The Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s last work

When planning your trip to Barcelona, it’s impossible to ignore Gaudí’s masterpiece – the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (‘Holy Family’). Once you are in Barcelona, the Sagrada Família can be seen everywhere, from postcards and guide books to snow globes in souvenir shops, and it’s a monument that all Catalans are proud of. This Basilica is no hidden secret, but rather an imperative for anyone visiting the city.

We would like to give you an idea of its history and architecture, as well as offering you some practical advice for visiting the church. At the bottom of the article, you will find some important information such as opening times, and the official website. 

History

Although the Sagrada Familia is recognised as Antonio Gaudi’s masterpiece, he wasn’t the person responsible for placing the first stone, on 19 March 1882. This responsibility fell to the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, who was planning a smaller church than the one that was eventually constructed. Once sufficient funding for its construction was collected, work began in 1882 under Villar’s supervision. Very shortly, a disagreement arose with donators, and responsibility for construction was passed over to Antoni Gaudí, who at that time was 31 years old.

The original idea was that the church, dedicated to the Holy Family, would be entirely financed by donations. When Gaudí received a large donation from an anonymous source, he decided to transform the old neo-Gothic project into something more monumental and innovative as far as its shape and structure.

In 1914 Gaudí decided to dedicate himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia project, even installing small living-quarters within the building, so that he was always on hand. Tragically, on 7 June 1926, on his way to the building, he was run over by a tram, eventually dying three days later. All of the city dressed in mourning and the Pope agreed for Gaudí to be interred in the unfinished crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudí had planned for a construction period of 200 years for the church. However, he did not leave a complete construction blueprint, as he wanted to count on the opinion of future generations.

After his death, several different architects continued work on the monument. Since that time, construction work has never been suspended, even during the difficult times of the Civil War when plaster models to scale, drawings and plans of the building were lost and destroyed.

Design

The Sagrada Familia comprises five main naves and three transverses, forming a Latinate cross. The five main naves have a total length of 90 meters and the transverses of 60 metres. When construction finishes, there will be 18 towers with a height of between 90 and 170 metres – the latter being the highest tower on a church in the world. These towers are dedicated to the apostles, the evangelists, Mary and Jesus Christ.

The three entrances symbolise the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Love, and are symbolic of the lifetime of Christ. The Nativity Façade is dedicated to his birth, the Glory façade is dedicated to his glory period and the Passion façade is symbolic of his suffering.

During the later years of his life, Gaudí planned many areas of the building so that they could be built by other people in the future. He did so by combining geometrical forms, chosen for their formal, structural, luminous, acoustic and constructive qualities: hyperboloids, paraboloids, helicoids, conoids and ellipsoids – surfaces which are ruled, making construction easier.

Visits

Of course, you don’t need to wait until 2025 to visit this impressive building. I would recommend that you visit it as early in the morning as possible. The best bet is at 9 o’clock, when doors open, as queues tend to form very early.

The first thing you will see in the interior of the church is the huge scaffolding. This makes it difficult to take in the building full dimensions. You can also use an audio-guide, which, for €4 extra, will allow you to see many other details.

Upon looking upwards, you feel very small. The enormous pillars rise up like trees up to the rafters. These impressions are doubtlessly caused by the trunk like structures branching upwards towards the ceiling. This lends a very pleasant feeling of being enveloped in warm light when the sun shines through the stained-glass windows.

You can also visit the tower for a small extra cost of €4.50, which is definitely worth it. A lift will take you to the top as going up by foot is prohibited but you are however allowed to go down by taking the stairs.

Tips

We would strongly recommend buying your ticket in advance, unless you happen to enjoy spending hours queueing! You can do this at the ticket office there or even better, book online.

If you haven’t booked in advance, make sure you arrive as early as you can, as early as 9am would be advisable on weekends to beat the crowds.

Invest in an audio guide to get the most out of your visit and hear lots of little details. They are available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.

Visit the museum before you leave, located in the basement on the Passion façade. There’s a whole host of exhibitions – including photos from all stages of its construction, original designs and sketches, models of the church and information regarding the architects and craftsmen, past and present.

Address

Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family)

C. Mallorca, 401

08013 Barcelona

(The entrance is on the Passion Façade – Sardenya Street.)

Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat (in Spanish and English)

How to get here

Metro: L2 or L5 Sagrada Familia

Opening times:

From October to March: from 09.00 to 18.00

From April to September: from 09.00 to 20.00

25th and 26th December, 1st and 6th December: from 09.00 to14.00

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Park Güell is synonymous with Barcelona and it’s no surprise it’s one of the top five tourist attractions in the city. Not only does it offer stunning panoramic views, fantastical architecture and beautiful gardens, but you can also discover the house of the great man himself in the grounds of the park.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The dream-like exuberance of Gaudí’s imagination remains breathtaking to this day and as you stroll around you can’t help but admire how skilfully he integrated his work into the landscape. His usual imposing style can be seen throughout the park – bright colours, unusual architectural forms, influences from nature that include natural shapes and curves.

