Catalytic process for the preparation of methanol, with a plurality of serial synthesis stages, in which the severity of the reaction conditions, on the basis of the reaction temperature and/or the concentration of carbon monoxide in the synthesis gas, decreases from the first to the last reaction stage in flow direction, the first reaction stage having a first catalyst of low activity but high long-term stability, and the last reaction stage having a second catalyst of high activity but low long-term stability.