountains, but they actually have original works by Picasso and Dalí on display. So it’s worth the trip, not just for the chance to take a photo of the monastery.

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