The grounds of the park are pretty big and it can be bit overwhelming on arrival. To make life a little easier, check out our guide on what to see and do during a visit.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The history of Park Güell

Built from 1900 to 1914, the Gaudí Park is situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. Park Güell is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called ‘Works of Antoni Gaudí’ along with his other masterpieces such as the Sagrada Família and La Pedrera.

The park was originally commissioned by the Catalan entrepreneur Eusebi Guëll, who wanted around 60 houses built in the style of English garden cities for the wealthy of Barcelona to enjoy. (The English influence can also be seen in the anglicised spelling of ‘park’.)

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Work on Park Güell was interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1914 but the idea of a housing estate never really took off due the park’s distance from the city centre. So in 1922 the unfinished estate became the property of the city of Barcelona and is still open to the public today as a municipal park.

Things to see in Park Güell

The two gatehouses – these Hansel and Gretel-like gingerbread houses are what greet visitors who have made the climb to the Gaudí Park. They flank the park entrance and are famous for their fantastical roofs and mushroom-shaped domes with colourful tiling work. Originally there were two, life-size mechanical gazelles at the entrance of Park Güell, but they were unfortunately destroyed during the Civil War.

The staircase - for some, the stairs themselves will not be an attraction but it’s the beautiful fountains on the way up that you should take a look at. The infamous salamander or drac is one of them and like a lot of the Park, it’s decorated in broken ceramics and glass in a mosaic style known as trencadís. It’s one of the most popular photo spots in the whole park and you often have to queue for a quick snap.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Room of 100 Columns’ – 100 Doric columns hold up the square above and provide a shady pavilion from the summer heat. If you look to the ceiling you’ll find numerous coves, elaborated with religious, mythological and astrological symbols.

The serpentine bench – this beautiful tiled bench surrounds the viewing terrace or main square and is supposedly the longest bench in the world. It’s a great place to sit back, relax and admire the spectacular view of the city and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. The benches themselves are covered in an array of unique mosaics, delicately created by Gaudí’s assistant Josep Maria Jujol.

Gaudí museum – the Museum, otherwise known as Casa Museu Gaudí, can also be found in the grounds of Park Güell. It was his home between 1906 and 1926 and today it’s open to the public for a small fee. Among the artefacts inside are furniture and mirrors from the other Gaudí buildings such as Casa Batlló, the Pedrera and Palau Güell, as well as the artist’s wardrobe, bed and personal possessions.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The peak – the stone cross at the top of Park Güell marks its highest point and it’s here that you’ll find extraordinary panoramic views of the city. On a sunny day you can spot the majority of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks – Sagrada Familia, Agbar Tower, Camp Nou and of course the Mediterranean Sea. It is an unforgettable sight and the perfect way to start or finish a trip to Park Güell.

How to get to Park Güell

You wouldn’t get the spectacular vistas you do in Park Güell without its hill-top location, but it’s this hill-top location that makes getting to it a little tricky at times, especially on a hot day! The main Park Güell metro stop is Lesseps however it involves a 20-minute uphill walk to the entrance of the Gaudí Park. A top tip is to go one stop further on the metro to Vallcarca, catch the escalators up to the cross at the park’s highest point and then head down into the park. You will essentially see the Park in reverse and end up leaving through the entrance but it does mean you walk down the hills instead of up!

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Another option which is great if you are sightseeing with children or the elderly is to take the bus. Bus No. 24 drops you directly outside Park Güell’s entrance and goes from Plaça Catalunya and Poble Sec, while bus No. 92 does the same but goes from Glòries & Port Olympic. Other buses that will drop you nearby are 31, 32, H6 and 112.

Park Güell opening hours

January to March – 10:00 to 18:00

April – 10:00 to 20:00

May to September – 10:00 to 21:00

October – 10:00 to 20:00

November – 10:00 to 19:00

December – 10:00 to 18:00

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Park Güell prices

From october 2013, Park Güell entrance has a cost. 

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

We all love a laid-back Sunday but if you’ve only got a few days in Barcelona, you want to make the most of your time. The trouble is that many locals here will be enjoying a relaxing day themselves, meaning that many doors across the city are firmly shut.

The good news is that Barcelona isn’t completely closed, and if you plan ahead, there are loads of options to make the most of your day.

Beast of a brunch

If you’re going to make the most of your Sunday, you need to get off to a good start. The popular ‘Recovery Menu’ at Milk is a great choice and aptly named for that Sunday morning hangover cure. Their menu offers all sorts of tasty breakfast treats, from pancakes, cereals and Greek yoghurt to eggs benedict and a full-on fry up.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Tour the city

Bornbike Barcelona offers a range of different bike tours including a Gothic to Modernisme tour, beach tour, tapas tour (yes, that’s right, tapas by bike!) and a cycle around the hilly Montjuïc. Or you can request a tailor-made tour to suit your interests (and fitness levels!).

