The Montserrat mountain range, an essential symbol of Catalan culture, is one of the treasures to be discovered during a family trip to Barcelona. It is located near Barcelona at only 60 kilometers and accessible by several routes.  It is difficult not to be seduced by the beauty of its landscapes and the range of activities it offers to its visitors. Take a closer look at all you need to know for your day trip to Montserrat.

Montserrat is a massif that has existed for nearly 50 million. A visit to this remarkable site with its peaks in the form of teeth or fingers makes it possible to learn more about Catalan culture. With the presence of a monastery with the same name, this mountain is a high place of religion and spiritualism and worth a visit when you stay in Barcelona for a couple of days.

What to do in Montserrat?

There is a multitude of activities you can do during your family trip on Montserrat. In addition to the many climbing and hiking opportunities, the place is perfect for a day in the mountains with your children. The site has an impressive number of hiking tracks that will delight young and old. During your walk in this beautiful environment, you will have a magnificent views on the Catalonian landscape and the Monastery and Abbey of Montserrat.

The room of the Virgin and the Basilica are essential places to discover during this visit of the Monastery. The abbey was built in the heart of this mountain and houses a large museum with over 1300 pieces of art mainly Impressionism, Catalan and Spanish art of the nineteenth and twentieth century, ancient painting or archeology. What better than mix a hiking day with a some culture.

How to get to Montserrat?

For your excursion to Montserrat, you have the choice between different ways of transport. The access to the mountain massif is very easy and conveniently by car. From Barcelona, ​​you take the  A2 motorway which takes you directly to the Montserrat massif in about one hour. You can even drive up to the Monastery and park there. But the Car park capacity is limited. We suggest to go up to the sanctuary either by the rack railway or the cable car and park your car at the station. The train is also a good and easy way to go to Montserrat. Opt for the R50 line or the R5 line from Plaça Espanya. Once your arrive at the train stations, you can reach the Montserrat by the rack railway or the cable car. Choose this option if you want to contemplate the treasures of the beautiful surrounding nature.

Girona is situated only 100 km (62 miles) north-east from Barcelona in Spain. It’s a 38-minute train ride from Barcelona with the high speed train, arriving directly in the center of Girona. Despite all those practical advantages and many recommendations from my friends , it took me almost 3 years before I decided to visit Girona with my kids.

When you are walking through Girona you might notice a fair amount of Catalan flags and yellow ribbons which is the symbol of the Catalan independence movement. The Catalans have many quirky customs and tradition which are very different from the rest of the country. The most iconic tradition is the “Els Castells”, or human tower. It represents solidarity and team spirit among Catalan people. To complete a tower, a child of the team climbs up to airy heights of more than eight meters. The experience of watching a team of castelleres forming a tower is quite breath-taking.

Catalans are fascinated with poop! One of the custom is the Cacaner, which means ‘the shitting one’ in Catalan. This porcelain figurine is placed in the Nativity scene during Christmas. It is a part of many kids’ favorite tradition of finding the hidden figurine. You can find all kind of different figurines representing well known personalities like Emmanuelle Macron, Lady Gaga or Donald Trump with the pants down and …

Crisscross the eleven Bridges

Girona’s old town is car free which makes it very pleasant to visit and stroll around this part of the city with kids. When you arrive at the Plaça de Catalunya you will see the Onyar river, separating the old from the new town. Girona has eleven puentes, each with a distinctive style and perspective on the city. The Pont de Ferra is the most famous and photogenic, made of rust red iron by the french architect Gustave Eiffel (yes, the one who built the Eiffel Tour in Paris).

When you are crisscrossing the bridges you have a beautiful view on the brightly painted patchwork of houses overlooking the Onyar river. The color swatches from yellow to deep orange or brown is a result of the work of two Catalan painters, Enric Ansesa and Jaume Faixó.

If you want to enter one of the houses over the Onyar river, you can visit the family home of architect Rafael Masó. It is one of his most important work and open to the public.

