The Montserrat and Codorniu Wine Cellars Tour in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Uncover the cultural highlights of Barcelona during this 6.5-hour tour of Montserrat and Codorniu from Barcelona. Take an exciting train ride, tour the mountain area of Montserrat and taste delicious cava (Spanish sparkling wine) from large underground cellars. Wander around for lunch or attend a Boys’ Choir Midday Concert. Roundtrip transportation to and from your hotel in Barcelona is provided.

Start at Caves Codorníu’s vineyards, where wine making activities date back to 1551. It is the largest underground cellars in the world, where the first bottle of Spanish sparkling wine was produced in 1872 by the traditional method Champenoise (the same as French Champagne), and named cava. Created between 1895 and 1915 by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the vineyards are one of the most important examples of how the modernism architecture combined visionary designs with the practical needs of industries. Admire the architecture and landscape of the area, which is full of modernism-style buildings and rows of vines. Tour the Cathedral of Cava and visit the vast cellars via train, ending with a delicious wine tasting.

Continue the journey up the 4000-foot-high (1,220 meters) mountain of Montserrat, visible for miles throughout the area. Its name means ‘serrated’ due to the mountain’s jutting peaks. The unique Natural Park has paths, stairs, caves, chapels and hermitages scattered over the mountain, extraordinary landscapes and wonderful views. Take an orientation tour with the guide and note important sites including the museum and Stations of the Cross, as well as shops and markets. Visit the nearby Benedictine monastery, which is nearly 1,000-years-old and halfway up the mountain.

See the basilica with the Chapel of the Lady of Montserrat (known as La Moreneta or ‘Black Madonna’), the patron saint of Catalonia. The community of monks also runs a boys' school devoted to the study of music. The town thrives with culture and includes a library of nearly 300,000 volumes, the oldest boys' choir in Europe, a basilica full of paintings, gold lamps and decorated chapels, a museum with paintings by El Greco, Picasso and Dalí among many others and treasures from ancient Egypt. The visit will coincide with the Boys’ Choir Midday Concert, when available; otherwise take the afternoon to explore for lunch. Your guide will return you to your hotel in Barcelona at the end of the tour.