Cistercian Route

Today, I’d like to tell you about what in my opinion is one of the best cultural, historic, artistic, and natural routes through Catalonia and even Spain as a whole: the Cistercian Route, which covers three monasteries in the Catalan provinces of Tarragona and Lérida.

It’s an amazing route that you can do in two or three days. I’d suggest going at a leisurely pace, taking your time and enjoying the sublime beauty of the landscape and architecture with all five senses. San Benito, upon creating his humble and introverted order, never imagined the beauty which these three historic-artistic complexes would one day attain. Poblet, Santes Creus, and Santa María de Vallbona are three monasteries which you must visit if you’re a lover of Cistercian art, the medieval world in general, history, or just simple inner peace.

The Cistercian Route covers an area formed by the Alt Camp, Conca de Barberà, and Urgell sub-regions and their 65 municipalities. The three Cistercian monasteries of Santes Creus, Poblet, and Santa María de Vallbona form a triangle which can be visited in a few days in a variety of ways.

Many choose to do the route in car, but I think a better choice would be on foot or by bicycle. Everything, of course, depends on time. But, you should keep in mind that we’re talking about one of the most important historic, culinary, and natural routes in Spain, so it’s worth it to take your time and savor every step.