Casa Masó | Bellesteries, 29 | Girona

Walk the Roman City Walls

To enjoy the best view of the city you should climb up the “Passeig de la Muralla”, Girona’s old city wall. Located east of the Onyar River, the wall spans around 3 km and has seven towers. We started our visit with a walk through the beautiful Jardins de la Francesa which is situated behind the Cathedral. From there you can climb up the spiral staircases and start your walk along the wall with a beautiful view on Girona.

We would suggest avoiding the afternoon sun as it can get really hot in Girona during the summer month.

Tip: Don’t forget to bring suncream, sun hats for your kids and a bottle of water!

Get lost in Girona’s Old town

The Old Town is the most picturesque part and has the majority of places of interest. It’s a small area and you can walk easily from one sight to another. It’s a magical part of the city with labyrinthine cobbled streets, lined with stone buildings from Girona’s medieval past.

Put away your map and let your kids guide you and chose the next direction to go. We are sure you will come along some beautiful unexpected places, hidden gardens and small patios you would never have found following the map.

Girona has a rich history and hosts some interesting museums and historical locations that can help you to understand what shaped Girona, its culture and its people.  

The Museum of Cinema:

A real paradise for cinephiles. This museum exhibits Tomàs Mallol’s valuable collection of pre-cinema pieces, from the first moving images from shadow theatres to today’s cinema.

Museum of Jewish History:

The museum is actually housed in an old synagogue, and gives visitors a great in-depth look at the culture of the Jews in Catalonia, and in Girona itself. 

Museum of Archaeology:

It’s located in the Monestir de Sant Pere Galligantsis, one of the most notable examples of Catalan Romanesque architecture from the 12th century.  The museum contains materials found during archaeological excavations at various sites in the province of Girona, dating from prehistory to the Middle Ages.

Museu d’Art:

Girona’s Art Museum is a must for Romantic and Gothic Art lover.

Climb up the Cathedral stairs

You can notice characteristics of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles as the cathedral combines architectural styles from several periods and was built between the 11th and 18th centuries.

If we counted well, we climbed up over 90 stairs to the top.  If you are a righteous person, you will count an even number of steps, and if you are a sinner, the number of steps will be odd. But even in this case you should not worry as there is another popular belief, according to which each step up the stairs removes one of your sins!

A city for all Game of Thrones Lovers

I never really managed to finish a Game of Throne saison. But I can completely understand that Girona has been selected as one of the top location for the famous tv show, mainly for the season 6. You can find awesome locations and hidden places around the old town and the jewish quarter, taking you back into a sober mid-century mood. We visited (not on purpose) several “Game of Thrones” location like the stairs of the Cathedral de Girona or the Arab bath which was built in the 12th century.

The Arab bath | Ferran el Catòlic s/h | Girona

Enty price: 2 Euros

You can check out this article if you want to do your own self-guided Game of Thrones tour.

Restaurants in Girona

• El Celler de Can Roca is THE food place in Catalonia and has gained a worldwide prestige after winning the World’s best Restaurant title twice. The three Catalonian brothers who grew up locally with a love of Catalan cuisine. Joan, a chef, Josep, a sommelier and Jordi, a pâtissier have combined forced to create an experience that is authentic to the core. But if you’re a foodie, and have a special celebration coming up, there’s no place I can recommend more highly.

El Celler de Can Roca | Carrer de Can Sunyer, 48, 17007 Girona

• And if not, there’s always the off-shoot ice cream shop in the heart of Girona, Rocambolesc Gelateria.

Rocambolesc | Carrer Sta. Clara 50 | Girona

• La Fabrica is a nice place to take your lunch when you in the old town. Former pro-cyclist Christian Meier opened this coffee shop and lunch place together with his wife.

La Fabrica | 17004, Carrer de la Llebre, 3 | 17004 Girona

• Bionèctar is a bio restaurant in the center of Girona with a small concept store.

Bionèctar | Carrer D’en Francesc Eiximenis, 8, 17001 Girona

Hotels in Girona

HOTELS/APPARTMENTS

Hotel Nord 1901 Superior

This family-run hotel is only a 5-minute walk from the Cathedral and offers a nice garden terrace with a small swimming pool to relax after the city visit.

Price per night from 150 Euros for a double room with extra bed.  Click here to check the prices and availability.

