Mirador dels Apòstols

The Mirador dels Apòstols is the long terraced lookout built onto the edge of the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery. The panoramic viewpoint sits high on the mountainside with the whole Llobregat valley dropping away below and the stunning grey rock pillars of Montserrat rising all around you. It is a genuinely breathtaking spot. You can easily frame the valley and its patchwork of fields far below, turn and shoot the weathered stone peaks as they catch the light, or line the monastery buildings up against that jagged skyline. The platform runs on several levels, make sure to head down the loweest level if you are looking to capture the get clearest views of purely rock and valley. Early morning is the best time to be here, when the sun is low and warm on the pillars. Plus if you are lucky mist or low cloud sometimes pools in the valley beneath the terrace and leaves the peaks floating above it. Getting up here is half the fun with a variety of options, all with amazing views the whole way. You can use the rack railway or cable car from the valley floor, or drive up the winding road. The terrace itself is free to wander even though the basilica, museum and funiculars all require a ticket. This whole area gets busy through the middle of the day, so arriving early or late will give you the most room to work. (Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain)