|
Barcelona,
Montserrat and Montseny
 Even in winter this varied tour can be enjoyed under clear skies and in pleasant temperatures. It is best to avoid high summer, when it can be hot. Mix the culture and sights of Montserrat and Barcelona with the countryside of the National Parks. Walk the pinnacles of the Montserrat Massif and the hills, valleys and gorges around
Montseny.
This tour comprises of three days of walking in the Montseny National Park starting from the Turo de L’Home (1700m) and traversing the forested Agudes to reach the gorge and hermitage of St Miguel del Fai. We then transfer by road to the unusual rock formations of the Montserrat National Park to walk around these dramatic hills, culminating at Mt San Jeroni. The mountain was sacred long before the establishment of the Benedictine
Monastery there, and has long been the abode of hermits, a tradition that still survives today. But it was the discovery of the Moreneta, the revered black virgin of Catalonia, that put Montserrat at the heart of Catalan religious culture.
A cable car will bring you down the mountain for a short but pleasant train journey to Barcelona. There is more activity on the streets at midnight than at midday in the thriving Catalan capital. Dining out is a national pastime in the thousands of restaurants. Enjoy a coffee at one of the pavement cafes in the Ramblas and you can absorb the atmosphere of buskers and street theatre. Follow the shoppers to find the Bouqueria food market and a heady confusion of sights and smells. Marvel at the spectacular Gaudi
Cathedral, the Miro mosaic pavements, the newly restored opera house or just enjoy the ambience of this lively city.
|
Accommodation
7
nights/8 days -
The first 2 nights are in Montseny where we stay in a rustic building converted to a 3* hotel, in a peaceful woodland setting. All 21 rooms have ensuite facilities. Near
Tagamanent we stay at a traditional farmhouse or “Casa de Pages” again secluded and set in wooded hills 4 kms from the town of Figaro. There are 9 rooms,
all of which have ensuite facilities, and a charming English speaking host. At
Montserrat, we spend two nights at our 3* accommodation right in the heart of the ancient monastery complex. For the final 2 nights in Barcelona we use a range of 3* properties according to availability in this busy city. All are situated near the Ramblas or in the Gothic Quarter and provide comfortable accommodation close to all the major sites of interest.
Sherpa Notes
Waymarking
Well defined trails throughout but sporadic waymarking in Montseny. Route finding is aided with the use of route notes and maps..
Accommodation
and Meals
Dinner, bed and breakfast 4 days, 3 nights on a bed and breakfast basis, in 3* hotels and a traditional farmhouse.
Travel
via Air: British Airways (BA) flights from Heathrow to Barcelona. Rail journey Barcelona/San Celoni (30 mins) and taxi to Montseny hotel (included). Allow €18 for rail journeys Barcelona/San Celoni and Montserrat/Barcelona. Train or taxi to and from airport (not included).
Low cost airlines Easyjet, BMIbaby, Thomsonfly, Flymonarch, Jet2 and
Globespan fly to Barcelona and Ryanair fly to Gerona.
|
vacations
|
