Montseny Natural Park Hot Air Balloon Ride from Barcelona

The day starts outside the Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona, and that is as close to the city as this flight gets. A bus covers the next 30 to 45 minutes inland, and the balloon leaves the ground inside the Montseny Natural Park. Barcelona is the pickup point rather than the scenery. What sits under the basket is a protected massif of forest and small villages, listed as a Biosphere Reserve. At the launch field the crew lays the envelope out and fills it while everyone watches, and passengers who want to lend a hand with the preparation can. The pilot goes through the planned route before boarding. A basket here holds eight passengers at most, plus the pilot, so nobody is fighting for a corner of the rail. The flight runs an hour, and when the air is clear the Pyrenees stand on one horizon with Montserrat on the other. Wherever the wind puts the balloon down, an off-road vehicle collects the group and drives back to the launch area. The morning ends with a glass of cava and a toast, and each passenger is given a diploma. The bus then returns to the meeting point in Barcelona.