La Sagrada Familia is large Roman Cathlic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Gaudi. Although still incomplete (construction began in 1882, it is hoped to completed by 2026!) , the church has been recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. Although there is a lot of controversy surrounding the building of La Sagrada Familia, (such as new construction materials being used which, some feel, Gaudí himself would not have used), it is definitely a must see on your trip to Barcelona!
As soon as we entered the Cathedral… we began to understand why it has taken so long to construct! The attention to detail is absolutely outstanding! We stood in fascination turning around in circles admiring every corner, every centimetre of the building! The glass windows are stained with every colour of the rainbow… and as the sun shone through them, it felt as though we really were somewhere magical!
There are multiple towers surrounding the actual cathedral itself… ..when completed, the highest tower will be more than half as high again as those that stand today! There is a separate tour you can do of these… which we decided to do! After locking our belongings into a locker, and hopping into a lift that looked like something going to space, we arrived on what felt like the top of the world! By far the best view of the entire city, we stood in silence watching what looked like miniature people below us! It was amazing!
Unfinished it may be, but it is definitely worth a visit! Infact it attracts around 2.8 million visitors a year and is the most visited monument in Spain! The most important recent tourist was Pope Benedict XVI, who consecrated the church in a huge ceremony in November 2010!
Opening hours:
- October – March: 09:00 – 18:00
- April – September: 09:00 – 20:00;
- 25 and 26 December,
- 01 January and 06 January: 09:00 – 14:00.
Tips:
- Be sure to have an appointment booked as unfortunately there are usually no walk in slots available!
- Take as many photos as you can to remember the beautiful architecture!
- Pay the extra €4.00 to go up to the round tower… it’s well worth it!
- Enjoy! 🙂