Alemanys 5

This beautiful and typical stone house from the sixteenth century was restored recently. The Alemanys 5 house can be rented as a single large home (5 bedrooms), but it can also be divided into two independent apartments: El Badiu (3 bedrooms) and El Jardí (2 bedrooms). Click here to discover more.

Bed & Breakfast Bells Oficis

The charming 19th-century town house is very well situated in Girona’s old town. It’s the cheapest on our list with prices from 80 Euros. Click here to check the prices and availability.

AIRBNB

A historical Appartment with a vintage touch | A perfect combination between contemporary modernity and early 20th century architecture. The apartment has great tranquility, natural light in all rooms and beautiful views. It has 3 double bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room and balcony. Click here for more information.

Great appartement with a huge terrasse | It’s a spacious and very bright appartement, with large windows to the pedestrian street, well equipped kitchen, two cozy and spacious double rooms and a bathroom. You can enjoy the beautiful views of the “Barri Vell” from the sunny roof terrace. The building is part of the Architectural Heritage of Catalonia.

If you love apartments but aren’t a fan of Airbnb, then follow this link to find lots of other options.

HOTEL OUTSIDE GIRONA:

When you have the chance to stay a couple of days longer in Catalonia, we can recommend the Eco Country Hotel Mas Pelegri.  The hotel is set in the countryside with beautiful views over the Garrotxa volcanic national park and close to the lake Banyoles.

Hotel Mas Pelegri | Serinyà | Girona (Outside Girona, 40 Minutes by car)

PRACTICAL FACTS

Girona Airport:

The Girona Airport is only a short 20 minutes taxi drive from the city centre. The price is around 30 Euros. Alternatively, the airport is serviced by several local bus routes – see here for further details.

Barcelona Girona Train:

Girona is a great day trip when you are based in Barcelona. You can book the high speed train easily online on renfe.com which takes you in only 38 minutes from Barcelona Sants to Girona. You have trains every hour in both directions. The ticket price is depending the day and hour of your trip and costs between 10 and 30 Euro (one way). Children under 14 years will get a 40% discount and kids under 4 years can travel for free.

Costa Brava:

Girona is only a 45 minute drive away from the Costa Brava. When you are staying a couple of days, we can recommend you the lovely cost village Begun or a visit to Cadaques and the Dali Museum.

Do you know that feeling? You just visited a place and then you feel that you want to return? That’s what I felt after visiting the Alhambra. I was fascinated by the incredible craftsmanship, the complexity and size of the Alhambra and I felt as if I had seen only half of it.

Before our visit I prepared and read about the Alhambra in blogs and guides but it is only when you actually stand in front that you realize the size and history of this place. The first stories go back to the 9th century. Palacio Nazaries and Generalife were built in the 13th and 14th centuries under the sultans Ismail I, Yusuf I, and Mohammed V and later improved and rebuilt by the Catholic kings, always with the idea of ​​creating a paradise on earth.

The complex and long history is reflected in the different parts of the Alhambra. You can appreciate it while walking through the various building and palaces connected by paths, gardens and gates. The visit is very varied and there are always much to see and discover on the way which makes the visit fascinating for kids. You will wander from the Palacio Nazaries with its Moorish art and highly ornate interior spaces through the beautiful botanical gardens up to Generalife. Almost everywhere you have an incredible view of Granada or the snow-capped Sierra Nevada.

We started our visit in the Nasrid Palaces where we had booked the tickets for the morning visit. The Nasrid Palaces are the only buildings where you have to go in the time slot indicated on your ticket.

The Nasrid palace complex is designed in the Nasrid style, the last blooming of Islamic Art in the Iberian Peninsula, that had a great influence on the Maghreb to the present day. You wander through the different rooms of the palaces and can admire the incredible interior with its engraved calligraphies, verses from the Koran, colorful ceramic tiles accompanied by basins and flowers. The tour leads you through the various rooms along the famous Lions Court, crossing a wooden footbridge that offers a breathtaking view of Granada, and ends in the gardens of the Myrtle Court.

From there, we walked along many beautiful garden towards Generalife, the summer palace of kings and sultans. The path leads you through cypress trees, myrtle hedges, orange trees and beautiful flower garden.

