Cartoixa d'Escaladei

The Cartoixa d'Escaladei is the ruined Carthusian monastery that gave Priorat its name and much of its historical identity. Set below the Montsant cliffs, it has the melancholy grandeur of a place that was once powerful and then abandoned to weather and politics.

Restored sections help you imagine the scale of monastic life here, but the real pleasure is the setting: stone walls, open sky, vineyards and the pale cliffs beyond. It is one of the region's essential stops, especially if you want Priorat to be more than a wine label.

things to do sight ruins history
A story
Priorat's name comes from the prior of Escaladei, the Carthusian monastery that once controlled much of the surrounding land. The monks helped shape the region's wine culture, and the ruined cloisters now make the connection between landscape, religion and vineyards unusually visible.