Things to do at Montserrat Monastery in Barcelona, Spain!

A visit to Barcelona would be incomplete without a visit to the Montserrat Monastery conveniently located just a few hours away from the city, and reachable both by train as well as your own car.

Inside view of the cathedral 

Cathedral from outside 

Some beautiful stone work

History of Montserrat Monastery

A view from far

Entrance to the cathedral 

1. Explore the museum

As you reach the top, the museum is the first place you should see. It's a great way to start your explorations of the area. I actually finished the museum journey fast and then went on to do many other things there. 

Frankly speaking there is a lot to see and do, so do not stress if you aren't able to do it all. If you love museums and history, it's a great way to spend your entire day also.

The view as you start the explorations

2. L'Escolania or Boy's Choir

Started in 1223, L'Escolania or The Boy's Choir, is one of the oldest and most famous choir groups in the whole of Europe.

Boys' choir 

I was lucky to attend this performance and be a witness to history right in front of me. And the music? It was simply sublime.

The group of 50 boys not only perform at Montserrat, but also across the world.

3. Sant Joan Funicular Railway

Apart from the monastery itself, the other must-do activity is to try out funicular ride which takes you up on the top. Once on top, you can do a few interesting treks on the boulders and get some stunning view of the monastery as well as the valley.

On the way up

Surprisingly not many do this, but I wasn't one of them and had a great time going up on the funicular. The ride is short, but the incline is sharp and is almost thrilling if you are on the last row (make sure you reach early to occupy those). Alternatively, the other good location is to be on the front seat and see the mountain emerge right in front of you.

4. Hike on the mountains

This was the most fun part of the trip, even though I only hiked little bit. The mountains are famed to be great for hiking though one must be prepared for the heat up there. There are old churches and ruins, and they make for great photography stops.

Old churches...

5. Shop for local crafts and goat cheese

This was a surprise for me, but there is actually a local farmer's market right outside the monastery and it's great fun to walk around and buy a few things.

Local shops