Montserrat, Trail to Sant Jeroni

Trail to Sant Jeroni, Montserrat. Catalunya, 2015 (The Sant Jeroni viewpoint is the second high point left of the tower.)

One of the most popular tourist and pilgrim destinations near Barcelona is the Monastery of Montserrat, home of the famous Black Virgin Mary. The setting is spectacular and the area is also a mecca for rock climbers and “excursionistas”, or hikers.

If you have the time to do something beyond the typical tourist itinerary of visiting the gift shop, the cafeteria, and the church, consider a pilgrimage to the highest pinnacle of the Montserrat massif, the Sant Jeroni viewpoint. From here, on a clear day you can see across much of Catalunya, from the Mediterranean Sea to the high Pyrenees.

Here are some basics to get you started:

–First, the easiest way to get to the Montserrat area is via the R5 line from Plaça Espanya (about a one hour trip). Approaching the mountain, get off the train at Montserrat Aeri to take the very hairy and airy five-minute tram ride up to the Monastery, or get off a stop later at Monistrol de Montserrat to take the 15-minute Cremallera, or “zipper train”, up to the Monastery–this latter option better for those with acrophobia. Which stop you use (and, thus, which method of ascent) will depend on which ticket you purchased from the helpful folks at the tourist desk at Plaça Espanya.

NOTE: See the Tourist Guide Barcelona for more details on schedule, last rides down the mountain, ticket options, pricing, etc.

–Once at the Monastery among the masses of milling tourists, consider taking the Funicular Sant Joan up another couple hundred vertical meters. This way, your walk to the Sant Jeroni high point will be much easier, with a lot of level, or rolling terrain–all with great views. If you still have the energy, avoid the same funicular on the way back and walk down to the Monastery via the wonderful trail through the Pla dels Ocells (Bird Flats, or Plain of the Birds), or by the Plaça de Santa Anna.

–From the top of the Funicular Sant Joan, the sign will say about an hour up to Sant Jeroni. We took twice that as we spent a lot of time taking pictures, looking at climbing routes, investigating ruins and a small chapel, and so on.

–Total time from the top of the Sant Joan Funicular to the Sant Jeroni viewpoint, then back to the monastery via Pla dels Ocells was about six hours, which included all our many, many stops along the way. You could easily do it in half the time if you are a fast walker and don’t dawdle…but why?

–Take water, a snack, and be prepared for rain and cooler weather up high.

A very few documentary images: