Montserrat
It is possible you never even heard of Montserrat and in this blog post I will tell you all about it. And why you should visit Montserrat!
Montserrat is a small village in the mountains at about an hour drive from Barcelona (Spain). The village of Montserrat is known for the spiritual significance. The world-famous sanctuary of Montserrat is located there. Montserrat has been for years a religious pilgrimage destination. The reason for this is that, following the legend, in the late eight century, a group of playing children saw flashlights over the mountains of Montserrat. These shepherd children informed their parents that at first were skeptical. However, after observing it with their own eyes, the elder people concluded after these lights had been falling down from the skies over the next months, that it was an immaculate sign of God.
The people brought a vicar over to Montserrat and this vicar observed the same as the parents and their children had explained. The rays of light had been directed to a cave on the Montserrat mountain. When the religious fathers of the community explored the caves, they found the Holy image of Virgin Mary in this cave. Ever since the discovery of the Virgin Mary of Montserrat, this cave has been a religious place for pilgrims from all over the world.
Montserrat can be reached by car and auto bus quite easily departing from Barcelona. It is worth a visit. When arriving to Montserrat, the first thing you will see are the impressive mountains that have a unique somewhat rounded shape caused by the erosion. Some scientists actually say that the peculiar shape of the mountains could be the cause of earth movements and streams of what millions of years was the bottom of the sea. Once arrived to Montserrat you will find the sanctuary. It is possible to visit the sanctuary and see and touch the image of the Holy Mary in the basilica of Montserrat. The queue is pretty doable as this you go passing though the spectacular basilica, that is an art work by itself. Do count about 45 minutes or an hour queue on busy days and weekends. After seeing the Holy Virgin Mary statue in the basilica you can eat something in the cafeteria next to it or in the fantastic restaurant “Abat Cisneros”.
From the central square of the sanctuary of Montserrat you can either go up to see the top of the mountains of Montserrat or to go down to the cave of Montserrat in a little train called “the zipper”. Going up the mountain with the Sant Joan train, that has a inclination of 65%, you will have impressive views over the sanctuary and the surroundings and even Pyrenees. When you opt to go down with the Holy Cave train, you can make a tour in the holy cave where the Virgin Mary statue was found. Apart from these main attractions of Montserrat you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Montserrat mountain. The natural park of Montserrat is a must-see too!
For those that want to explore Montserrat from Barcelona, there is plenty of accommodation in the city of Barcelona. It is very recommendable to stay in apartments Barcelona. Montserrat is ideally located at approximately an hour drive; it is easy to get there when you are staying in the apartments Barcelona offers at good prices throughout the year. Please note that in winter Montserrat is cold and because of the low temperatures close to, at or below zero it can be slippery so wear appropriate shoes.
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