Escaladei Charterhouse loop from la Morera de Montsant

Bike touring routes & trails

La Morera De Montsant

Escaladei Charterhouse loop from la Morera de Montsant

Hard

riders

Escaladei Charterhouse loop from la Morera de Montsant

03:20

44.2km

1,060m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 27, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

213 m

Monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat

Highlight • Religious Site

248 m

Escaladei Charterhouse

Highlight • Historical Site

Walk around Escaladei and learn about the monastery, founded in the 12th century by French Carthusian monks from Provence and the first of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula. The monks chose a unique place for its construction, located at the foot of the Montsant massif, where a shepherd had dreamed of angels climbing to heaven on a ladder leaning against a large pine tree; hence the name Escaladei – “God's Ladder”.

The ladder to heaven, or ladder to God, can be found again today in the priory logo.

The charterhouse existed until 1835 and lived through periods of great splendor. For seven centuries the monks tilled 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 what is now the county, roughly corresponding to what is now the Priorat growing area.

With the secularization of the church property (expropriation) by Mendizábal (1835), the monks were forced to flee suddenly, leaving their cells, the cloisters, the church and the guest house abandoned. In just two years, the once-magnificent Charterhouse was reduced to rubble as peasants weary of servitude, tithes, and submission plundered it.

The monastery ruins are open to the public: visitors are led to the three cloisters, the church and the dining room, as well as to a cell that has been reconstructed with great care.

A visit to the Carthusian monastery of Escaladei is a must for anyone who wants to discover the origins of the Priorat region.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

307 m

Cartuja de Santa María de Escaladei

Highlight • Religious Site

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.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.64 km

Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet

Highlight • Religious Site

Imposing. Hard ports but worth it.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.71 km

La Morera de Montsant West Ascent

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

One of the toughest climbs in the Priorat region. It's nothing like the other side. The climb starts before Escaladei, specifically in the village of Viliella Baixa. From there to the top it's approximately 11 kilometers. From Escaladei, it's 4 kilometers, 3 of which are very tough, with gradients exceeding 10%, although interspersed with flatter sections. It's a MUST in this area.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

22.6 km

Coll del Ginebre

Mountain Pass

30.3 km

Cornudella to La Morera de Montsant Ascent

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

The eastbound access to La Morera de Montsant is less steep and three kilometers longer than the western approach. The village is located on the edge of the Natural Park and Serra de Montsant Mountains, which gives this area a lot to offer. Some even think that this street trumps some Mallorca classics. 😏

Translated by Google •

Tip by