Hiking from the monastery to Sant Jeroni in Montserrat
Walking in the sacred mountain of Catalonia, Montserrat
Walking to Sant Jeroni is probably the most hiked trail of Montserrat. Starting the route in the monastery and finishing at the top of the massif is without any doubt a unique experience.
Elevation Gain: 600m Distance: 9km
Time: 4h Max altitude: 1236m
Elevation Gain
Km
Estimated time
Max. Altitude
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When to go
Walking to Sant Jeroni is possible all year round but it can be very cold in winter and very hot in summer. In winter days, snow can be present and trails can be slippery, so hiking is not recommended. In case of heavy rains, due to its geology, the small and dry rivers turn into dangerous streams and rockfalls may occur.
Drinking Water
- Difficulty 20%
The difficulty of the route is easy and for experienced hikers can take 2h.
- Exposure 20%
The exposure of this hike to Sant Jeroni is low when the weather conditions are okay. The trail is well marked and conditioned.
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Stairs at the first part of the trail
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Sun shining at the monastery area
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Pas dels francesos (French pass)
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Point that shows the way to Sant Jeroni and Sant Benet
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Pla dels ocells
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Path after passing Pla dels Ocells
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Ermita de Sant Jeroni
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Last part of the trail
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Last stairs to reach the summit
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Views to the west side from Sant Jeroni summit
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Stunning view to the north of Catalonia
Sant Jeroni
Sant Jeroni is the highest peak of Montserrat mountain and is located in the north face of the mountain. From the top there is a magnificent view of Catalonia, being possible to see all the Pyrenees, the flat area of Lleida and the mountains that goes along the coast of Catalonia. The hike to Sant Jeroni is the best easy trail near Barcelona.
Montserrat Monastery – Pla dels Ocells
The hike starts in the church of Montserrat, Monestir de Montserrat. At the end of the monastery, there is a water fountain and stairs that go all the way up and crosses a bridge to follow the path that is marked with a with the typical white and red mark. This part is shared with the GR 4 and Gr172 and it climbs the entire first km up stone steps and it takes around 25min. The trail passes by the French pass (El pas dels Francesos), and emblematic narrow pass between two big walls.
Soon after, the hike gets to the old hermitage of Santa Anna where there are other trails going to Sant Benet and Funicular de Sant Joan, but the hike keeps going all straight to Sant Jeroni arriving at Pla dels Ocells.
Pla dels Oscells – Sant Jeroni
The path goes through a flat forest called Pla dels Ocells. In this forest is possible to listen to many birds singing even though there are many people passing by this ambushed area. This area is perfect during summertime to have a rest thanks to the shade it has.
After passing this beautiful part of the route the abrupted orography is back and the stairs become again protagonists of the path. It gains elevación quickly and The views of Montserrat starts to be amazing before arriving at Ermita de Sant Jeroni, a small hermitage at the base of the Santa Jeroni Summit.
Once the path arrives at the hermitage, to the left the path keeps going up and the views as one is going up are even better until it arrives at the summit of Sant Jeroni where is possible to have a 360º lookout. The panoramic view at the top shows the Catalan Pyrenees, all the flat area of central Catalonia from where rises Montserrat, the seacoast mountains and the Mediterranean sea looking to the south-east.
The way back to the monastery of Montserrat can be done following the same path. It is also possible to follow the blue points on the way to Funicular de Sant Joan.
Recommendations
-Be careful with the weather conditions because it can change quickly and in an unexpected way, especially during spring and summer. In case of bad weather conditions is better not to hike around the area due to rockfalls and floods.
-In case of setting up a tent, avoid the camping areas and nearby without permission and notice that is illegal to set up a tent in Spain. If it is wanted to take the risk, set up the tent in a remote place at sunset and wake up early to avoid forest rangers. During summertime, there are more controls.
-Your safety is our concern but always your responsibility, Hiking requires a minimum of preparation and wearing proper clothing as warm clothes, proper boots…
Transportation
How to get to Catalonia: Do you need to know how to get to Catalonia? Check out our post about transportation to Catalonia.
Public transportation: If you’re using public transport, from the Espanya metro station in Barcelona is possible to take the trains called FGC or “Ferrocarrils” to get to the base of Montserrat. The lines R5 to get to Monistrol de Montserrat from where you can take a small train called Cremallera that goes up to the Monastery from where the trail starts. It’s possible to take as well the line R50 and fly from the base of Montserrat to the Monastery with a cable car called Aeri.
From the Aeri base, there is a path that leads to the Monastery and takes around 1 hour. Check out how to get from the base of Montserrat to the Monastery.
Where the hike starts: 41.591899, 1.834752
Where the hike ends: 41.605361, 1.811513
Weather
Accomodation
There are options for accommodation in Monistrol de Montserrat, Afur and Taganana where there are apartments and Airbnbs. Get 25€ discount on your first Airbnb experience
Resources
Online Topo map: Monserrat
FGC website: Railway timetable
Other hikes that can be interesting to you
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