The best walks and hikes around La Vilella Alta

The term "Morera de Montsant" refers to the village of La Morera de Montsant and the Serra de Montsant, located in southeastern Catalonia, in the province of Tarragona. It is a natural park known for its rugged, rocky formations and deep gorges, but also for its tranquil, natural atmosphere. The highest point is the Roca Corbatera (1163 m).

A monastery founded in the 12th century by French Carthusian monks from Provence, it was the first of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula. The monks chose a unique site for its construction, located at the foot of the Montsant massif, where a shepherd had dreamed of angels ascending to heaven on a ladder leaning against a large pine tree; hence the name Escaladei – "Ladder of God." The Charterhouse existed until 1835 and experienced periods of great splendor. For seven centuries, the monks cultivated the fields, built mills, and taught agricultural techniques and viticulture. The Prior, hence the name of the region, was the judge and administrator of the villages in the center of the present-day district, which roughly corresponds to the present-day Priorat wine-growing area. With the secularization of church property (expropriation) by Mendizábal (1835), the monks were forced to flee suddenly, leaving their cells, cloisters, church, and guesthouse abandoned. Within just two years, the once magnificent Charterhouse was transformed into a pile of rubble, as peasants, tired of feudal servitude, tithes, and subjugation, plundered it. The monastery ruins are open for visits: visitors are guided to the three cloisters, the church, the dining room, and a meticulously reconstructed cell. A visit to the Carthusian Monastery of Escaladei is a must for anyone interested in learning about the origins of the Priorat district. Admission to the monument includes a comprehensive virtual reality experience: "The Eyes of History" – an immersive insight that allows you to discover several key episodes of the Carthusian Monastery of Escaladei through the eyes of a Carthusian monk. This experience is rounded off with a virtual journey back to the 17th century, accompanied by Joaquim Juncosa, the architect of the church's decorations, who will give you an insight into life and art in the monastery at that time. You can also experience the audiovisual installation "The Eternal Silence" in the chapter house. The entire immersive experience is available in Catalan, Spanish, English, and French.

Nice old town to walk through. And one of the few small villages with a supermarket

Nice old town and a supermarket

Santa Maria d'Escaladei was the first Carthusian monastery in the entire Iberian Peninsula. In 1203, the Carthusians received further donations and finally set up the monastery at its current location. Undoubtedly the Carthusians were masters at cultivating these mountainous slopes. The characteristic landscape of the Priorat with the stepped terraced fields covered with vines is the work of the monks. Despite the war events at the beginning of the 19th century, the Cartoixa de Santa María d'Escaladei was continuously inhabited until 1820 and maintained its influence in the region. However, the Enlightenment movement brought about a weakening of the monastery's power. In 1820 the monks had to leave the monastery for the first time. With the disenfranchisement under Mendizábal in 1835, the Carthusians were finally expropriated and finally expelled from the monastery, which was soon looted and burned down.

The Carthusian monastery dates back to the 12th century, when the monks of Provence chose to build, in this unique setting, at the foot of the Sierra del Montsant, the first Carthusian monastery on the Iberian Peninsula. During the 19th century, the monks fled the territory, leaving the land and buildings abandoned. Due to the constant looting, the space occupied by the charterhouse was deteriorated and, today, the remains of the cloisters, the church, as well as the refectory can be visited.

Bar for breakfast, sandwiches with homemade sausage and good price

Great landscape with viticulture on stony soils. Be sure to try the fruity grape Garnatxa down in the town Escaladei. Viticultural area is Priorat, the first wine region in Spain. More at Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priorat_(Weinbaugebiet)