Montserrat Complete Guided Tour & The Boys Choir's Performance
Description
This tour by Catalunya Bus Turístic offers a rich and immersive experience of Montserrat, combining history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. It starts with a scenic ride on the rack railway, allowing visitors to take in the stunning views of Catalonia’s mountainous landscape. A guided tour that provides fascinating insights into Montserrat’s history and spiritual significance. Visitors gain access to the Basilica, where they can admire its impressive architecture and atmosphere. A special highlight is the opportunity to see ‘La Moreneta,’ the revered Black Madonna statueand the visit to the Montserrat Museum. Another unique aspect of the tour is a live performance by the world-renowned Escolania de Montserrat boys' choir offering an unforgettable cultural experience (except on weekends, when museum access is included instead). The tour ensures a seamless and enriching visit with all tickets included. Do not miss it!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Montserrat rack railway covers the five kilometers between Monistrol de Montserrat and Montserrat. It is a route that takes you to the top of Catalonia’s most emblematic mountain, which is visible from all angles thanks to the panoramic view offered by the train’s large windows. Its history dates back to 1891, when Joaquim Carrera, an engineer who was passionate about Montserrat and Swiss mountain trains, convinced an entrepreneur to build a train between the recently-opened Monistrol de Montserrat station and the monastery.
Montserrat Natural Park is a natural space dominated by the characteristic silhouette of its eponymous mountain, a rocky massif of sandstone and extremely hard calcareous cement that over millions of years has adopted its peculiar and recognisable form. The Holy Cave, the Sant Joan and Sant Miquel chapels, and above all, Montserrat Abbey, make this place, which is just a short distance from Barcelona, an unmissable destination. Montserrat is nicknamed the ‘magic mountain’ due to the numerous legends it has generated. The first of them is the discovery of the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, which is reputed to have been found in the so-called Santa Cova or Holy Cave in 880. Another legend tells of a woodcutter who made a pact with the Devil to receive a fast horse to carry his wood.
The legend, of which there is written testimony from 1239, says that one afternoon in the year 880 some shepherds received a visit from the Virgin Mary in the form of light and music. The vision was repeated several times and it was then when the first image of the Mother of God was found in a cave in the mountain. Even though the mountain had already been home to a number of chapels inhabited by hermits since the 9th century, it was not until 1025 that Abbot Oliba founded Montserrat Abbey and it became a pilgrimage destination. Now the monastery is inhabited by some eighty Benedictine monks who worship a Black Madonna popularly known as ‘La Moreneta’ (the little dark one), a 12th-century statue of Our Lady of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia. The Virgin Mary is holding an orb, signifying the cosmos, in her right hand, while her left hand rests on the back of the Infant Jesus to indicate that the omnipotent king is her son.
The Escolania de Montserrat is one of Europe’s oldest and most renowned choirs. Its choristers, boys aged 7 to 13 who receive full musical training and schooling, perform concerts all around the world and participate in the abbey’s liturgical rites. Hearing them is a privilege and a true pleasure for the ears. According to the abbey’s records the choir dates back to the 14th century when a religious and musical school for boys was founded. In 1474, the boys had the honour of singing for King Ferdinand the Catholic during his visit to Barcelona, and since then they have performed for leading figures the world over and everyone who wants to hear them. The Escolania choir sings several times a day and performs pieces like "Virolai", a hymn in honour of the Virgin Mary composed by Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer in 1880; Salves and polyphonic motets.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Travel time is included on the total tour duration
Reviews(108)
I'll start by saying that my family and I have booked many Viator trips in the past without incident. However the trip we booked to Monserrat was a disaster. We booked a 9 a.m. trip, we typically arrive early to eeach tour we book, however there have been times where we were a few minutes late and never had an issue. That said this was not one of those times. We arrived via taxi by about 8:45 or 8:50 a.m. at the latest and proceeded to the designated stall to find no bus, just two cones. We looked around for a couple of minutes to see if the bus we were supposed to take was at a different stall. No luck so we went inside the depot to ask an agent if they knew where the bus may be. No one knew so at this point we called the contact number for the company. We were informed that the bus had left (mind you we are a family of four spending over $300 for this tour and did not receive a call or text asking where we were). He then asks us why we were calling for the first time at 9:05. We explained we were looking for the bus, no one at the depot could help and we called as soon as we realized that there was a problem. The agent we talked to from the tour company (not viatour) told us we were supposed to be at the bus 20 minutes prior to departure (this was nowhere to be found on the confirmation email, regardless we were still at least 10 minutes early). He did offer to reschedule to the next day. Unfortunately we had other tours lined up for the rest of our time in Barcelona and asked for a refund. We were denied and were told because we called after the departure time they would not refund even partially. We planned to call viatour after we got back to our hotel later that day. We talked to an agent and explained what happened and were put on hold while they spoke to the tour operator. When the viatpur representative came back on the line we were told that the tour operator received a phone call from us stating that we were running 10 minutes late and they told us they had to leave. This was either a complete fabrication or they were confusing our fsmily with someone else becasue a. We never called saying we were running late (as we were at least 10 minutes early) and b. That morning they had questioned us as to why we called at 9:05 for the first time. So which was it? We called early or late?? We asked Viatour if they would provide the exact time the bus departed and they could not or would not tell us. We asked Viatour for a refund but had to upload documents proving we were early (we took a cab and paid cash with no receipt or time stamp) and subsequently received an email denying even a partial refund. Again the fact that the tour would depart without four guests and not reach out via phone or text boggles my mind. We know for a fact that the bus left early and we could not ve more dissapointed that even a partial refund was not issued. If I could give this 0 stars I would
Recommend that Montserrat be a must-visit activity for anyone visiting Barcelona. We particularly enjoyed the boys’ choir.
Do not expect to actually see the Boy's Choir. They travel all the time. It is a long day. Expect lines for lunch and limited seating except at the Cafeteria.
We enjoyed our trip thoroughly. Mark was very informative, patient, spoke English and Spanish to both audiences. He was a breath of fresh air. I feel like I know the history of the Montserrat. When it was time to leave, we reached out to him to help us get to the bus. He came all the way to where we were to take us to the bus. Extremely customer focused and a real history buff. Thanks Again Mark!
This was a well organized tour! The information provided was super interesting and there was just enough free time to explore on your own. Our guide, Nuria was very professional and informative.I am so glad that I went.
Smooth ride, on time, knowledgeable and pleasant tour guide. Due to my delayed flight I had to change my tour, luckily slot was available but missed the boys choir.
An exceptional tour of Montserrat. Our guide was very knowledgeable and thorough in his explanations. This experience is not to be missed!
Well organized tour with great guide. She knew a lot and was obvious and inspiring. 😎
Disappointed the Boys choir was not there to sing. The tour overall could be shortened by at least an hour.
Walking and stairs are significant. Can be very crowded. Boy's Choir is a must. Food options available on site.
