Montserrat

Although there is plenty to do in Barcelona, Montserrat makes a good day trip outside of the city. About 50 kilometers northwest of the city, you can get there via train in a little over an hour. The mountain is home to the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, which can feel overrun with tourists at times, particularly near the statue of Catalonia's iconic saint, La Morenetta (the Black Virgin). For outdoors lovers, the real draw is Montserrat's hiking trails, which unwind above the monastery, and afford stunning views of the jagged, rocky cliff faces—and, as you climb higher—Catalonia sprawled out below.