Royal Monastery of Santes Creus

What you will find

Santes Creus Monastery came into being in 1160 under the patronage of the Montcada and Cervelló houses and Count Ramon Berenguer IV. On the banks of the River Gaià the monks, who came from the Occitan Abbaye de Grandselve, found the ideal site for building a monastery which, until 1835, would be the centre of one of the largest and most influential monastic domains of the Kingdom of Aragón. Its history and the Cistercian way of life are described in the audiovisual "The Cistercian World".

Santes Creus reached its time of greatest splendour in the 13th and 14th centuries thanks to the favour of the royal house and the nobility. Two kings, Pere el Gran and Jaume II el Just, and Jaume's queen Blanche d'Anjou chose it for their pantheon and were active protectors and patrons. Their remains lie in the church in two tombs, considered masterpieces of early Catalan Gothic and the only ones of the Kingdom of Aragón to have survived intact.

Like few Cistercian abbeys, the ground plan of the monastery follows the model drawn by St Bernard in order to organise the spaces according to the needs of the community. The austerity typical of the order is reflected in the first buildings, such as the church. But soon the splendour of the Gothic took over in spaces such as the 14th century cloister, the first in that style in the Kingdom of Aragón, remarkable for the artistic quality of the capitals and the tombs of the monarchs who took part in the conquest of Mallorca.

Guia de Visita català

Guía de visita castellano

Guide of visit English

Guide de visite Français

Guia visita alemany

Guia visita rus

Guia visita aranès

Itineraries english

Cister's route english

Plan your visit

Standard: €4
Concession: €4

Entitled to concessionary admission charge:

People aged 65 and over.
Pensioners.
Carnet Jove holders.
International Student Identity Card holders.
Large or single-parent family book holders.
Groups of ten o more people who are not tourists. If any of the persons entitled to free admission continues to enjoy this rate.
Members of Carnet Artesà upon presentation of proof of their status.
Members of Associació Catalana de Crítics d'Art upon presentation of proof of their status.
Members of CRAC. Conservadors-Restauradors Associats de Catalunya upon presentation of proof of their status.

Entitled to free admission:

Children aged under 16.
Unemployed people upon presentation of proof of their status.
Accredited members of the ICOM (International Council of Museums) or ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments).
Accredited members of the Associació de Museòlegs de Catalunya.
Accredited professional tourist guides upon presentation of proof of their status.
Official education teachers, accredited by the management of the educational centre. Only valid teaching staff cards will be accepted.
Accredited members of the press visiting in the course of their duties who have provided prior notiifcation of hteir visit in writing.
Disabled people upon presentation of a certificate confirming their disabled status. The accompanying person will also have free admission.
Foster families upon presentation of proof of their status.
School parties (pupils in the general education system and special education with teaching staff) with a prior booking.
Teachers who work in the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística, upon presentation of proof of their status.

Special cases:

Free admission on the last Tuesday of every mont between 1 October and 30 June
Groups that book through a tourism-related agency, operator or similar company will benefit from a 25% reduction on the applicable admission rate. The authorised guide or person accompanying the group will be given free admission.

NOTE: These times are now the ones in use. Please ignore any others published earlier on this or any other website or in informative leaflets and tryptychs.

Last admission 30 minutes before closing time.

From Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays.

From 16 December to 28 February: from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. On December 24 and 31: from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
From 1 October to 31 May: from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The last showing of the audiovisual "The Cistercian World" es at 4.30 p.m.
- EASTER OPENING TIMES (Last admission 30 minutes before clossing time)
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Monday from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
From 1 June to 30 September: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last showing of the audiovisual "The Cistercian World" is at 6 p.m.

Closed on Mondays except public holidays, 25 and 26 December and 1 and 6 January.

Guided tours for individuals

Activities for the general public. Check out our guided tours program in the hightlights section or ask for more information on tel.: 977638556 or e-mail to reservesmonuments.acdpc@gencat.cat

Guided tours for groups

Visits for groups or individuals who wish a private visit with one of the guides of the monument. You can make the booking of your visit on tel.: 977 638 556 or e-mail reservesmonuments.acdpc@gencat.cat

Reservations from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Instructions for making bookings and for guided tours at Santes Creus Royal Monastery.

Pets are not allowed inside the monument.

The facilities are equipped for people with disabilities and the blind.

Restauració de les Tombes Reials