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Antoine Gaudí. Name ring a bell? Well, if you’re visiting Barcelona, it should be sounding alarms. Gaudí was a Catalan architect and arguably one of the most influential and prestigious ones to walk the earth. Although his work can be seen throughout Spain, most of them are located in Barcelona. His unmistakable, one-of-a-kind style was ahead of its time and so groundbreaking that it launched him into genius status and helped make Barcelona the stunning beauty that it is today.
People travel from all over the world to see Gaudi’s masterpieces. Barcelona is no doubt his city and he has peppered his gems from Casa Batlló to La Pedrera (Casa Milà). The most popular Gaudí structure is no doubt the Sagrada Família Church. A large Roman Catholic church that began construction in 1882, and is still in construction today. So yes, that means it’s been in construction for over a century. For those of you still working to pay off those student loans, that should make you feel better. *insert sigh of relief here*
Gaudí worked on the church until his dying day, in 1926, but he never worried about its completion. He was aware that such a work of art would take time. He even stated that he was sure that those coming after him would keep the spirit of his work alive. However, there are a few people who question this.
In 1936, arsonists destroyed the original plans for Sagrada Família during the Spanish Civil War. The continued construction of the church is from plans that were pieced together. The pieced-together-plans have sparked a raging debate as to whether Gaudí’s original intent for the building is being carried out. Hundreds of important members from Barcelona’s art community signed a manifesto highlighting inaccuracies in its current design. There’s also a debate on when it will be finished as it’s scheduled to be completed in 2026. There’s no doubt that this church is a hot topic and must-see for your trip to Barcelona. But before you go, here are 6 important things to keep in mind when visiting Sagrada Família.
Hey lady! Looking for more information on Barcelona? Check out these posts:
- 15 Crucial Things to Know About Barcelona Before Visiting
- Barcelona Travel Guide: 33 Fun Things to do in Barcelona
- 6 Amazing Barcelona Day Trips
1. Get Your Sagrada Familia Tickets in Advance
If you’re ready to feast your eyes on the beauty that is the Sagrada Família Church, you need to book your tickets in advance. I’m not kidding. It’s the most popular Gaudí structure in Barcelona which means it’s the hardest to get into. You can’t get inside without a ticket and there’s no option to buy the day of soooooo, if you don’t want to miss out on visiting Sagrada Família, buy your ticket in advance.
Here’s what will happen if you don’t do this: You will cry, then you will write me and tell me that you didn’t buy your ticket and couldn’t get inside, then I will be mad at you because you didn’t listen to me, and then there goes our relationship. Right out the window. And neither of us wants that to happen right? Plus, the only time you should be crying on a trip to Barcelona is when you’re crying happy tears while standing inside this church looking up at the stunning, holy work of art that Gaudí created.
Gaudí’s vision for the Cathedral was to have 18 towers. Twelve of those are devoted to the twelve disciples of Jesus while the other six are devoted to the four wise men, the virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ himself. Tower access is not included in the admission ticket so you need to buy it separately.
Basic tickets begin at €20 and you can buy them online here. The lines can pretty long so click here to book a live guided tour with a skip-the-line ticket. If you’re interested in visiting the towers, which you very well should be, click here. So now you will buy your ticket right? Well, finish getting all the low down on Gaudí in this post first and then you can buy it.
2. Visit Sagrada Família on a Sunny Day
I know it’s hard to predict the weather. A seven-day forecast is only 80% accurate but with technology these days, you can do your darndest to keep your eye out on the weather when you’re planning your trip to Barcelona.
I’m telling you this for two reasons. The first is that visiting Sagrada Família when it’s overcast and rainy isn’t all that great. Yes, it’s a masterpiece. Yes, it will be nice no matter what the weather is like. However, Gaudí and his crew designed the inside of the church to be filled with stained-glass windows that reflect and illuminate the texture, light, and color. The good news is, Barcelona doesn’t rain that often, and when it does, it’s usually a short, light rain.
I’ve been inside the church three times, twice it was raining and once it was sunny. And I’ll tell you, the rainy visits didn’t hold a candle to the one time I visited with clear, blue skies and sunshine. The second reason I’m telling you this is because, due to safety reasons, access to the towers close when it’s raining. They do issue refunds for tower tickets, but your eyes don’t get the joy of peering out the towers onto the views of the Sagrada Familía neighborhood.
3. Walk to Sagrada Família
When visiting Sagrada Famíilia, I highly encourage you to walk there. That’s if you’re staying anywhere in the city center of course. There are three major bus stops and two metro stops that will take you there, but there’s something epic about walking there. You can take in all of Barcelona as you’re walking there and the bonus is you’ll begin to see the church creeping out in the distance and that will drive your excitement. Barcelona is not a super huge city and it doesn’t take long to get from one end of the city to the other as it does in other major cities like London or New York. If you have extra time on your hands, grab your camera and enjoy the stroll to this breathtaking cathedral.
4. Don’t Ignore the outside of the Sagrada Família
When visiting Sagrada Família, most people have the tendency to skip the outside and go straight inside. That’s all good and great, but when you do that you really miss out on an enormous part of the design and story that Gaudí wanted to tell.
I get it, not everyone is into religion but one major thing to know about Gaudí is that he was. The interior and exterior are meant to complement each other. It’s like eating the chocolate cookie of the Orea and leaving the cream behind. You just don’t do things like that.
For instance, take time to look at the giant spires on the building that I talked about earlier. Or take some time to observe the three facades inspired by the life and death of Jesus. One for his birth, one for his death, and one for his glory.
If you need to take a tour to make the most of your visit or use the guided tour option here. Run to the Sagrada Família if you want but whatever you do, please don’t skip the narratives that are told on both the north and south side of the building.
5. Dress Conservatively, Yet Comfortably
Believe it or not, Sagrada Família has a dress code. While it’s not strictly enforced, the cathedral is still an active church and Catholics are big on dress codes. This one is up to you, I’m not here to tell you what to do nor am I saying to be covered from head to toe and become a nun overnight. But out of respect, you should try to stick to the dress code as much as you can.
Barcelona can get very hot and humid in the summer and I just advised you to walk to the church…so I completely get the urge to rock up in those cute short shorts and tank top as not to die of heat, but we all know there is a time and a place. You are not allowed to enter barefoot and see-through clothes, hats, swimwear, and exposed bellies are not allowed. To see the full dress code and list of rules, visit their website here.
6. Visit at Night
As someone who lived not too far from Sagrada Família, this one is my little secret. My absolute favorite time to visit the church is at night. Of course, you can’t go inside then, but there is something truly extraordinary about looking up at this awesome structure when few people are around and the streets are quieter than the afternoon rush. You can take as much time as you need to take in the building and its majestic glory and there aren’t a ton of tourists pushing past you.
Did you find these tips helpful? Drop a comment below and let me know which tip you will use when visiting Sagrada Família. Until next time!
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