# Sagrada Família, Barcelona > The Sagrada Família is Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece and Barcelona's most visited sight: work began in 1882 and is still going. Entry is by timed ticket, bought ahead on the official site, with a tower climb as an add-on. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for a visit; looking at the outside is free. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/sagrada-familia - City: [Barcelona](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona), Spain - YesGo score: 69/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 2 h - Opening hours: Daily, timed entry - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, timed ticket booked ahead - Towers: Lift up as a ticket add-on - Highlights: Nativity and Passion façades, the column forest, stained glass - Time needed: 1.5–2 hours - Dress code: Shoulders covered, no short shorts - Location: Eixample, Sagrada Família metro (L2, L5) - Coordinates: 41.40369, 2.17433 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1882** — construction began (source: English Wikipedia) - **1883** — Antoni Gaudí took over the project (source: English Wikipedia) - **18 spires** — in Gaudí's design (source: English Wikipedia) - **172.5 m** — planned height of the Tower of Jesus Christ (source: English Wikipedia) - **UNESCO** — the Nativity façade and crypt, as Works of Gaudí (source: UNESCO, no. 320) ## 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. > **Buying tickets** Tickets are sold on the basilica's official site for a set time slot, and in high season they go weeks ahead. There's barely any walk-up ticket desk left, so book in advance. The tower climb is an add-on to the same ticket, with limited places. ## 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. ## How to get to the Sagrada Família 1. Metro: **Sagrada Família** station on lines L2 (purple) and L5 (blue), with an exit right by the basilica. 2. From Plaça de Catalunya, 10 minutes by metro or a 30-minute walk through the Eixample. 3. From the airport, the Aerobús express to Plaça de Catalunya, then metro L5. 4. The entrance for ticket holders is on the Nativity side, on Carrer de la Marina. ## 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. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a timed ticket on the official site - [ ] Decide on a tower and pick a façade - [ ] Pack clothes that cover your shoulders - [ ] Download the audio guide and bring headphones - [ ] Take a photo from the pond in Plaça de Gaudí ## Places in Barcelona: compare and choose Places in Barcelona rated by YesGo. - [Sagrada Família](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/sagrada-familia) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid - [Barcelona Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/barcelona-cathedral) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 50 min · Paid by day - [Santa Maria del Mar](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/santa-maria-del-mar) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free in the morning - [Tibidabo](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/tibidabo) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Summit free - [Montserrat](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/montserrat) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 5 h · Basilica free ## A Gaudí day The Sagrada Família, Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. 1. [Sagrada Família](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/sagrada-familia) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid 2. [Casa Milà](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/casa-mila) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid 3. [Casa Batlló](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/casa-batllo) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Paid ## Don't mix it up The Sagrada Família isn't Barcelona's cathedral. The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia stands in the Gothic Quarter, a 30-minute walk away. ## Tips - 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 ### How long do you need at the Sagrada Família? 1.5 to 2 hours with the museum; about 2.5 hours with a tower. ### Where do I buy Sagrada Família tickets? On the basilica's official site, in advance, for a set time slot. ### Are the Sagrada Família towers worth it? Yes, if you like views and don't mind narrow stairs; not for under-sixes. ### When will the Sagrada Família be finished? Work is ongoing; some spires and the main Glory façade are still being built. ### How do I get to the Sagrada Família? By metro to Sagrada Família station on lines L2 and L5. ### Can you see the Sagrada Família for free? The outside, yes, from the surrounding streets; the inside needs a ticket. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia and UNESCO. Hours and prices weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - UNESCO: Works of Antoni Gaudí (no. 320) - English Wikipedia: Sagrada Família - Official site, sagradafamilia.org --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.