The place is located close to Barcelona. Montserrat literally means “jagged mountain” and when you take a look at the pinkish rock, which is above the monastery and visible already from afar, you are immediately clear why. Although the mountain alone attracts many rock climbers, most people come here to visit the Benedictine monastery and see the statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ, also known as “la Moreneta”. The Black Madonna is made of wood and was created sometimes between the 12th and 13th century. Just like in many similar cases, even here a lot of people believe that the statue has supernatural abilities, such as cure or fulfil wishes. She was declared the saint patron of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII in 1844.

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But Montserrat Monastery is even older coming from the 8th or 9th century, however since then it has undergone many alterations and was almost destroyed during Napoleonic wars. Today’s appearance is from the late 19th century.

Some of you who knows the music much better than just from radios would certainly be familiar with a local boys’ choir of sopranos and altos called L’Escolania, existing since the 13th century. It is the oldest institution of its kind in Europe.

The monastery also includes an extensive library with more than 200,000 volumes. But it is still not everything. The legend says that this site was a place of the castle of the Holy Grail (often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers).

Montserrat monastery is situated in the mountain at an altitude of 750 meters above sea level and formerly was very hard accessible. However now it is very easy to get there, so be prepared for crowds. You can use road, but also a steep lift built in 1930 (Aerie de Montserrat) or cog-railway from 1892.

Due to a huge number of visitors (almost 750,000 people a year), there are lots of car parks, restaurants, refreshments with ice cream, souvenir shops, two museums and even a hotel.

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More than four hundred twenty years ago, there was an active super volcano that existed in the area. A fierce eruption occurred back in the Silurian period which created most of the cauldron-like formation. After the end of the last ice age, a giant glacier had formed in the region and as it receded, it carved out the coe.

Glen Coe, Scotland, UK by Christian Kadluba

The area is less than seven hundred meters wide in many spots and more than sixteen kilometers long. The narrowest point of the coe is known as the Pass of Glen Coe and can be found roughly in the center.

In order to get top Glen Coe, you will need to enter the area at the base of the Meall a’ Bhuiridh mountain, not too far from Rannoch Moor. For nearly 12 kilometers the coe runs almost due west from the moor before making a turn to the northwesterly direction. At the other end of Glen Coe is where you will find Loch Leven and the famous village of Glencoe.

Throughout the length of Glen Coe, you will see the ancient River Coe which was formed as the glacier melted away. At the Pass of Glen Coe, one can see waterfalls as the water makes its way out to the sea.

The resulting properties of Glen Coe are simply amazing. Each year, countless visitors make their way to the area to see the many attractions that the coe has to offer. The site is very popular for those who just like to walk in beautiful surroundings and is known as an adventure for those who love the idea of climbing a rock face.

For those who come to Glen Coe for walking, the best place to start is at the Devil’s Staircase which was cut into the boulders. The staircase is more than 352 meter high and can be a challenge for most people.

Rock climbers who make their way to the area tend to go straight for the 1,018 meter tall Buachaille Etive Mòr. Over the years, climbing the face of the mountain has grown in popularity as a result of countless races and scrambles that have been held in the area over the years.

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Verdon Gorge, France by Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho

One of the most popular destinations in the country is that of the Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon). This amazing canyon is 700 meters deep and 21 kilometres in length. The canyon itself varies in width along its length from a narrow passageway of only six meters wide to a massive stretch of more than 1500 meters.

Verdon Gorge was formed as a result of tectonic movements and erosion from the Verdon which flows through the canyon from the village of Castellane to Rougons. The river itself is a fast flowing stream which continues to cut deeper and deeper into the bedrock. The source of the Verdon River can be found 2500 meters above sea level; just outside of Col de la Sestrière. At Rougons, the river slides into a very narrow crevice and is hidden from view until it reemerges at the Lac de Ste-Croix.

Verdon Gorge from the top, France by maarjaara

Of course there is nothing new about the beauty of the Verdon Gorge. As far back as 400,000 years ago, primitive man has called the area around the gorge, home. There have been thousands of artefacts found in this area. As a result of these discoveries, the local Museum of prehistory was established back in 2001. Today it is considered to be one of the largest in all of Europe.

For the most part, to access the Verdon Gorge you will need to take your choice of the North or South Rim roads which leads out of Moustiers-Ste-Marie and makes its way to Pont de Soleils. The North Rim Road is more than 31 kilometres long and offers some of the most impressive views into the canyon. The South Rim Road is 48 kilometres long and also offers some awe-inspiring views of the deep canyon. For those wishing to drive both the North and South Rim roads, expect to spend an entire day of driving.

Walls of the Verdon Gorge, France by François Philipp

It is also possible to visit the Verdon Gorge by raft or hiking. Rafting on the Verdon River is for extremely experienced persons only due to the very violent and dangerous trip. The trip itself will take 6 to 8 hours to complete. There are also 10 hiking trails along the rim that range from 2 to 8 hours to complete; and take you from the roof down to the basement of the gorge.

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