Each year, I escape to Montserrat for a solitude retreat that renews my spirit in ways no other place can. Just an hour from Barcelona by train, this mountain sanctuary feels like stepping into another world.

The magic truly begins after 5 pm, when day-trippers board their buses and descend to the city. Suddenly, the mountain belongs to the few overnight guests, and a profound tranquility settles over the landscape. The transformation is palpable—from tourist attraction to spiritual haven in less than an hour.

My accommodations at the hotel are remarkably affordable: just €100 daily, including two magnificent meals served in a dining room with breathtaking views. The locally sourced cuisine is accompanied by excellent Spanish cava and wine, making each meal a celebration of Catalan gastronomy rather than mere sustenance. I always request a valley-facing room, where morning light spills across vistas that seem to extend forever.

The network of hiking trails offers endless exploration. I’ve discovered ancient hermitages tucked into impossible crevices, small chapels weathered by centuries, and viewpoints that make you feel suspended between earth and sky. Best of all, venturing just slightly off the main paths means encountering virtually no one—just the whisper of wind through stone formations and the occasional distant bell.

While I don’t visit for religious reasons, I enjoy the basilica for its architectural splendor and impressive video mapping presentations that transform the space through light and sound. The famous Black Madonna draws pilgrims from around the world, but I’m more captivated by the building itself—a testament to human creativity and devotion.

What keeps me returning is Montserrat’s quality as a “thin place”—where the boundary between ordinary and extraordinary reality seems permeable. The mountain has been a spiritual center for nearly a millennium, and that energy has seeped into the very rocks. Even as a non-religious visitor, I feel a profound shift in perspective during my stay.

This year’s retreat feels especially significant as I take a much-needed break after completing my first novella, The Purging Room. Montserrat gives me the perfect opportunity to actually practice the transformative principles that Phoenix, my protagonist, encounters with the legendary guides in the room of impossible treasures. The striking architecture of Montserrat—with its blend of ancient and modern elements—mirrors the spiritual journey in my writing. The basilica’s soaring ceilings, hidden corners, and play of light through stained glass evoke the same sense of mystery and revelation that Phoenix experiences in the Speakeasy and inner sanctum. Walking these grounds, I find myself living inside the themes of my own creation, testing their truth in real contemplative practice.

The world-class art museum is an unexpected treasure, housing masterpieces by Caravaggio, El Greco, and Picasso among its collections. To stand before these paintings in such a remote location feels like an intimate conversation with history.

A truly nostalgic part of the Montserrat experience is the L’Escolania, one of the oldest and most renowned boys’ choirs in Europe. Their angelic voices fill the basilica during most performances, continuing a musical tradition that has existed for centuries. As an overnight guest, I can enjoy their singing without the midday crowds.

Moving around the mountain is fun, thanks to the funicular railways that connect different areas. The Sant Joan funicular takes you to higher trails with panoramic views, while the Santa Cova funicular descends to the holy grotto. These historic cable cars are attractions themselves, climbing at seemingly impossible angles up the mountainside.

One advantage exclusive to overnight guests is experiencing Montserrat’s celestial show. With minimal light pollution at night, the stargazing is spectacular—the Milky Way stretches across the sky in a way city dwellers rarely witness. I often spend an hour simply looking up, reconnecting with the cosmos. It may be my favorite thing.

Morning and evening light transforms the mountain completely. Sunrise paints the unusual rock formations in gold and pink, while sunset casts long shadows that accentuate their otherworldly shapes. These magical moments belong primarily to those who stay overnight.

Before departing, I always visit the local market stalls to purchase mountain honey and herb products for home. The herbs grow wild on Montserrat’s slopes, infused with the unique minerals of this ancient place. The honey, produced by bees that pollinate mountain flowers found nowhere else, carries distinctive flavors that remind me of my stay long after I’ve returned home. It is delicious.

For me, Montserrat isn’t just a destination—it’s an annual pilgrimage to my better self, a place where solitude reveals its gifts in the most spectacular setting imaginable.