CATALONIA: MONASTERY OF SANTES CREUS

Built in gothic style, Santes Creus is architecturally, together with the monastery of Poblet, the most important monastery in Catalonia. However Montserrat Abbey would be symbolically more significant.  

Next I would like to show you some pictures I took during the visit to Santes Creus.

• Monastery of Santes Creus
• Royal Dooeway
• Rear Cloister
• Royal Palace
• Cloister
• Chapter House
• Dormitory
• Church
• Tower of the Hours
• Cemetery

• Restaurants beside the Monastery of Santes Creus

Monastery of Santes Creus

The first view we had of Santes Creus Monastery

Square of Sant Bernat Calbó in front of Santes Creus

Main facade of Monastery of Santes Creus

Assumption Gate in Santes Creus

West end of the church of Santes Creus where you can see the gothic stained-glass window that light the central isle and the crenellations constructed when Pere the Ceremonious ordered the monastery to be fortified

Romanesque central doorway of the church of Santes Creus Monastery

Royal Doorway

Beside the Royal Doorway is the entrance to Santes Creus Monastery

Rear Cloister

Rear cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Tower of the Hours from the rear cloister of Santes Creus

Royal Palace

Royal palace built inside the monastery of Santes Creus

Cloister

Tower of the hours from the cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

One of the galleries of the cloister of Santes Creus from the entrance to the church

Cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Gothic arches of the cloister of Santes Creus

Taking pictures of the gothic cloister of Santes Creus

Church of Santes Creus from its gothic cloister

After work, and before entering the refectory for meals, the monks would wash their hands in the circular font located in the centre of the lavabo

Chapter House

Chaper house of Santes Creus Monastery

Dormitory

Dormitory of Santes Creus

Church

Church of Santes Creus Monastery

Tombs of Jaume el Just and Blanca d'Anjou in the church of Santes Creus Monastery

Tower of the Hours

Tower of the hours from the rear cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Cemetery

Rose window of the church of Santes Creus Monastery from the cemetery

Overview of Santes Creus Monastery in the evening

Restaurants beside the Monastery of Santes Creus

Casalot and the restaurant of Hostal Grau (Grau Hostel) are good choices for having lunch after visiting the monastery

We had lunch in Casalot restaurant after visiting Santes Creus  

Inside the restaurant Casalot in Santes Creus

Hostal Grau near the Monastery of Santes Creus

If you liked the Monastery of Santes Creus, maybe you would be interested in visiting the nearby Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges monasteries. Other interesting monasteries in Catalunya are: 

• Poblet Monastery
• Pedralbes Monastery in Barcelona
• Montserrat Abbey
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery
• Santa Maria de Ripoll Monastery
• Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery
• Sant Miquel del Fai
• Sant Cugat Monastery

Santes Creus is located near Costa Daurada, where there are also interesting places to visit:

• El Delta de l'Ebre (Ebro Delta)
• Ancient Roman Tarraco
• Tarragona old quarter
• The modernist town of Reus
• Salou and its Beaches
• Miami Playa
• Castle of Tamarit
• Roc de Sant Gaietà
• The beautiful beaches and coves of L'Ametlla de Mar
• The medieval village of Montblanc
• The Cistercian monasteries of Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges
• The medieval village of Siurana
• The Iberian citadel of Calafell
• Port Aventura

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places of Catalonia.