La Moreneta, the Black Virgin of Montserrat, is the patron saint of Catalonia, and her statue is the object of pilgrimage for every Catalan Catholic. Reached by cable car or the Cremallera rack-and-pinion railway, the mountain-top monastery caters well for some 2.3 million visitors a year. They come not just to see the Virgin in the basilica but to hear the Escolania boys’ choir (Mon–Thu 1pm and 6.45pm, Fri 1pm, Sun noon and 6.45pm; they are on holiday from late June to late August, and late Dec to mid-Jan). Visitors also want to see the rich art collection and enjoy the mountain air and walks and picnics in the stunning, scented, flower-strewn hills. Try to avoid weekends if you can. To find some peace, take the funicular to a greater height (1,000m/3,280ft) and wander across this extraordinary ‘serrated’ mountain.
The whole complex is geared for visitors: sellers of local cheese and honey set up their stalls, restaurants and cafés make sure nobody goes hungry, and shops guarantee you will take home some souvenirs. An excellent audiovisual show explains the daily lives of the Benedictine monks, who offer accommodation (for more information, click here). The museum’s art collection, with icons, masterpieces from Caravaggio to modern art, including works by Picasso, Dalí, Casas and Rusiñol, as well as archaeological artefacts from the Bible Lands, should not be missed.
Plaça Santa Maria, the main square, with the entrance to the basilica through the five arches to the right. The art museum lies beneath the square.
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Monastery Milestones