Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar near Parc Colserolla

About Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar

Sant Cugat monastery

Dates from the ninth century. in the year 985 it was damaged by an atack of muslim troops led by al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir who repaired the monastery and added the miaret which remains today.

In the mid-12th century, the construction of a new monastery began. It was finished in 1337. In 1350, work began on the fortifications. During the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), it was occupied by troops of Archduke Charles, causing damage to the structure. Restoration work was completed in 1789. In 1835, the monastery was abandoned by the monks, remaining empty until 1851, when restoration began. It was declared a National Monument in 1931.

Distinctive features of the monastery are is two floor cloister, Church and walled compound. The 30 metre cloister was designed by Arnau Cadell and his disciple Lluis Samaranch and follows the square plan typical of many monasteries in Catalunya from this period.

The cloister is Romanesque but the church is built in the Gothic style, having a nave and two aisles. The facade has a large (8.2 metre diameter) rose window, similar to those in the Cathedrals of Barcelona and of Tarragona. The church houses a Gothic altarpiece, known as the retablo de Todos los Santos, made in 1375 by Pere Serra.

Sant Cugat Wine Cooperative

In 1921, fifty-one local viticulturists, some of them owners, but mostly tenants, founded the Sindicat Vitivinacola and Caixa Rural de Sant Medir, a cooperative whose main objective was to make wine together to get more out of the production of grapes. It was commissioned from Cesar Martinell, the architect specialising in agrarian modernist architecture of the time.

After the peek of 1950 when maximum production was reached activity began to gradually decline. The crisis in the sector had a very important impact, but above all the fact that the rural Sant Cugat that until then lived from the work of the field was already beginning to be transformed into a city.

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Visiting Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar

Sant Cugat Monastery

Due to the monastery being abandoned by the monks, most of the relics have been long since removed so inside there are few artifacts. However the space has been preserved and converted into a museum with exhibitions about the history and monastic life. For opening hours and prices check the website.

When I visited on a Sunday morning, I got in for free but this did not include an audio guide.

Opening Hours of Sant Cugat Monastery:

Tuesday to Saturday: 10:30h to 13:30h & 16:00h to 19:00h (1st of June to 30th September till 20:00h)

Sunday and public Holidays: 10:30 to 14:30h

Closed: Monday, 1st & 6th January, 25 & 26th December

Sant Cugat Wine Cooperative

The last vinification took place in 1988, and the other agricultural services were gradually closed. The auxiliary buildings, and in 1994 the ships of the vats, began to be demolished to give way to a new housing block. The room for the reception of grapes and wine making, built in 1921 according to Martinell's project, was ceded by the cooperative to the city. Rehabilitated and turned into a museum, today it is one of the Museums of Sant Cugat.

Opening Hours of Sant Cugat Wine Cooperative:

Saturday: 10:30h to 13:30h & 16:00h to 19:00h (1st of June to 30th September till 20:00h)

Sunday and public Holidays: 10:30 to 14:30h

Closed: Monday to Friday, 1st & 6th January, 25 & 26th December

This is free to enter but has limited opening times.

Calcotada in Restaurant Can Borell

This is a good spring Calcotada hike when started at 9 in the morning and arriving at restaurant can Borell at 14h to 15h for the Calcotada set menu.

Calcots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have a length of between 15 and 25 cm (white part) and a diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 cm at the root. Planted in trenches, like an onion, as a single bulb, and successively increasing the depth of the soil around the stems throughout autumn and winter. They sprout into 4-10 shoots, roughly the shape of small leeks or scallions.

The origin of the calcot and its cooking method is in the town of Valls, Catalonia, Spain, where an annual event celebrates the harvest of calcots. Nowadays, thousands of eating gatherings centered around the calcots, called calcotada, are celebrated around Catalonia.

Calcots are harvested in early spring / late winter and served in calcotadas in many of the rural and city restaurants in Catalunya. In these events, they are grilled over a hot fire, wrapped up in newspaper, served on terra cotta tiles and eaten, after peeling with bare hands, by dipping them one by one in salvitxada sauce (sauce made with almonds, garlic, tomatoes and olive oil).

At a calcotada you are served with a bib, gloves and wet wipes because eating them the traditional way is a messy but fun affair.

Accessibility, mobility & Clothing for Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar

This is a short walking route not far from roads so I always do it with a small rucksack of the essentials. Emergency waterproof jacket is optional depending on the weather forecast.

1 - 2 litres of water because there are fountains along the route.

Small 30L Hiking Rucksack

Includes high visibility fog and rain waterproof cover in zip compartment at bottom of rucksack.

Emergency Rain jacket

Small pouch lightweight Waterproof jacket for emergencies

Convertible Trousers

Lightweight convertible trousers that zip down to shorts

Trail shoes

Lightweight comfortable trail shoes

Summer socks

Ankle spring/summer socks

Fleece jacket or Jersey

Light weight warm fleece

Mid layer Top

Light weight cotton quick dry T-shirt

Getting to Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar

Address: Plaza d Octavia, Sant Cugat del Valles. 08172

If you just want to visit the Monastery and wine cellar then you can get the FGC from Plaza Catalunya to FGC Sant Cugat.

Sant Cugat is in Zone 1 now so you can use a normal T-casual Zone 1 ticket or Hola BCN ticket.

I have a walking route of 13km through parc collserola starting at Sant Cugat FGC station and ending up at Vall de Hebron green (L3) metro station in Barcelona.

Sant cugat is on the FGC valles lines.

Documents for Sant Cugat Monastery and Wine Cellar

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