Montserrat and Sant Sadurni Cava Town Small-Group Tour, Max 8 Guests, Hotel Pickup

Passeig de Gracia

Pickup at the hotel or apartment in Barcelona, so the exact address must be shared in advance. The route passes Catalunya Square, Barcelona Cathedral, Passeig de Gracia and the Gaudi houses Batllo and Pedrera.

Montserrat

The road to Montserrat, a natural park with distinctive peaks about 60 km from Barcelona. A Benedictine community has lived here for almost 1,000 years. On the drive the guide tells stories of Catalonia's bond with the holy mountain, a pilgrim destination and part of the route to Santiago de Compostela.

Montana de Montserrat

The rocky massif was declared a Natural Park in 1987. Its serrated top gave it its name. At the monastery the guide adapts to the group's interests, with an easy 30-minute walk to one of the park's best views as the suggested option.

Abadia De Montserrat

The Basilica holds the image of the Virgin of Montserrat, patron saint of Catalonia, a polychrome Romanesque carving from the 12th century. Legend says shepherd boys found the black madonna, the Moreneta, in a grotto in 880, and a chapel there became a pilgrimage site.

Funicular de Sant Joan

The group of 8 can decide whether to take the rack railway to the top of the mountain, with views along the way.

Costo extra

Sant Jeroni

The peak of the mountain, with a bird's-eye view of the monastery and the natural park. On clear days the view covers all of Catalunya.

Montserrat Museum

Optional museum visit. It has early paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries, including El Greco and Caravaggio, and Catalan art of the 19th and 20th centuries by Fortuny, Rusiñol, Casas, Picasso and Dalí, plus Chagall, Braque, Le Corbusier and Miró.

Costo extra

Penedes wine region

The drive continues to the Penedes region, whose sun and sea give it one of the widest varieties of grapes of any wine region. The guide explains the area and the importance of its wines, in countryside where vineyards and cooking traditions have changed little.

Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, the capital of Cava, chosen as the most representative Penedes town for sparkling wine. Its oldest wineries trace their winegrowing back almost five centuries.