Cardona - Castillo de Cardona - The Salt Mountain - Montserrat

Route: Barcelona - Cardona - Castillo de Cardona - The Salt Mountain - Montserrat - Barcelona
Duration: 13 h
Our first stop in this tour will be at the historic centre of Cardona has been Cultural Heritage of National Interest, with historic site status, since 1992. Its origins date from around the first half of the eleventh century, when a small burgh or extramural town developed around the market that was held at the foot of the mountain, presided by the castle. In the town charter, issued in 986 by Count Borrell II of Barcelona, the inhabitants of the castle and municipal area were granted “always clean business, legal trade and a pure single currency”. Cardona and its castle at that time were at a strategic point on the frontier with Al-Andalus, and positioned at a crossroads that enjoyed exceptional freedoms as a centre for mining and trading salt in a western Europe that was expanding economically. Cardona is a pleasant town and has a Gothic Church, the Saint Miguel church with a Romanesque bell tower and a  9th century fortified building which was once an inn. Look out also for Graells palace with its beautiful arched windows, Graells Gate and the Plaza del Vall.The two main squares in the town are the Santa Eulalia Square and the Mercat Square both of which have attractive arched galleries at the edges.The town started to develop from the 11th century when there was a market at the foot of the castle. Next we will go to the imposing Cardona Castle  which was constracted two thousand five hundred years ago. During the Middle Ages it was the residence of the Lords of Cardona. Centuries and centuries of history lie behind this unbreachable fortress, which is also site of the remarkable Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç, a jewel of Catalan Lombard Romanesque architecture. Relive sieges and battles and discover why the Lords of Cardona were known as the Kings without a Crown. A visit to Cardona Castle offers the chance to travel through the modern fortress and parts of the old count’s castle, such as the Maid’s Tower and the Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç, a jewel of Catalan Lombard Romanesque architecture. Castle of Romanesque and Gothic styles, includes the so-called Golden Room and the Sala dels Entresols. Its jewel is the tower of the Minyona (from the XI century), with its 15 meters of height and more than 10 meters in diameter, and the Romanesque church of San Vicente de Cardona. During the fifteenth century, the dukes of Cardona were the most important family of the Crown of Aragon, only after the Royal Family. The members of this ducal house were known as “crownless kings,” because they had extensive territorial dominions in Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia, and dynastic ties with the royal houses of Castile, Portugal, Sicily, and Naples. In 1714, after a siege that largely destroyed the walls of the castle, Cardona was the last stronghold to surrender to the Bourbon troops of Philip V during the War of Succession. His citadel could not be taken, later, by Napoleon’s troops. Our next point will be at the 'Salt Mountain'. The Salt Mountain is an enormous salt deposit next to the Riu Cardener. Salt has been mined here since Roman times. Indeed the role of the castle was partly to defend the salt mine as salt was a huge source of wealth in medieval times. We will go down to a depth of 86 metres. Where you can observe the interior of the galleries of the Salt Mountain, which were opened in 1997, and the full splendour and spectacular nature of the different folds and seams. A unique place in the world!  The museum area is located under the imposing headframe of the old mineshaft, which is known as Maria Teresa. It is an open space that features a presentation of the history of salt mining, the geology, mineralogy and the botany of this Site of Natural Interest. After that we will drive to Montserrat Mountain. Montserrat is a multi-peaked rocky range formed of sedimentary rocks shaped by the wind and rain. The popular imagination has seen human and animal shapes in some of these peaks, giving those names and inventing legends to explain their fantastic origins. This trip to Montserrat will give you the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful and breathtaking views of the Montserrat Mountain, one of nature’s special creations. You will go up to Montserrat with the cog-wheel train, which leaves you in the middle of the Monastery. It is a 15-minute trip with a privileged and spectacular view of the mountain. You will visit the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which holds the famous 12th century Romanesque carving of Verge Moreneta (the Black Madonna). You will be able to see this famous statue of the Black Madonna from a distance. The Benedict sanctuary of Montserrat was founded in 1025 and provides a mystical backdrop for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia who is enshrined in the monastery’s Royal Basilica. The little monastery soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. You will also be given some free time to taste typical liquors of Montserrat. After we will return to Barcelona.
Price: Per person