Barcelona: Montserrat with Winery Visit and Farmhouse Lunch

Highlights

• Visit the monastery on Montserrat, one of Catalunya's most iconic sites
• Ride the funicular for spectacular views
• Explore the Penedes wine region, and taste the wines
• Enjoy a traditional lunch in a countryside restaurant

Description

Embark on a guided day trip from Barcelona to Montserrat and the Penedès wine-growing region by minivan. Visit the monastery and the Museum of Monserrat, take a funicular up to the top of the mountain, or explore the many walks and viewpoints. This tour also includes a delicious three-course traditional lunch in the heart of the vineyards, as well as a very special visit and tasting to a family owned organic winery.
There will be plenty of free time to explore Montserrat on your own. Pilgrims and other visitors have climbed the mountain to visit this sanctuary for nearly 1,000 years.
You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the fascinating Museum of Montserrat, and browse its collections that range from the Archaeology of the Biblical East to Modern Painting and Sculpture.

There are numerous walking and climbing trails on the mountain, ranging from easy strolls to serious hikes. Each trail offers a different perspective on the surrounding landscape, dotted with small chapels and hermitages. 
If you'd rather not walk at all, then another option is to take the rack railways higher up the mountain, which also provides stunning views of the area.

After a morning in Montserrat, we leave the mountain at around 1:00pm, heading for Penedès, home to the famous Cava champagne and, in particularly, home to Pares Balta where we'll visit their vast underground wine cellars.

Before the winery visit, we will stop for lunch is a local farmhouse, for a traditional local lunch. The restaurant is set right in the middle of the vineyards, and will be something you'll never forget.

The Pares Balta winery is situated in the Penedès wine-growing region, which boasts one of the widest varieties of grape of any wine-growing region in the world.

The tour is a great chance to see exactly how the famous sparkling wine is produced, from the first pressing of the grapes to the second fermentation in the vast expanse of cellars.

Of course, no winery visit would be complete without a taste of the stuff! At the den of the tour you'll get the chance to try some of the best Cava the region produces.

We leave the winery at around 5:30pm, returning to Barcelona for around 6:30pm.