Montserrat

"Montserrat is a mountain about 50 kilometers (about an hour drive) from Barcelona. Legend says angles carved the jagged edges into the mountain with a golden saw to create a throne for the Virgin Mary, and that the Black Madonna was found in the mountain range one day in 888, and she has been there since. You can visit the Benedictine monastery and the Black Madonna, take a hike to St. Michael's Cross, visit an interactive museum, and hear the choir sing. I spent a half day here and felt it was enough time, however I didn't do everything, and many people take a full day! The views in the morning were by far the best part! "

"I absolutely do not regret booking this half-day trip to Montserrat! The Monastery of Montserrat is just gorgeous! And when we got there in the morning it had a gloomy feel to it with all the fog. Fortunately for us it dissipated as we went up the Funicular to get a view from the top. Our little group hiked our way back down giving us an incredible experience. I had booked my trip in advance on Expedia for $105 CAD which included the transport from Barcelona, the Funicular ride and a guided tour. Some of us also had a typical Catalan snack called Mel i Mato which is fresh cheese with honey."

"Public transport (R5) can get you to the Montserrat train station. From there you can either take another train, gondola, or hike to the Santa Maria monastery. From there you can explore the church, cafes, and market. There are small trails to other churches and around the mountain, and even a trail to the top of the mountain of Sant Jeroni (1,236m)."