Monsterrat Abbey

In 1880, Montserrat celebrated 1000 years of existence. On 11 September 1881, to coincide with the Catalan national day Pope Leo XIII proclaimed the Virgin of Montserrat patron of Catalonia. Montserrat Abbey and its Black Madonna is the most important religious symbol of Catalonia, Spain. It is 4,055 feet above the valley floor and can be reached by bus, car, rack train, cable car, and by foot if you are quite fit. We took an exciting train ride up the mountain. The bus ride down was fairly exciting as well.

Here is the history of this amazing abbey: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_de_Montserrat_Abbey#History>

Rack Train and Cable Car ascent.

Cable car landing building.

Funicular path to mountain top.

Upper street to shops, restaurants.

Upper shops and the Museum. The museum contained some impressive local art and had been recently expanded to include some of the original walls of Montserrat.

The Abbey’s Basilica.

Panorama of the entire Church Square.

We could not enter the church as a long service was underway, so here is a phot from the Museum of the actual Black Madonna.

View from the street below of the back of the church and the monk’s residences.

View from the road of how the shops, offices, train depot and Abbe are built into and on the mountain,

If you really wanted to ride the cable car up the mountain, then, this is what it looks like!

Superb dark chocolate was for sale in the grocery store.

Here is our Viking cruise ship server, Janice,who took such good care of Marilynn’s dietary needs and who was such a delight to talk to. She made the meal at the end of each day a pleasure .