Day Trip to Montserrat, Spain

Reasons to go:

• On Michelin, it gets 2 out of 3 stars
• Montserrat was a great inspiration for Wagner's "Parcifal," and it was also an inspiration for Gaudi's "Sagrada Familia" and "Colonia Guell."
• Another nice thing to see here is the Escolans, which claim to be the oldest boys choir in all of Europe.  (I am not sure when they perform.)
• 4 1/2 stars on TripAdvisor 
• Frommers gives 2 out of 3 stars

Montserrat, which in Catalan means saw-tooth mountain, is located 34 miles northwest of Barcelona.  According to Fromers, the monastery at Montserrat eclipses  all other monasteries in the area and is a major pilgrimage spot.  What is most interesting to see at the Santa Maria de Montserrat is the 12th century Romanesque sculpture known as the Virgin of Montserrat (the Black Virgin) and not the monastery itself.   Wikipedia sites the sculpture as being the patroness of Catalonia and perhaps the most favored saint of Spain. Because of this, one should avoid visiting the monastery on a Sunday.

Montserrat was pompously transformed in the 19th century.
 
The only way to see the monastery is by taking a cable car to the top of the mountain, which, according to Time Out, is supposed to be quite scenic.  After getting an opportunity to touch the virgin, one can walk around the grounds to witness a view of the Pyrenees and perhaps Mallorca.  There are also three Picasso paintings that were dedicated to the wooden sculpture, as well as other art from the great masters.