Combo Tour: Barcelona And Montserrat With Cog-wheel Train

First part of the tour:

Your excursion will start with a walking tour of the Born neighbourhood and the Gothic Quarter. Stroll down one of the most important streets in the city until you reach the Cathedral of Barcelona. Follow your guide on the way to the bus, during the walk you will be able to see Santa Maria del Mar.

Board an air-conditioned coach for a panoramic tour through the city. See the Olympic Port, the beach and the fisherman’s quarter from the bus, called Barceloneta. Head to the Montjuïc Mountain, main scenery of the Olympic Games in 1992. Ride the cable car for amazing views over the city. At the end of the tour, you will stop in the MNAC viewpoint to see one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the city. During the way back to the office, the bus will drive through Passeig de Gracia and you will see some of the most emblematic Gaudí buildings such as Casa Batlló and la Pedrera.

Second part of the tour:

A comfortable bus will take you to the mountain of Montserrat which rises majestically to 4,051 feet (1,236 meters). This trip to Montserrat will give you the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful and breathtaking views of the Montserrat Mountain.

The rocks of Montserrat were formed by natural cement of sand during the centuries. The wind and rain shaped the mountain with strange and varied forms. The popular imagination has seen human or animal shape in some of these peaks, inventing legends to explain their fantastic origins. A cog-wheel train will take you up to the mountain, and leave you in the middle of the Monastery. It is a 15-minute ride with a privileged and spectacular view of the surroundings. The train has panoramic windows which make the actual journey an interesting attraction, is air-conditioned, and completely wheelchair-friendly. You will visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which holds the famous 12th-century Romanesque carving of Verge Moreneta (the Black Madonna). The Benedict sanctuary of Montserrat has been founded in 1025 and provides a mystical backdrop for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia, who is enshrined in the monastery's Royal Basilica. The little monastery soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors, who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. Today, Montserrat has been modernized to continue attending to the needs of pilgrims, one thousand years after it was originally founded.

Before heading back, you will be given free time to visit the audiovisual exhibition about the history and creation of Montserrat and taste typical liquors, handmade by the monks of the monastery.