* The Afternoon Montserrat Tour
June 8th, 2008
Departure: 3.00 pm (except Sundays)
Duration: 4 hours
Language: English
Price: 55€ adults / 32€ children
An incomparable place not to be missed, spectacular mountain views, ancient monastery, holy shrine. We choose to visit Montserrat in the afternoon to avoid the morning crowds and give you the chance to enjoy the atmosphere of this enchanting mountain. Includes entrance ticket to the Audiovisual exhibition: “behind doors” view of the monks’ life at the monastery.
Tour Description:
Montserrat is a mountain, a unique Natural Park, and a massive rock over 4000 feet high, visible for miles, with weird shapes and rounded peaks that jut into the sky; there are paths, stairs, caves, chapels and hermitages scattered over the mountain, extraordinary landscapes and wonderful views.
Montserrat is a Benedictine monastery nearly 1000 years old, perched half way up the mountain and sheltered by its peaks. There is a basilica with the Chapel of Our Lady of Montserrat known as La Moreneta, the patron saint of Catalonia, and a presence strongly felt and revered. The community of monks also runs a boys’ school devoted to the study of music.
Montserrat is culture: a library of nearly 300,000 volumes; the oldest boys’ choir in Europe; a basilica full of paintings, gold lamps and decorated chapels, a museum with paintings by El Greco, Picasso and Dalí among many others and treasures from ancient Egypt.
Starpoints:
Picturesque Drive along the Llobregat River to the foot of the spectacular Montserrat Mountain (its name means serrated referring to its jutting peaks) which is natural park and then up to the Sanctuary 725m (2380 feet) above sea level. Your guide will entertain you with tales, history and legends of the mountain, the monastery and the shrine. The return journey will be an alternative route entertained by a variety of traditional Catalan music.
Montserrat Monastery: Audiovisual Exhibition, the tour includes entrance tickets to the beautifully presented audiovisual exhibition which depicts the life of the monks behind the doors of the monastery, and explains the work they do and what they represent.
Montserrat Basilica: guided orientation tour. Silence must be kept inside the church so your guide will give you a brief tour outside to orientate you to the main places of interest: Monastery, Basilica, Our Lady’s Chapel with the 12th Century figure of Our Lady of Montserrat, Museum with a marvellous collection of paintings, Stations of the Cross, as well as bars, restaurants, shops, and home products market.
Tour members will have free time to dedicate to whatever aspects of this beautiful and spiritual place attract them most.
Inclusions:
- Entrance ticket for Audiovisual exhibition.
- Orientation tour of the site.
- Professional licensed guides with excellent English.
- Comfortable air-conditioned buses.
Exclusions:
- Entrances to other monuments mentioned during the tour.
- Hotel pick up and drop off.
- This tour does not operate on Sundays.
