Montserrat Monastery
Montserrat Monastery
4.5
Full view
About
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Montserrat Monastery
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
50 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
9
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
1
ahokiegirl
Warrenton, VA56 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
The views at the monastery were spectacular. I have toured Montserrat before with a bus tour company and felt completely rushed. This trip my friends and I went on our own via the metro and the regional train. Traveling on our own, we were able to spend the entire day in Montserrat and still did not get to all the sites. We stopped at the Tourist Information booth on the street by the Placa Espana and bought all exclusive tickets, this was a big time saver as the dedicated Montserrat tourist booth inside the train station had a long line and we would have missed the train if we had not already booked our tickets. We were disappointed that when we arrived at the monastery at @11:00 the tickets to the boys choir had all been sold out. I recommend waiting just outside the church during the concert as you can still hear the choir singing and save yourself 8 euros. The choir only sings 2-3 hymns.
If you are not afraid of heights take the “gondola” up from the train station. It is quicker than the cog wheel train and the views are spectacular.
We bought the lunch buffet and it was very efficient and the food was decent.
If you are not afraid of heights take the “gondola” up from the train station. It is quicker than the cog wheel train and the views are spectacular.
We bought the lunch buffet and it was very efficient and the food was decent.
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kwagmeister
Newburgh, IN1,639 contributions
Oct 2022
This is an absolute not to be missed visit. It’s also one that really ought to be visited with a knowledgeable guide, both to maximize your experience and to avoid unecessarily long waits in line.
We visited in the morning of a beautiful October day, Our guide described the history of the discovery of the black Madonna, the beginnings of early Christianity in the region, and how the Monastery has weathered history to today as we made our way up the mountain. It’s a breathtaking drive with even more incredible views to experience once at the monastery.
If you do nothing else be sure to go immediately to see the black madonna. You’ll avoid a wait by going early. Also note that the boys choir (the boys attend the monastery school) performs almost every day that school is in session. Mass is also daily - several times in fact. To attend you’ll need to book a ticket….or wait in line in hopes that there are seats available. Again see the black Madonna as soon as you arrive.
There are several other things to do: hike a nice wide path to the cross which is visible from the church, take the funicular up the mountain (not for the faint of heart), shop the line of stalls with tables of local honeys, nuts, cheeses, cakes etc… or the gift shop, and take a break to enjoy a coffee or lunch. There is a hostel and also a hotel here, too.
This was an incredible morning for us. The weather was perfect which helped - the views of the mountain and valley are fantastic. By the way, look at the top of the mountain for what people have described as an elephant, a chimpanzee, and a sphinx….really cool.
We visited in the morning of a beautiful October day, Our guide described the history of the discovery of the black Madonna, the beginnings of early Christianity in the region, and how the Monastery has weathered history to today as we made our way up the mountain. It’s a breathtaking drive with even more incredible views to experience once at the monastery.
If you do nothing else be sure to go immediately to see the black madonna. You’ll avoid a wait by going early. Also note that the boys choir (the boys attend the monastery school) performs almost every day that school is in session. Mass is also daily - several times in fact. To attend you’ll need to book a ticket….or wait in line in hopes that there are seats available. Again see the black Madonna as soon as you arrive.
There are several other things to do: hike a nice wide path to the cross which is visible from the church, take the funicular up the mountain (not for the faint of heart), shop the line of stalls with tables of local honeys, nuts, cheeses, cakes etc… or the gift shop, and take a break to enjoy a coffee or lunch. There is a hostel and also a hotel here, too.
This was an incredible morning for us. The weather was perfect which helped - the views of the mountain and valley are fantastic. By the way, look at the top of the mountain for what people have described as an elephant, a chimpanzee, and a sphinx….really cool.
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
skd22
581 contributions
May 2023
This is a must see if you are staying in Barcelona it is an easy day trip. We enjoyed the views and walking around. There is a line of vendors set up farmers market style trying to sell you cheese and honey. I highly recommend the skip the line tickets to hear the boys choir sing. They are spectacular and the acoustics were unbelievable. You can see the black Madonna from inside the church while listening to the choir, so to stand in line to walk by it isn't necessary. Tons of people and crowds so the earlier you can get there the better. We did not have time to ride the fanicular, but it looked fun! Our lunch at the Hotel Hostel Abat Cisneros on property took almost 2 hours and wasn't very good. I would definetly make a different lunch choice.
Written 9 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gallima
65 contributions
Sept 2021 • Solo
Nice nature and view if there is good weather. However it's expensive and a lot needs to be done about safety and the hiking tracks improved as well as being better marked with signs. They also need to put a safety fence on the sides of the tracks as there is no fence and it's just the Edge of the Mountain which is not really safe. The staff also need English training.
Written 13 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
giacomina17
Brisbane, Australia565 contributions
Sept 2024 • Friends
I travelled here as part of a group tour, and we arrived early - glad we did!! The monastery is stunning. Pay the extra to see the Black Madonna up close. I also paid extra to visit the museum and was rewarded with Degas, Monet, Picasso, Pissaro, and Caravaggio - as well as heaps of other works. When we left, it was super busy, so we're glad we came early.
Written 3 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jacqui43
Spalding, UK716 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We travelled with a tour company from Lloret De Mar for the day to this amazing place. When we arrived we were taken by train to the Basilica then we travelled by funicular to the top of the mountain for a breathtaking view. The Basilica is beautiful and we paid extra to see The Black Madonna which was on a timed ticket with no waiting for ages to get in. We had a truly amazing day and finished it off with a beer at one of the cafes where we caught the bus back.
Written 12 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dana K
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
Beautiful place, but basically a tourist trap. Costs to go in the church, costs to take the funicular up the hill and costs again to come back down. You can buy a tiny replica of the black Madona,... for 29 Euros. Beautiful views.
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Avan O
2 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Must visit destination for the panoramic view (Sant Joan) and basilica. My advise is to choose the mode of transportation wisely. Don't be fool by the short commute duration of the cable car because there was alot of people with only 2 cable cars operating, I have waited close to 2 hours to board the cable car. My advise is to choose the train option.
Written 7 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaret N
14 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Spent the day traveling to Montserrat to see the basilica, which was beautiful. We had to stand in line about 30 minutes to see the black virgin even though we had a specific time that we had to get in line but even with that inconvenience, the experience was worthwhile. Getting back from Montserrat was a problem. We had purchased train/ tram combined tickets from Barcelona. On the way there the train was crowded so we couldn’t sit together but our group of 4 all found seats. On the way back the train was so crowded that we had to stand, quite difficult for an hour train ride especially since my daughter gets motion sick when standing in a train. The difficulty getting back made us regret going.
Written 10 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
avipiti
Hod Hasharon, Israel3,914 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
The lines to enter the monastery were crazy, so we decided just to take photos from the outside. If you don't arrive early you need to park at a distance from the entrance. The monastery is really impressive - getting up there even by car is challenging. We took the Sant Juan Funicular up to the viewpoint, and from there the views of the monastery are even better
Written 11 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the drive to the monastery on steep roads with no barriers? Is it frightening?
Written 6 April 2022
How do I get there public transportation
Written 19 November 2017
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