Distance and length of time:: Montserrat-Manresa (21km-31min) | Manresa-Sant Fruitós de Bages (14,41km – 18min) | Sant Fruitós de Bages-L’Estany (37km-30min) | L’Estany- Vic (23,1km-23min)
MONTSERRAT MONASTERY
- Adress: Plaça del Monestir, s / n, 08199 Montserrat, Barcelona
- Contact: 34 93 877 77 01 | informacio@larsa-montserrat.com | www.montserratvisita.com
- GPS Coordinates: N 41º 35’ 35.974” E 1º 50’ 15.632”
The unique mountain of Montserrat is an unmatched landmark due to its peculiar silhouette and geological formation and it is where the Benedictine Monastery has served the faithful for nearly 1,000 years and where visitors from all over the world visit the wooden black carving of the Virgin Mary called la Moreneta*.
Founded by the Bishop and Abbot Oliba in 1025, the romanesque origin can only be found in one doorway, situated in the old cloisters, which is now the atrium of the basilica. It is decorated with iconography from the old and new testament. * Moreneta means ‘the little dark one’ and refers to the ancient dark wooden carving of Mother Mary which now if thought to have suffered a fire.
Car Parking: Montserrat has two car parks. One is half way up to Montserrat, at the Monistrol Vila rack railway station and is free of charge. The other one is at the top, near the Monastery and has a fee.
Nearby services: The Abat Cisneros hotel and restaurant, the Montserrat restaurant, the buffet, self-service cafeteria, bar, cake shop, Museum, Audiovisual auditorium, and the shop and tourist office, where one can rent audio tour guide.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times:
Basilica – 7.30 AM to 8.00 PM.
La Moreneta* upper chamber – From 7.00 AM to 10.30 AM and from 12.00 PM to 6.15PM
Salve and Virulai sung by the Montserrat boys’ choir (L’Escolania de Montserrat) – From Monday to Friday at 1.00PM and Sunday at 12.00 PM.
SANTA MARIA OF THE SEAT OF MANRESA
- Adress: Baixada de la Seu, s/n – 08241 Manresa
- Contact: +34 938 721 512 | laseudemanresa@gmail.com | www.seudemanresa.cat
- GPS Coordinates:N 41º 43’ 19.133” E 1º 49’ 38.966”
Santa Maria de la Seu (the eclessiastical seat of Manresa) is the gothic basilica and is considered to be the twin of the Gothic Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar (Barcelona), designed by the same architect. Inside the building there is a very important collection of gothic altarpieces which give evidence to the economic surge that took place in and around Manresa known as the ‘great century’ which took place during the whole of the 14th century.
The gothic basilica still conserves some of the romanesque works of art that the Bishop and Abad Oliba commissioned, like the 4 arches that lean on columns with decorated capitals (11th century) and a doorway (12th century) at the northern exit.
Car Parking: Near the site there are payment fee car parks.
Nearby services: The seat is located in the centre of the town which makes it easy to find bars, cafés and restaurants. Prices:
Guided tour : 6€
Entrance feel: 4€
Reduced entrance fee (students, senior citizens and local citizens): 2€
Free for under 16-year-olds.
Opening times:
Workdays: from 10.45AM to 1.30 PM and 4.00 PM to 7 PM.
Weekends and holidays from 10.45AM to 2.00PM and 5.00PM to 7.00PM
A guided tour is available every Saturday at 11.00AM
Other information:
Don’t miss the cave of Sant Ignasi (Saint Ignatius), at the Centre of Interpretation located at Carrer del Balç or el Parc de la Sèquia. For more information please visit www.manresaturisme.cat
SANT BENET DE BAGES MONASTERY
- Adress: Camí de Sant Benet, s/n, s / n, 08272 Sant Fruitós de Bages, Barcelona
- Contact: +34 93 875 94 01 | info@monstbenet.com | https://monstbenet.cat
- GPS Coordinates: N 41º 44’ 33.487” E 1º 53’ 57.171”
The Benedictine monastery of de Sant Benet de Bages, located in the municipality of Sant Fruitós de Bages, is the best preserved Medieval monastery in Catalonia. The style is predominantly Romanesque, but there are some pre-romanesques features, as well as parts that were added later in the Baroque style and, more recently, in the ‘Modernista’ style (Art Nouveau era). It belongs to the Món Sant Benet project that is part of the Catalunya-La Pedrera foundation and is a unique cultural, tourist and leisure monumental site.
At Món Sant Benet one can visit the medieval monastery and the summer residence of the 19th century ‘Modernista’ Artist Ramon Casas and his family , including the modernist rooms of the upper cloister. The medieval experience takes you back a thousand years in time to discover the monumental parts of the monastery, such as the church, the crypt, the cloisters and the monks cells. Both tours use spectacular holograms, immersive projections, and surprising sound effects to help one understand the history of the monastery and a day in the life of the summer residence, illustrating in a very lively way a thousand years of the history of Catalonia.
Car parking: The site has a free car park.
Nearby services: Not far away is the hotel, three restaurants (one with a Michelin star), and an innovative international cuisine research centre
Preu entrada: Look up the entrance fees and opening times: www.monstbenet.com or phone (00) (34) 93 875 94 01 from 9.00AM to 6.00PM.
