Montserrat (Central Catalonia)

Albert y Montserrat, the owner of La Garriga de Castelladral looks forward to welcome you to Montserrat (Central Catalonia)

Description

In the vicinity of the Cardener River, the so-called ‘salt river’, there is a network of small towns with a special charm. Súria, Santpedor and Rajadell are examples of towns where we find unique traces of the medieval past and which now have become tourist attractions where you can take relaxing walks and participate in guided tours.

Travel guide

How to Get There

The tourist area of El Cardener is situated west of  Bages, on both sides of the river Cardener, framed by Cardona and Manresa and the Llobregat River and the region of Anoia.

By road:
From Barcelona: A-2 Barcelona-Martorell y C-55 Abrera-Manresa.
From Lleida: Eix transversal C-25.

Montserrat (Central Catalonia) weather forecast

Places to go

Salt Museum in Cardona

Josep Arnau Salt Museum in the town of Cardona, region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: Former mining site, now open to the public. Spectacular.

Costa Brava

Spectacular landscapes and beaches at Costa Brava, region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: Spectacular landscapes and beaches at only 100 kms distance from La Garriga del Castelladral Hotel.

Cardona

Cardona, medieval town with great monuments, located in the region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: Medieval town with great monuments as well as Roman and gothic temples.

Suria

Suria, located in Catalonia, Spain, has a very interesting old town center.

TO SEE: A village with a very special and interesting old part.

Caves of El Toll (Moià)

The caves of El Toll, situated in the village of Moià, region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: The prehistoric cave is open to the public and offers interesting information about the human presence during the Paleolithic period.

TO DO: Visit the caves and the archaeological museum

Montserrat Mountain

Montserrat is a mountain, a protected Nature Park, a sanctuary, a monastery.

TO SEE: The mountain of Montserrat is a massif that towers over the right bank of the Llobregat River. This massif is one of the highest and rockiest sections in the Prelitoral Catalana mountain chain. The Monastery of Montserrat perches 725 metres above sea level, whilst, at an altitude of 1,236 metres, Sant Jeroni is the highest point in the massif.

The silhouette of the massif calls to mind the toothed blade of a saw, and this explains its name, for Montserrat means “serrated or saw-toothed mountain”.

TO DO: If you come to spend the day at Montserrat, for example, you might spend some time at the sanctuary, learning about its history and discovering its artistic heritage, visit the Museum, then choose one of the many walksalong the mountain paths and through the forest.

RECOMMEND: You can get to Montserrat by car, on foot, by Aeri or by “Cremallera” (Rack railway) We suggest you this service that enables visitors to enjoy magnificent views as it ascends for more than 600 metres up the mountain. The journey from the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat railway station in Monistrol de Montserrat to the monastery covers 5 kilometres. The journey takes 15 minutes. 

Sant Llorenç de Munt i l’Obac Natural Park

Sant Llorenç de Munt i l’Obac Natural Park is located in the region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: Very beautiful natural park with thick forests and several hiking paths.

Port del Comte Ski Resort

El Port del Comte, ski resort, located in the region of Catalonia, Spain.

TO SEE: This ski resort is located at only 65kms distance from La Garriga de Castelladral Hotel.

Routes

Romanesque Route

The Bages is full of fascinating castles and Romanesque churches. The history of these monuments and beauty, deserves to spend one to two days to explore this area and know the Architecture and Catalan Romanesque Art.

The tour can be done in one to two days, depending on your rhythm  and priorities. Here below you can see a map of the Bages region where there are marked the different places we suggest you to visit. In order to help you to make this tour freely and with no troubles, we provide a dossier with a map and some additional explanations.

A little of history:
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterized by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterized by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century. Although there is no consensus for the beginning date of the style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th centuries, examples can be found across the continent, making Romanesque architecture the first pan-European architectural style since Imperial Roman Architecture.

Combining features of Western Roman and Byzantine buildings, Romanesque architecture is known by its massive quality, its thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading. Each building has clearly defined forms and they are frequently of very regular, symmetrical plan so that the overall appearance is one of simplicity when compared with the Gothic buildings that were to follow. The style can be identified right across Europe, despite regional characteristics and different materials.

Many castles were built during this period, but they are greatly outnumbered by churches. The most significant are the great abbey churches, many of which are still standing, more or less complete and frequently in use.

Distance/Time: 80 kilometers route that can be made in one or two days.
Points:
La Garriga de Castelladral (punto de salida), St. Vicenç de Cardona Castle,  Coaner, Monastery of St. Benet del Bages, Monastery of ‘Estany, St. Feliu de Terrassola, Sant Jaume de Vilanova, Castellnou del Bages, St. Ramón de Ferrans, St. Cugat del Racó

Festivals and Events

There are no upcoming events at this time.