Montserrat & Cava Small Group Tour

Description

You will also have time to explore the magnificent natural park & mountains with spectacular views over the plains of Catalonia up to the Pyrenees. After lunch, we will travel by back roads to the wine country, where we will visit the renowned local winery of Codorniu. After a tour in their vast underground cellars we will be tasting the different types of the famous Cava sparkling wine.

A day tour from Barcelona to Montserrat is a must for visitors of Barcelona. The advantage of taking one of our small group day tours from Barcelona is that we can avoid the crowds and stay well clear of the other larger tour operators.

Our day starts at 08.30am with an one-hour journey to Montserrat. Keeping to our philosophy of giving you plenty of free time to explore on your own, but guiding you in the right direction, the first thing we do on arrival is explain the various options.

A visit to the sanctuary where La Moreneta – the Black Madonna – is housed is a must. The sanctuary has been in use for almost 1000 years for pilgrims who have climbed this spectacular mountain.

You will also have the opportunity to visit the fascinating Museum of Montserrat, with its five collections, ranging from Archaeology from the Biblical East to Modern Painting and Sculpture.

A highlight of a visit to Montserrat is listening to one of Europe’s oldest boy’s choirs, La Escolania de Montserrat. They usually sing at 1pm on weekdays and at noon at the weekend.

Besides these cultural opportunities, there are numerous walks around Montserrat, ranging from easy strolls to serious hikes, many of which are peppered with small chapels and hermitages. Every trail offers a different perspective and stunning views over the surrounding landscape.

You will easily find a route to suit your taste and energy levels. But whether they are fairly strenuous treks or gentle walks, they all give you fantastic views to marvel at the unspoiled beauty of this protected natural park.

If you would rather not walk at all, then another option is to take one of the two rack railways, or the cable car, offering yet more views of the area.

After a morning in Montserrat, we will leave the mountain at around 2:30pm, heading to Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, home to the famous Cava champagne and, in particular, home to Codorniu winery, where we will visit their vast underground wine cellars.

Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is situated in the Penedes wine-growing region, which boasts one of the widest varieties of grape of any wine-growing region in the world.

The tour at Codorniu is a great chance to see how the famous sparkling wine is produced, from the first pressing of the grapes to fermentation in the vast expanse of the cellars.

Of course, no winery visit would be complete without a taste of it. After the exploring the cellars you will get the chance to try some of the best Cava the region produces.

We will leave the winery at around 5:30 pm, returning to Barcelona around 6:30 pm.