Nature

Montserrat is a mountain that astonishes you the moment you see it, for it is so different from all others. Seen from the distance, looming up alone out of the landscape, it is bound to attract your attention. Depending on where you see it from, its silhouette is reminiscent of the toothed blade of a saw. And here you have the clue to its name, for the Catalan word Montserrat means "sawn mountain".

But you will find this name even more felicitous as you approach the mountain and start climbing. The shape of the rocks might make you imagine that Montserrat had been carved, wrought or sawn by some prodigious hand. In fact the poet Verdaguer, one of the great epic writers in our literary history, envisaged the mountain as something sawn by the angels.

At all events, whether by angelic hands or natural forces, the saw above a design of stylized crags is the heraldic symbol of Montserrat.

Rocks

The Montserrat mountain is sedimentary, and its rocks are made up of a conglomeration of pebbles held in limestone.

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The Flora

Montserrat abounds with the vegetation that is typical of the Mediterranean woods. Evergreen oak much of the mountain, along with dense undergrowth and up to 1.250 varieties of plants. Nevertheless, ther are many other types of trees which make splashes of colour all over the mountain: the white pine, the maple, the lime, the hazelnut tree, the holly, the box, the oak and the yew.

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Wildlife

Wolves, deer, roe deer amnd birds of prey have steadily been disappearing from Montserrat. Nowadays, we can find birds such as swifts, creepers, stone martens, doves, thrushes, kinglets and whitethroats.
The mammals in the Park include squirrels, bats and wild boar, together with the mountain goats that have been recently introduced. We also can find reptiles such an the Iberian viper and amphibians such as the lizard. Hunting can only take place in a controlled area, where some wild boarhunts are organised.

Official web site Montserrat Natural Park open a new page

More informarion about information about the nature park, walks and guided tours here, as well as the funicular railways that provide access to the mountain. open a new page

Images

Fauna

Montserrat Natural Park

The mountain of Montserrat and its environments are areas of natural interest that is protected with the aim to combine the natural, cultural and historic with the everyday life of its inhabitants, dissemination and research their heritage and the enjoyment of visitors. El Patronat de la Muntanya de Montserrat is the lead agency and manager of the Natural Park from the decree of creation of the protection in 1987. The participation and involvement of municipalities, the Abbey of Montserrat and other small owners can make better every day this splendid natural.

Recomendattions

We strongly recommended the following suggestions :

The topography of the Montserrat is complicated. Often we are faced with walls hardly visible from the top.
Do not stray from the marked paths and in case of becoming lost, return to back to a point of origin, or identicacion.
Montserrat has but few natural drinking fountains. Do take water with you.
Tray not to smoke, above all be prudent with the cigarrettes.
Please do not pick up wild flowers and respect all the plants .
Take with you the left overs and discard them in the proper garbage bins.
Regulation the l'escalation of them and the "vies Ferrades" channels to equipades Montserrat Natural Park.