First part of the tour (start at 09:15, Check in time Julie Travel Office – Balmes, 5 at 09:00)
Start your trip from Barcelona in a comfortable bus to the mountain of Montserrat which rises majestically up to 4,051 feet (1,236 meter). The rocks of Montserrat formed by natural cement of sand during the centuries affected by the wind and rain who shaped the mountain with strange and varied forms. The popular imagination has seen human or animal shape in some of these peaks, giving them names and inventing legends to explain their fantastic origins. You will visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which holds the famous 12th century Romanesque carving of Virgen Moreneta, the Black Virgin. The Benedictine sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Montserrat was founded on 1025 and provides a mystical backdrop for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia who is enshrined in the monastery's Royal Basilica. The little monastery soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. Today, Montserrat has been modernized to continue attending to the needs to pilgrims one thousand years after it was originally founded.
The second part of the tour (start at 15.30, Check in time at Julia Travel Office Balmes 5, at 15.15)
You will see the best of Modernism in Barcelona and the famous architecture of Antoni Gaudí who lived in Barcelona. Gaudí, one of the greatest innovators of his time, has left behind numerous treasures for the discerning tourist to discover in Barcelona: Sagrada Família (Holy Family) Basilica where we do an exterior Walking Tour of Sagrada Família, richly and symbolically decorated. Then enjoy a 30 minute visit at Gaudí's bizarre Park Güell which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Keep an eye on your watch, it's easy to get lost in the whimsical design of this bizarre but compelling public park, Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece which is Barcelona's most famous landmark. Then our tour follows to Passeig de Gràcia to see Gaudí's famous apartment buildings like La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. The tour ends near the Casa Batlló at Passeig de Gràcia 43. Note: from November 2nd to March 31st we will visit Park Güell before Sagrada Família.