Catalonia's mountain jewel: Montserrat

It's a bit hazy when we arrive at Montserrat, Spain.

High in the mountains not far from Barcelona is Montserrat. The mountain is named for its distinct serrated rock formations, like a serrated knife or saw. From its highest peak, Sant Joroni (1,236 meters) one can see nearly all of Catalonia and on especially clear days, the island of Mallorca too.

Montserrat's distinct rock formation gives the mountain its name.

View from Montserrat

In addition to the views it offers, Montserrat is notable for many things: It is Spain's first national park; one of the world's oldest publishing houses (from 1499) is still operating here; a hike up the mountain to watch the sunset is a required rite of passage for many young pilgrims; works of art by Picasso, El Greco and Dail can be found at the Museu de Montserrat; and its main attraction, Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey, houses Catalan's patron saint, the Virgin of Montserrat.

Structure atop Montserrat

Structure atop Montserrat

Structure atop Montserrat

We take an unplanned detour over the mountain on the way to the village of Monistrol where we park and ride the rack railway up the side of Montserrat. We have several hours to leisurely explore the village and take pictures before heading to the Basilica. Each weekday afternoon at 1 (except in the summer), Montserrat's boy's choir, Escolania, performs a short concert and we want to get a good seat. Escolania, founded in the 14th century, is one of the oldest boy's choir in Europe. The choir is composed of boys age 9 to 14, who come to Montserrat from Catalonia, the Balearic islands and Valencia to study academic subjects and music. Their daily free concerts are attended by visitors from around the world.

Santa Maria de Montserrat

Santa Maria de Montserrat

In 1880, while Americans were still recovering from the Civil War, the abbey celebrated its 1,000-year anniversary. Napoleon's troops sacked Montserrat twice and the abbey was closed for restoration and reopened in 1844. The abbey was again under assault during the Spanish Civil War; 22 Montserrat monks were killed by Republican forces (part of a larger violent assault on religion during this period). During Franco's rule, the monastery become a sanctuary for scholars and artists, among others, and today remains a symbol of Catalan nationalism.

The Virgin's Throne inside the Basilica atop Montserrat

After the Escolania performance, we join the line through the Virgin's Chapel and make our way to the Virgin's Throne where especially pious visitors stop to touch the glass surrounding the statue of the black virgin and say a prayer.

View from Montserrat

It is not my thing to be swept up in such fervor — the majesty and wonder of the mountain and the surrounding valleys are religion enough for me.

Our day in Montserrat was a highlight of our month in Spain.

Montserrat is about an hour by train from Barcelona. Indispensable information about how to get here, the cable railway, cable car and funiculars, can be found on the Barcelona Tourist Guide website here.