Monserrate: meet your spiritual side!

Every place in the world has its own legends and places that hold a religious significance. Monserrate (meaning serrated mountain) in Bogotá, Colombia is also one such place for the inhabitants of this city. Monserrate is also a great place to enjoy splendid views of Bogotá. You can spend hours looking at sprawling city from 10,000 feet from the summit of this mountain and even enjoy a funicular ride.

You can experience the grandeur of Monserrate Bogota at a mere price of $7 US dollars which translates into $14,000 COP or Colombian Pesos. The historic church situated on the pinnacle is also worth a visit.

The Church on this mountain was constructed in 1640  by Don Juan de Borja, the Spanish Viceroy who established a reign on the region in 1638. This shrine was dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat and modelled after the original shrine in Spain in Barcelona on the Montserrat Mountain. Portrayed as Black Madonna and child Jesus (in black), a golden sphere is held by Virgin Mary in her right hand, while a smaller sphere rests in the left hand of Jesus.

Most people visit this Church to see the "Señor Caido" or the statue of the Fallen Lord which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus in a rare and original way. This statue has been constructed in 1656 by Pedro de Lugo y Albarracin in a Bogotá studio. The statue depicts Jesus falling from with the cross. This church is visited by more than 4,500 people on a Sunday.

A walk up the mountain is a long and tiring prospect for an average person and will take more than an hour. The cable car installed by a Swiss company in 1950 is open all the days of the week and takes merely 4 minutes. It has a capacity of 40 passengers.

On a Sunday, the funicular ride is a great way to enjoy the panoramic view and get to the Church. This ride was established in 1929. You will still need to walk to the summit once you get down from the ride. If you are hungry, you can choose from the Santa Clara or the Casa San Isidro restaurants en route.

For a typical Colombian meal and a great view of the setting sun, Santa Clara is the ideal choice. People, who wish to try something French, can order their fill at the Casa San Isidro which has a great terrace view of the city.

The night view from the summit is breathtaking. You can stay enjoy the view till 11 p.m., which is the time for the last cable car of the day. The fare at the night time is a tad higher priced at $17,000 Colombian pesos. If you really want to enjoy Bogotá and its varied faces, it's better to book a hotel in Bogota  online to prevent anxiety attacks in the last minute!