Opening times:
Mondays closed
SANTA MARIA DE L’ESTANY MONASTERY
- Adress: Pl. del Monestir, 2, 08148 L’Estany, Barcelona
- Contact: 938 303 040 | www.monestirestany.cat
- GPS Coordinates: N 41º 52’ 8.737” E 2º 6’ 44.898”
Founded more than 900 years ago, the church, chambers (now a museum) and, above all, the extraordinary cloister, an unmissable jewel in religious architecture, which are all romanesque in style. It is a listed cultural national monument.
Car parking: Free street car parking around.
Nearby services: The monastery in located in the centre of the village, which makes it easy to find bars, restaurants, a grocery, bakery and local accommodation.
Entrance fees:
General fee: 3.50€
Reduced fee: (for the retired, unemployed, disabled, teachers, students and walkers): 3€
Reduced fee for groups of more than 15 people: 2,50€
Under 12-year-olds: free
Opening times:
From Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00AM to 14.00AM
Guided visit for groups: information and bookings (00) (34) 93 830 30 40
VIC CATHEDRAL
- Adress: Plaça de la Catedral, 1, 08500 Vic, Barcelona
- Contact: 938 862 091 | turisme@vic.cat | www.victurisme.cat
- GPS Coordinates:N 41º 55’ 40.707” E 2º 15’ 17.726”
The cathedral was consecrated by the then Bishop Oliba in 1038 but only the bell-tower and crypt, both features of the high Catalan Romanesque period, remain standing and date back to the original building. There are more archaeological remains below the surface of what was, Santa Maria la Rodona.
The main nave is greatly enriched thanks to the largest collection of paintings by the Catalan turn-of-the century Artist Josep Maria Sert.
Car parking: Free parking nearby, payment parking nearer at hand.
Nearby services: The cathedral is near the centre of Vic, which means there are many bars, restaurants, places to stay and shops to choose from.
Entrance fee:
Free for the main nave.
The Romanesque Crypt, main altarpiece and gothic cloisters: 3€ per person.
Under 18 year-olds, retired people and groups of and over 10 people: 1€ per person.
Opening times:
Every day from 10AM to 1PM and from 4PM to 7PM.
Once in Vic you must visit the Market Square, the Roman Temple, the Castle of the Montcada family, as well as the Vic Episcopal Museum, which is one of the greatest references of Romanesque art in Europe, and has a section dedicated to the Bishop and Abbot Oliba. For more information visit: www.victurisme.cat
VIC EPISCOPAL MUSEUM – THE OLIBA ROOMS
- Adress: Plaça del Bisbe Oliba, 3, 08500 Vic, Barcelona
- Contacte 938 869 360 | informacio@museuepiscopalvic.com | www.museuepiscopalvic.com
- GPS Coordinates:N 41º 55’ 43.414” E 2º 15’ 20.572”
The Episcopal Museum was opened in 1891 and conserves a magnificent collection of medieval art by master artists and sculptors belonging to the Catalan Romanesque and Gothic eras. The collection of gold and silverwork, textile, ironwork, glass and ceramics, takes you on a virtual journey through liturgical history and decorative art in Catalonia. This exceptional collection has more than 29,000 objects, and can be viewed in the purpose-built museum next to the cathedral that integrates a top-notch innovative exposition.
Car parking: There is free parking at some distance and underground payment car parks nearby.
Nearby services: The museum is in the centre of town and has a range of bars, restaurants, places to stay and shops near at hand.
Entrance fee:
Entrada individual – 8 €
Yearly fee– 12 € (Free entrance during a year from the date of purchase).
Reduced fee for groups- 5 € (From 15 people up)
Reduced fee – 5 € (Retired and unemployed people, children and teenagers between 10 and 18 years old, the disabled including the carer, holders of student cards, ‘carnet jove’ holders, holders of ‘familia nombrosa’ (more than three children) or ‘single parent’ card holders, and holders of the TV3 club card TR3SC.
Free entrance (Under 10 year-olds, membres of ICOM and the Association of Museologists, the first Thursday of every month (except holidays and local festivities), the 18th of May (International day of Museums), the 5th of July (Vic’s town festival), students (with accredited investigation studies, the MEV staff, Civil servant teachers and professors who work for the Catalan government, The Generalitat of Catalonia, Friends of the National Museum of Art of Catalunya and accredited journalists.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
General fee – 3 €
Ticket for main museum + temporary exhibition. – 8 €
Ticket for reduced free for main museum + temporary exhibition.– 5 €
Opening times:
From Tuesday to Friday from 10AM to 7PM (April to September).
From Tuesday to Friday from 10AM to 1PM and from 3PM to 6PM (October to March).
Saturday from 10AM to 7PM
Sunday and local or national holidays (10AM to 2PM)
The museum closes on Mondays; the 1st and 6th of January; Easter Monday and the 25th and 26th of December. Tickets are on sale up to half an hour before closing time.
Remember not to miss the market square on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, the Roman Temple, the Castle of the Montcada family as well as the Vic Episcopal Museum, one of Europe’s greatest references of Romanesque Art, that has rooms dedicated to the Bishop and Abbot Oliba. For more information please visit www.victurisme.cat
OTHER PLACES TO STOP AT
The Parish Church of Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer: Consecrated in 1041 by the Abbot Oliba it features Romanesque stone slabs on the roof that were hidden since the 17th Century below the tiles. There is a metal staircase that takes you up to an exhibition that includes the ancient roof itself , as well as a miniature model of the church, and the ancient 18th century Catalan clock mechanism.