Catalonia is a land of shrines and monasteries, sacred places of popular devotion that, over the course of history, have become places for people to meet and come together. Scattered all over Catalonia, especially in mountain areas, many of them are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Among the most important of these are the Virgin of Montserrat Sanctuary, which is the main spiritual reference point of Catalonia, and that of the Virgin of Nuria. <br><br>The monasteries provide another religious tourism option. Along the Cistercian Route you can enjoy the buildings erected by the monks of that order in the districts of Conca de Barberà, l’Alt Camp and Urgell. The two most representative monasteries are Poblet – declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO – and Santes Creus. <br><br>Not to forget the Way of St James, which links Catalonia with Santiago de Compostela, and the Way of St Ignatius, which starts at Montserrat and passes through Manresa – where the Cave of St Ignatius is found – before arriving at Loyola in the Basque Country. <br><br>The Catalonia Sacra (Sacred Catalonia) project brings us closer to Catalonia's cathedrals and churches in a spiritual and contemplative way, and also from an artistic and cultural point of view.