Barcelona Things to Do

Visiting Montserrat was one of my travel highlights. Not only is it visually spectacular but there’s something about the place that takes you out of your normal thinking – even if only for an hour or two.

Catalonia is one of the most fascinating regions in all of Europe, and Barcelona is no less interesting. Outside of Barcelona, however, is Montserrat, home to a monastery and the famous Morenita, the “Black Madonna” statue. If you’re visiting Barcelona, you should really take a day trip to this rugged mountain (Montserrat literally translates to “jagged”).

If you’re looking to get out of the city for a day, the area around Barcelona is chock full of fun things to do, and Barcelona day trip tours are reasonably priced. For wine lovers, there’s a good one that takes you to Montserrat and the Freixenet winery. It’s a little over $80, and its takes you the Royal Basilica in Montserrat, where you can view the famous Black Virgin statue and hear La Escolania de Montserrat, one of Europe’s oldest children’s choir. The tour concludes at Freixenet, where you’ll get to taste its world-famous sparkling wine.