The essential element, however, is the water that you’ll find here in the form of many beautiful fountains and water sources. This part of the Alhambra also offers several places to relax and enjoy a picnic.

The oldest part of the Alhambra is the Alcazaba military fortress. Its privileged position high on a hill overlooking the city made it ideal for surveillance. Walk up to the top of the ancient watchtower for an unbeatable views of Granada and the Sierra Nevada mountains beyond. Beneath the towers, in the old Plaza de Armas, you’ll see the ruins of the foundations of old Moorish houses and even a dungeon!

We visited the Alhambra in November and the weather and temperature was perfect. During the summer months, the temperature in Granada can be very high and a visit might be less suitable for small children. We spend around 5 hours in the Alhambra with some small breaks.

TICKETS:

If you plan a visit in high season,  we recommend highly to buy your tickets at least 3 months in advance. The tickets are limited and quickly sold out. The best way to buy tickets is through the official Alhambra website.  With the day ticket you have access to all public areas of the Alhambra: Alcazaba, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife. The Nasrid palaces can only be visited on the booked time (indicated on your ticket)

WE LOVE:

• The incredible mosaics and colorful tiles of the Nasrid Palaces
• Watching the sunset on the towers of Alcazaba
• Walking through the labyrinth gardens of Generalife
• The amazing view over Granada and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada

EAT/DRINK:

• We recommend to bring your own water bottle. You can find water sources everywhere to fill it up.
• The “Parador de Granada”, is the only restaurant in the Alhambra complex. You can find more restaurants outside the complex, but to reach them it is time consuming and complicated with children. We recommend to bring your picnic.

STROLLER FRIENDLY:

• Strollers are not allowed at the Alhambra. You can however borrow a baby carrier for free and leave your stroller in the cloakroom / baggage storage located near Puerto del Vino.

TIPS:

• We suggest to book your tickets for the Nasrid palaces in the morning, so you will have plenty of time to visit the other parts of the Alhambra.

We did the following tour: After the Nasrid Palaces we walk through the different botanical garden in direction of the Generallife where we spent around 1 hour.  On the way back we came along the northern wall of the Alhambra back to the starting point, the Tore del Vino. In the evening we climbed up the towers of the Alcazaba to enjoy the breathtaking view over Granada during sunset.

DURATION:

• The average visit duration is 3 hours. With children you should count easily 4 – 5 hours.

BEST TRAVEL SEASON:

• We recommend a visit in spring or autumn. During summer month it can get very hot which makes a visit more difficult with small kids.

HOW TO GET THERE:

• You can get there on foot but we would not recommend it with children. The hill is quite steep to climb and there will be a lot of walking in the Alhambra.
• Take the bus C30 (Centro) or C32 (Albaicín).

Montefrio was named by National Geographic in 2015 as “one of the ten villages with the best views in the world”. And of course…we wanted to find out if that is true!

Montefrío is about 60 km from Granada . By car you drive through a landscape of olive groves and crop fields before reaching the village of Montefrío. The massive and impressive rock on which was built the small church and the Castillo is visible from a great distance. Below are lined up the whitewashed Andalusian houses inhabited mostly by olive farmers.

We recommend to park your car near the Plaza de España, from where you can climb up to the Castillo. The walk goes through narrow streets and white houses. You will cross cats, dogs and only a few locals. It is quite a steep climb up the hill but in 20 minutes you arrive at the Castillo and can enjoy the beautiful view over the village and the olive groves. The church now contains a small history museum which can be entered for €2 (collect you ticket from the tourist office before climbing up). 

We were visiting the castle early in the morning and were the only visitors at this early hour. Most people only stop their car at the Mirador National Geographics, take pictures and continue to explore the area. But this small andalusian village definitely worth more than just a quick stop.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Montefrío is just one hour drive from Granada and a great trip for an afternoon. You can rent your car at the airport (we recommend) or take a bus from Granada

STROLLER FRIENDLY:

If you are decided to climb up to the top better take your baby carrier.

EAT/DRINK:

There is a selection of traditional tapas bars and restaurants in town and one grocery store with a nice selection of regional products. Montefrio is famous for producing both chorizo and salchichon sausages, and morcilla, which is black pudding.