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About 40 km northwest of Barcelona lies the mountain of Montserrat, with a beautiful Benedictine monastery perched atop its eastern peaks.

Its oddly shaped rocks, rich history and religious significance make Montserrat one of Catalonia's most interesting destinations.

The history of Montserrat is fascinating and started in 880 when a small group of shepherd children saw a bright light descending from the sky in the Montserrat mountains. In the same moment the children heard angels singing and the music filled their hearts with a radiant joy.

Overwhelmed by the experience the children ran home to frantically recall the experience to their parents. The parents were sceptical but knew their children were trustworthy and honest and so they went to where the children had experienced the visions to see if they could see what all the fuss was about.

For the whole month following the first visitation the parents were also witness to the same heavenly experiences and were left with only one conclusion. The visions were a sign from God.

The Montserrat monastery, which houses "La Moreneta" (the Black Virgin), Catalonia's patroness, is a magnet for tourists and pilgrims the world over. The legend of the Black Virgin dates to the 9th century, when the monastery's first chapel was constructed. Today the monastery of Montserrat playing an important role in the Catalan nationalist movement. The first Catalan bible was published here during Franco's rule (1939-1975) and it was an important anti-Franco stronghold during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).