| The strange rounded fingers of the holy Montserrat | | | | monastery complex also has an art museum, featuring |
| mountain, just under an hour's drive northwest of | | | | works by Picasso, El Greco and Monet. |
| Barcelona, can be seen for miles around, as it rises to | | | | The Mountain used to be reachable by road or by rail |
| 1,235 meters. It's an iconic, sacred mountain for the | | | | and cable car only. This vertiginous ride is now optional |
| Catalans, who come here to kiss the hand of the | | | | as there's a rack railway which takes a much slower |
| Black Virgin, a 12th century statue of the Virgin Mary. | | | | and less hair-raising route to the mountain. Once on the |
| Supposedly this statue was found miraculously in a | | | | mountain, funiculars take you to the start of hiking trails, |
| cave. She's now housed in a magnificent basilica. | | | | such as the three hour circular route to the Sant Jeroni |
| A special room is set aside for people to leave | | | | lookout point with magnificent views. Information about |
| offerings, such as wedding dresses, photos, even | | | | other trails can be found at the Montserrat Tourist |
| cigarettes in the hope of, receiving a favor, such as | | | | Office which, along with shops, restaurants, cafes and |
| having a baby, an illness being cured or giving up | | | | bars, is situated just below the Monastery complex, a |
| smoking. The other big draw is the famous Montserrat | | | | short walk from the car park and railway/cable car |
| boy choir, one of the oldest in Europe, which sings at | | | | drop-off point. |
| services daily except for Saturdays. The Montserrat | | | | |