About an hour away (by bus or train) from Barcelona is Montserrat. This mountain is not only famous for its strange shape, but also its monastery dating back to the 11th century. The monastery, surrounded by stunning views, is still used today as a destination for pilgrims and tourists alike.
Tourists can travel to Montserrat in a variety of ways- tour bus, funicular, by foot, or (my favorite) by cable car.
I explored the mountain itself on a long hike to the top of one of the rocks pictured to the left. The hike itself (due to elevation and the scenery) was absolutely breathtaking.
Once the clouds cleared, you could see many miles of mountains. (Not pictured: the view of the French Pyrenees!)
Dome like projections are characteristic of Montserrat due to years of erosion by water and small pebbles. These projections are how Montserrat got its name- Montserrat translates to Mount Serrated, referring to serrated knives.
The mountain towers over the city below.
This is the view from the main square in Montserrat. During my trip in October 2023, we were lucky enough to experience a Casteller festival. This is a Catalan tradition in which kids and young adults form human towers, usually about 4 or 5 people high.
On rainier days, you can get caught in the clouds while exploring Montserrat. Normally this weather would be disappointing, but Drew and I loved watching the clouds roll in around the mountains, and eventually surround us.
Foods and Drinks
Following our tour of Montserrat, we ventured to a small town called Manresa to visit a winery. Manresa is part of the Pla de Bages district- this is important because, unlike the US, Spain classifies its wine not by the type (Merlot, Chardonnay, etc), but where the grapes were grown (Pla de Bages).
We were given 3 different wines for our tasting- 1 white and 2 reds- along with traditional spanish tapas (olives, bread, gazpacho, fuet, manchego cheese, etc). We performed a “vertical tasting” of the reds, meaning we tried two of the same kind of wine, just a few years apart. This highlights the difference made by the aging process inside the oak barrels.
Not surprisingly, my favorite of the three was the white wine. Its grapes were picked in 2019, barely leaving any time for aging in the oak barrels. For this reason, it had a lighter and fruitier taste.
About Abroad 