Enjoy this 5-hour day trip from Barcelona out to the rugged, mountainous countryside of Catalonia to visit the impressive Santa Maria Montserrat Monastery and the Montserrat Museum of Art. The magnificent Monastery of Montserrat was built around a thousand years ago, in the 11th century, on the site of a Hermitage established in 888 A.D. With its imposing sand-coloured facade, it looks like it was dramatically carved out of the mountain - as though the monastery and mountain were one. As well as boasting unbeatable views of the city of Barcelona from its many vantage points, Montserrat is also home to a great museum bringing together the work of some of the most famous Spanish painters, including the gifted El Greco, Picasso, and Dalí. After visiting The Sanctuary of Montserrat, the Black Madonna and the Montserrat Museum, explore some of the amazing viewing points of the mountain, and enjoy a leisurely drive back to Barcelona.