# Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery and the Santíssim Misteri

What to do en Ripoll · Ripoll

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/sant-joan-de-les-abadesses-monastery · Revisado: 2026-11-12

- Duración: 1 h
- Para quién: Families and teenagers; free for under-12s

A Romanesque church from 1150 with the Santíssim Misteri, a wooden Descent from the Cross of 1251, 11 km from Ripoll. Entry €5; closed on Thursdays outside summer.

What it is
The monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses is 11 km from Ripoll, up the River Ter. It was founded in 885 by Guifré el Pilós and his wife Guinedella as a community of Benedictine nuns: it was the first women's monastery in Catalonia, and their daughter Emma governed it as its first abbess. In 1017 the nuns left and the monastery passed to canons regular.
The present church was consecrated in 1150, in the time of Abbot Ponç de Monells, and it is one of the great examples of monumental Romanesque architecture of the 12th century in Catalonia. It was restored from 1912 under the direction of Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
What you will see

The Santíssim Misteri. A Descent from the Cross of 1251 with seven life-size wooden figures, still in the place it was made for. In 1426 an incorrupt host, placed there in 1251, was discovered in Christ's forehead, and since then it has been venerated under that name.
The Romanesque church, consecrated in 1150.
The Gothic cloister, from the 15th century.
A Renaissance building attached to the south transept.
The chapel of the Mare de Déu dels Dolors, with a Baroque dome.
The museum, opened in 1975, with works from the 8th to the 20th century: sculpture, painting, textiles and goldsmithing. Many pieces are still used at the great festivals.

Opening hours

June: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00, except Thursday, when it is closed. Sunday, 10:00 to 13:00.
July and August: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00. Sunday, 10:00 to 13:00. Open every day.
September to May: every day 10:00 to 13:00, except Thursday, when it is closed; on Saturday, also 16:00 to 18:00.

It is a parish church with daily Mass at 11:00 on weekdays, at 20:00 on Saturdays and the eve of holidays, and at 12:00 on Sundays and holidays: keep those times in mind when planning your visit.
Tickets

General: €5.
Reduced: €3 for groups and pensioners; €1 for school groups.
Free: under-12s and residents of the town.

The ticket includes the monastery and the museum. Allow an hour for the visit.
Guided tour with the Palau de l'Abadia
Every Saturday at 11:30, the guided tour takes in the monastery, the Palau de l'Abadia and the town, with its history, legends and traditions. It costs €10 for adults, €7.80 for pensioners and young people, and €2 for children. It leaves from the Sant Joan de les Abadesses tourist office. For groups there are tours by appointment all year round. Information on 972 720 013.
How to get there
From Ripoll, by car, along the Ter road, about 11 km. If you have time, the prettiest way is the Ferro i Carbó greenway, paved and flat, on foot or by bike: about 10 km to the former Sant Joan station. From there, cross the Ter over the Gothic bridge and climb up to the old town.
With children
The visit is short and under-12s do not pay. The Santíssim Misteri, with its life-size figures, impresses older children. The monastery offers educational worksheets for school groups. With the greenway, the day becomes a bike ride with a reward at the end.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 42.2335, 2.2857

## Cerca de aquí

- [Restaurant Reccapolis](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/where-to-eat/reccapolis), a 7.5 km
- [La Trobada Boutique Hotel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/where-to-stay/la-trobada-boutique-hotel), a 8.6 km
- [Ripoll Ethnographic Museum and the Scriptorium](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/ripoll-ethnographic-museum), a 8.6 km
- [Ruta del Ferro i del Carbó Greenway, from Ripoll to Sant Joan de les Abadesses](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/iron-and-coal-greenway-ripoll), a 8.6 km
- [Santa Maria de Ripoll Monastery, portal and cloister](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/santa-maria-monastery-ripoll), a 8.6 km
- [A walk along the Ter from the Santa Maria colony, on the VORATER route](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/ter-river-walk-ripoll), a 8.7 km
- [Roca de la Creu via ferrata in Ribes de Freser, with a guide](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/roca-de-la-creu-via-ferrata), a 12.5 km
- [Núria Rack Railway, from Ribes de Freser up to the valley at 2,000 metres](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/things-to-do/nuria-rack-railway), a 12.6 km

## Consejos

### Avoid Thursday outside summer
From September to June, it is closed on Thursdays.

### Go on Saturday
It is the only day with a guided tour of the Palau de l'Abadia and with afternoon opening from September to May.

### Arrive by the greenway
From Ripoll it is about 10 km, flat and paved, to Sant Joan station.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to visit the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses?
€5 for general entry, €3 for pensioners and free for under-12s.

### Which day is it closed?
Thursday, except in July and August. From September to May it only opens in the afternoon on Saturday.

### What is the Santíssim Misteri?
A wooden Descent from the Cross of 1251, with seven life-size figures, preserved in the place it was carved for.

Destino: [Ripoll](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll.md)