Sagrada Família, Barcelona

About the Sagrada Família

Its full name is the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family. Work started in 1882 to another architect's design, and a year later the young Antoni Gaudí took charge. He reimagined the whole project and devoted more than forty years to it, making it his life's work.

The church is funded only by donations and ticket sales, which is why it has been under construction for well over a century. The design has 18 spires: twelve for the apostles, four for the evangelists, one for the Virgin Mary and the tallest, the Tower of Jesus Christ, at 172.5 metres. It was consecrated as a minor basilica in 2010, and the Nativity façade and crypt are UNESCO-listed among the Works of Antoni Gaudí.

The façades: Nativity, Passion and Glory

The church has three façades, each telling its own story. The Nativity façade on the east side was built in Gaudí's lifetime: the stone seems to melt, sprouting flowers, birds and figures, and the scenes of Christ's birth read from the bottom up. It's the most organic part of the building and rewards a long look.

The Passion façade to the west is completely different: stark and angular, with Josep Maria Subirachs's severe sculptures of Christ's final days. The main Glory façade on the south side is still being built and will become the basilica's grand entrance. You can see all of them for free by walking around the block.

What's inside the Sagrada Família

Inside, Gaudí designed a stone forest: the columns branch like trees to hold up vaults almost 45 metres high, their canopies meeting in a pattern of leaves. Light pours through stained glass, cool blues and greens on the east side and warm reds and oranges on the west.

The best times are the morning, when the sun lights the eastern windows, or late afternoon, when the whole nave glows orange. The museum in the crypt below has models, drawings and a workshop showing how Gaudí worked out his shapes using hanging weights and mirrors.

What to see in the basilica

• Nativity façade — stone flowers, birds and the birth of Christ.
• Passion façade — Subirachs's angular sculptures.
• Tree columns — the forest under the vaults.
• Stained glass — blue to the east, orange to the west.
• Museum — Gaudí's models, drawings and workshop.
• Towers — views over Barcelona and the sea.

Are the towers worth it?

You go up the towers by lift and come down on foot by a narrow spiral staircase. You choose one side: the Nativity towers look out over the city and the sea, the Passion towers towards the hills and Montjuïc. Up close you can see the mosaics, the stone fruit on the pinnacles and the new spires going up.

It's worth it if you like views and don't mind heights or tight stairs. Children under six aren't allowed, and the climb can close in bad weather or high wind, in which case the add-on is usually refunded. If you're short of time, the standard ticket is enough: the interior is the real highlight.

Tips for your visit

Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your slot, as there's an airport-style bag check. Shoulders must be covered, and short shorts and beachwear won't do, so bring a light scarf in hot weather. There's a multilingual audio guide you can download to your phone, so pack headphones.

The best overall view is from the pond in Plaça de Gaudí in front of the Nativity façade, where the spires reflect in the water, especially at sunset. Cafés around the basilica cater to tourists; you'll eat better and cheaper a couple of blocks away, deeper in the Eixample. From here it's an easy walk along Avinguda de Gaudí to the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista.

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How to do it right

• Book ahead on the official site.
• Cover your shoulders; no short shorts.
• Blue glass glows in the morning, orange in the evening.
• The best outside view is from the pond.

Questions