Air-conditioned motor coach transportation from your excursion meeting point! All fees and taxes included! English and Spanish speaking and trained Barcelona excursion guides! Visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat! Free time to view La Moreneta, the black Virgin of Montserrat! Opportunity to taste handmade liquors! See four of Gaudi's UNESCO World Heritage Sites! See the unique exteriors of Sagra
da Familia! Free time to explore Park Guell! Walking exterior visit of Gaudi buildings on Passeig de Gracia! This full day excursion will show you the beauty of Montserrat and the artistist architecture of Gaudi's highlights. You will meet your shore excursion guide a short 20-minute taxi ride from your cruise pier. After getting checked in and aboard your air-conditoned bus, you will drive to the mountain of Montserrat and its Benedictine Monastery, located approximately 90 minutes northwest of Barcelona. The drive will take you through picturesque farmland passing occasional small villages in contrast to the jagged peaks of Montserrat. Your knowlegable guide will give you an informative narration of the day ahead, the history and interesting facts about the sites throughout the day. Stretching up 4,051 feet up to the sky, the peaks of Montserrat can be seen long before you arrive. They have been carved over the centuries by the wind and rain to form their unique shapes. The curving mountain road used to access the monastery offers you incredible views out across the valley. Make sure you bring your camera. Upon arrival at the parking area, your guide will lead you up several flights of steps to reach the plaza of the Royal Basilica of Montserrat. Built into the cliff-side and its unique architecture makes this location a scenic wonder and a photographers delight. Construction on the monastery began in 1025 AD, built on earlier Roman ruins and soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors who spread the stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. In the late 12th-century, a Romanesque carving of la Moreneta (the Black Virgin) was acquired by the monastery and it has drawn pilgrims ever since. The Royal Basilica has been one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain for almost 1000 years. After an approximately 30-minute orientation and walk through the grounds, you will be given free time to explore on your own. There is a museum, restaurants and shops, as well as the opportunity to view the Black Virgin from a passageway that circles behind the altar where she is located. You have the option to taste some of the handmade liquors made locally by the monks, Aromes del Montserrat. At the appointed time, you will meet your guide, board the bus and return to Barcelona. Arriving back at the Plaza around 02:30 PM, you will have approximately 45 minutes to have lunch on your own. The plaza offers everything from fast food, tapas to sit down restaurants. Your guide will be able to give you suggestions if you wish. For the second half of the excursion, you will drive ten minutes to the Sacred Famalia or Sacred Family (Basilica I Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia). Started in 1882, it is Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece. The church, a Roman Catholic basilica, has been funded only by donations and is projected to be finished around 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. After a briefing by your guide, you will have a few minutes of free time for photos of the exterior. An interior visit is not included, due to the waiting time to enter. You will then visit Parc Guell, located 20 minutes away on a hillside overlooking the city. Unfortunately, due to finances and a lack of interest by the public, the development was never finished as a housing community but today guests can enjoy the whimsical mosaic work and a large garden area. Next on the route, you will see two of Gaudi's most creative works. Casa Mila, knows as La Pedrera or the quarry, is an apartment complex of two buildings designed in a constant wave motion. There are very few right angles inside or out. An exterior visit of Casa Mila is made before walking down the street to Casa Batllo, the Bone House. This unique building is full of iridescent colors and unusual shapes especially the roof which seems to take on the shape of a dragon. See for yourself. The excursion ends at Casa Batllo (Passeig de Gracia #43) From here, it is a leisurely 10 minute walk to Placa Catalunya, six blocks away or you can catch a taxi or subway to another area of town. Both Casa Mila and Casa Batllo close at 08:00 PM and your excursion will end approximately 7:30 PM. 30 minutes is not enough time to see either interior. We suggest you make plans to see it when you have a minimum 60 minutes for Batllo or 90 minutes for Mila. You may return to your cruise ship at your leisure and own expense. NOTE: The order you visit the attractions may vary.
