On a recent trip to Barcelona, Spain, I absolutely fell in love with La Sagrada Familia. This architectural masterpiece is still under construction, and it is anticipated that it will be finished to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Gaudi, the artist behind the Cathedral. La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous landmarks in Spain.
The Architecture of La Sagrada Familia
Gaudi planned 18 towers of La Sagrada Familia. The 12 lower towers represent the Apostles, the first followers of Christ. The 5 further towers represent the Evangelists (writers of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and Mary, mother of God. Ultimately, the tallest tower of La Sagrada Familia represents Jesus Christ himself at 172.5 metres high. When it is finished, this will make it one of the tallest religious buildings in the world.
The external design contains phenomenal sculptures representing the Passion of Christ. Look carefully for the Trial of Jesus, Peter’s denial and the death of Judas Iscariot.
Read the Attraction Review of La Sagrada Familia on TripAdvisor
Top Tips – La Sagrada Familia Barcelona
- Get there early, or at least in daylight hours. The most striking part of visiting La Sagrada Familia, for me, was the internal design, particularly due to the way that the stained glass windows project the colour inside the Basilica.
- Book your Ticket Online – you will avoid the wait times which can be up to 2 hours in the summer months, and you also avoid disappointment. (Book private tours with TripAdvisor).
- Watch out for Pickpockets and keep your valuables out of site and close to you. We saw someone get robbed of their mobile phone outside the Basilica, and sadly we were too far away to warn them of what was about to occur.
- You can go up the towers by foot or in the lift – enjoy the view.
Cost – La Sagrada Familia
The cost to enter La Sagrada Familia is β¬15 without a guide, or β¬19.50 with a guide. I didn’t make use of a guide β you can learn plenty from the signs and videos inside the Cathedral. There is the option of an audio guide also at β¬19.50, if you want a guided tour, but prefer to go at your own pace.
Religion and Denomination
Christian – Roman Catholic
How to Get There
It’s easy to find the Cathedral – simply take the Metro to Sagrada Familia and look behind you as you come up the stairs! It will take your breath away.
Don’t be alarmed if there is scaffolding for construction – as I mentioned, it is still being built!
Where to Stay in Barcelona
During our weekΒ in Barcelona, we stayed at Sweet Home Abroad, a rented city centre apartment. We had WIFI, dishwasher, washing machine and cooking facilities. The apartments was right next to the University, so we had a great location.
You might want to also explore accommodation options on the following sites…
Where to Stay in Barcelona according to Booking.com
Last Minute Deals on lastminute.com.
If you enjoyed this blog, and are travelling to Barcelona, you might also like to read about Catalan Architecture and Park Guell.