My old housemate Sam said to me that if I visit Barcelona I must go to Montserrat, it's only an hour outside of the city and is really quite spectacular.  I packed up my things, strapped my tent to my bag and caught a bus heading north-west.  Dropped at Monistrol de Montserrat, it's an 8km hike to the top; you can take a cable car or train but where's the fun in that? Once you reach Monestir de Montserrat you can see Santa Maria de Montserrat, a 10th century Cathedral-sized Abbey that's home to over 150 monks; it's incredible to see such a building in the mountains. To reach the top you can either walk or take the funicular which gives you a whole new area to explore.  I made my way up the hillside and found a place to pitch up after the light had faded, ready to hike some more the following morning.