15 minutes away from Barcelona is Sant Cugat del Vallès, a city with a broad cultural offering for all sorts of people. A perfectly preserved 9th-century monastery, an antiques market, the only museum in Europe dedicated to Marilyn Monroe or a natural park to enjoy on foot or bicycle are some of the attractions found in Sant Cugat, the perfect escape for those visiting Barcelona. Here are five opportunities for visiting Sant Cugat that are just a short trip from the big city.
1. Sant Cugat Monastery
The main tourist attraction in Sant Cugat del Vallès is the Royal Monastery, a 1000-year-old space with its origins in the ninth century that has accumulated all manner of architectural styles throughout the centuries, from Romanesque to Gothic and Baroque. This monastery, one of the best preserved in Europe, is especially notable for its cloister, with 144 unique capitals. If you’re interested in discovering this space, this is the option for you. This trip includes a visit to the monastery with an audio guide and a book of discount coupons. Purchase your ticket here.
2. Monastery – Mercantic Sant Cugat Pack
This offer is great for lovers of art and antiques. You’ll get to know the main tourist attractions in the city: Sant Cugat Monastery and the Mercantic antiques market, one of the most famous in Spain. This pack includes a visit to the monastery with an audio guide, a gift from Mercantic and a book of online discount coupons to help you experience our city. This pack can either be enjoyed as a walking tour or an e-bike tour. Purchase your combined ticket here.
3. Monastery – Collserola – eBike Sant Cugat Pack
The best way to enjoy all the culture and nature Sant Cugat del Vallès has to offer is to choose this pack, which includes a visit to Sant Cugat Monastery with an audio guide, a book of discount coupons and an electric bicycle rental with GPS and a programmed route through Collserola Natural Park. With this e-bike tour, you can get to know some of the most beautiful masies (traditional Catalan farmhouses) in the area. Purchase your combined ticket here.
4. Marilyn Monroe Museum and Sant Cugat Monastery Back
Learn about the austere lives of the monks that inhabited Sant Cugat Monastery and discover the secrets of one of the biggest divas ever to come out of Hollywood. All of this is possible thanks to this offer, which includes a ticket to the monastery and another to the only museum in Europe dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, along with a book of discount coupons. Purchase your combined ticket here.
5. Sant Cugat Monastery – Seu Egara de Terrassa Pack
Those that prefer to get to know the history of Catalonia can choose this other pack, which will allow you to discover the origins of Sant Cugat del Vallès and Terrassa —another city near Barcelona— all in one day. With this trip, you’ll start with a visit to Sant Cugat, where you’ll visit the Royal Monastery, the church, the museum, the remains of the town walls and the Casa Abacial. Then, you’ll travel to Terrassa, where you’ll get to visit a monumental complex of great beauty from the 5th to 6th centuries. Purchase your combined ticket here.
Purchasing Tickets
You can purchase tickets for these tourist activities through the website bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com or at one of Barcelona Turisme’s three offices, located in Plaça Catalunya, Passeig Colom and at 2 Carrer Ciutat. If you make your purchase online, you will receive an email with an attached voucher.
