Montserrat (mountain) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montserrat |
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Montserrat seen from Manresa
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,236 m (4,055 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Montserrat
Location in Catalonia
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| Parent range | Catalan Pre-Coastal Range |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Conglomerate |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Via road BP-1121 from Monistrol de Montserrat |
Montserrat (Catalan pronunciation: [munsəˈrat]) is a famous mountain with many peaks near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of a larger group of mountains called the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The tallest peak is Sant Jeroni, which stands at 1,236 meters (4,055 feet) high. Other important peaks include Montgrós (1,120 m) and Les Agulles (903 m).
This mountain is very famous because it is home to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, a Benedictine monastery. This is where monks live and pray. The abbey also holds a special place called the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary, which is home to a beloved statue known as La Moreneta (meaning "the little dark one").
The unique stone from Montserrat was once used to build the famous Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. However, as they dug deeper, the stone became too fragile. So, in 2018, a new source of similar stone was found far away in England to finish the church.
The name "Montserrat" means "serrated mountain" in Catalan. This name perfectly describes its unusual shape, which looks like the teeth of a saw. You can see its many unique rock formations from far away. The mountain is made of a striking pink rock called conglomerate, which is a type of sedimentary rock. Montserrat became a National Park in 1987 to protect its natural beauty.
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Getting to Montserrat
You can reach the Benedictine Abbey in a few ways. You can drive there by road. Another fun way is to take the Aeri de Montserrat cable car, which gives you amazing views as you go up. Or, you can ride the Montserrat Rack Railway, a special train that climbs the mountain.
The starting points for both the rack railway and the cable car can be reached by taking a train from Barcelona's Plaça d'Espanya station. Once you are at the abbey, you can explore even more! The Funicular de Sant Joan funicular railway goes higher up the mountain. Here, you can find old, abandoned homes built into the cliffs where monks used to live alone. There is also the Funicular de la Santa Cova, which goes down to a special shrine.
Hiking and Climbing Adventures
Montserrat is a great place for outdoor activities like hiking and climbing.
Hiking Trails
- The highest point of Montserrat is called Sant Jeroni (Saint Jerome). It is 1,236 meters (4,055 feet) above sea level. You can reach it by following hiking trails. These trails connect from the top station of the Sant Joan Funicular, the monastery, or even from the very bottom of the mountain. Montserrat is also part of a long-distance hiking path called the GR footpath 172.
Rock Climbing
- For climbers, a very important rock feature is the Cavall Bernat, which stands at 1,111 meters (3,645 feet). It is a popular spot for climbers.
- There is also a challenging climbing route called the Canal de las Damas (difficulty level D). This via ferrata route starts from Collbató and goes through a narrow canal.
How Montserrat Was Formed
Montserrat is made of a type of rock called conglomerate. Imagine a giant, ancient river delta where lots of pebbles, stones, and even boulders were washed down and piled up. Over millions of years, these rocks got cemented together to form the solid mountain we see today.
This happened during a time called the middle Eocene epoch. The rocks came from the Catalan Coastal Ranges, which were rising up nearby. Most of the stones in the conglomerate are limestone. Because there's so much limestone, the mountain has cool features like karst landforms, which include cave systems and tall, pillar-like rock formations. Montserrat is much harder than the surrounding land, which is why it stands out as a mountain.
Places Named After Montserrat
The name Montserrat has traveled far and wide!
- In 1493, the explorer Christopher Columbus named a Caribbean island Santa Maria de Montserrate after the Virgin of Montserrat. This island is now simply called Montserrat.
- Later, in 1606, a Spanish expedition charted an island in the Torres Strait as Santa Maria de Montserrate because it had a tall peak, just like the mountain in Spain.
- There is also a 3,152-meter (10,341-foot) high mountain called Monserrate that overlooks Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. It has a church built in 1650 and even has a funicular and an aerial lift similar to the ones at Montserrat in Spain!
Images for kids
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Large-scale layering in the conglomerate sequence.
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Conglomerate with a rare sandstone layer on the path to Sant Jeroni on the flank of La Gorra Frigia.
See also
In Spanish: Macizo de Montserrat para niños