If you don’t fancy biking it, walking around Barcelona will take up a nice-sized chunk of your Sunday. Head to Plaça Catalunya, the Cathedral, Gothic Quarter, Montjüic, the Olympic Stadium and el Poble Espanyol.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

If you really are determined to embrace the laziness of Sunday, you can do your sightseeing on a bus. Barcelona City Tour has two routes which stop at all the most exciting points of the city and run all day long, allowing you to hop on and off where and when you please.

Get your Gaudí on

Luckily for art and architecture fans, all of Gaudí’s sites are open on a Sunday. Wander around Park Güell at your leisure, gape in awe at the Sagrada Familia and explore the fascinating rooms at Casa Batlló.

Museums

The city’s museums definitely don’t close their doors on a Sunday. Do check opening times, though, as some close earlier than usual (around 3pm is the norm).

If you’re lucky enough to be in the city on the first Sunday of the month, take full advantage of free museums day and hit up a few before they close mid-afternoon.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Visit Camp Nou with its football museum, Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture (CCCB) to see a range of different art exhibitions, the charming Picasso Museum, the Cosmo Caixa science museum or maybe even the surprisingly informative Chocolate Museum.

Take a stroll

There’s nothing like a good stroll on a Sunday to walk off that big lunch you’ve just enjoyed. Take your time wandering around the gardens of Montjuïc or jump on the funicular train up to Tibidabo for amazing views over Barcelona. Alternatively, you could rent a bike and go exploring. There are always interesting activities in Barcelona and Sunday may be a good day to try something a little different. There are tons of groups that organise walks, fun classes and other activites that are often free or very cheap and it gives you a chance to meet the locals and see another side to the city.

Bask on the beach

Barcelona has a great offering of beaches and Sunday is a great day to kick back, relax and enjoy a good book with a view of the city’s coastline. Barceloneta is where it’s happening with all the beach bars and restaurants that line the beach walk but if you want something more tranquil, head up a bit further to Nova Mar Bella.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Catch some Catalan culture

Sardana by ZypresseIf you find yourself in the Gothic Quarter around midday, look out for the locals dancing the traditional Catalan Sardana dance outside the cathedral. There’s a joyful atmosphere with music and laughter – don’t be shy to join in!

In Plaça de Sant Josep you’ll find a small art market where Catalan artists of varying styles set up their easels under the shadow of the church. If you like art, or just fancy browsing, it’s a pleasant spot.

If a hearty paella is the order of the day, the best places can be found along Barcelona’s sea front promenade and the popular-with-locals Passeig de Joan de Borbo, faces the old port. Many restaurants here will tout for business but follow the crowds and sound of Catalan chatter and you won’t go far wrong.

Carry on the party

If you’re here to party, why stop for Sunday? Row 14, a club just outside of Barcelona, has summer parties every Sunday which start in the afternoon and continue well into the night. You can get there easily on a bus provided by the club which leaves from Plaça Catalunya.

So, as you can see, there is no excuse to wasting your Sunday away in Barcelona. If you want to take it easy, sure you can but if you are raring to go…GO!

The Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s last work

When planning your trip to Barcelona, it’s impossible to ignore Gaudí’s masterpiece – the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (‘Holy Family’). Once you are in Barcelona, the Sagrada Família can be seen everywhere, from postcards and guide books to snow globes in souvenir shops, and it’s a monument that all Catalans are proud of. This Basilica is no hidden secret, but rather an imperative for anyone visiting the city.

We would like to give you an idea of its history and architecture, as well as offering you some practical advice for visiting the church. At the bottom of the article, you will find some important information such as opening times, and the official website. 

History

Although the Sagrada Familia is recognised as Antonio Gaudi’s masterpiece, he wasn’t the person responsible for placing the first stone, on 19 March 1882. This responsibility fell to the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, who was planning a smaller church than the one that was eventually constructed. Once sufficient funding for its construction was collected, work began in 1882 under Villar’s supervision. Very shortly, a disagreement arose with donators, and responsibility for construction was passed over to Antoni Gaudí, who at that time was 31 years old.

The original idea was that the church, dedicated to the Holy Family, would be entirely financed by donations. When Gaudí received a large donation from an anonymous source, he decided to transform the old neo-Gothic project into something more monumental and innovative as far as its shape and structure.

In 1914 Gaudí decided to dedicate himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia project, even installing small living-quarters within the building, so that he was always on hand. Tragically, on 7 June 1926, on his way to the building, he was run over by a tram, eventually dying three days later. All of the city dressed in mourning and the Pope agreed for Gaudí to be interred in the unfinished crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudí had planned for a construction period of 200 years for the church. However, he did not leave a complete construction blueprint, as he wanted to count on the opinion of future generations.

After his death, several different architects continued work on the monument. Since that time, construction work has never been suspended, even during the difficult times of the Civil War when plaster models to scale, drawings and plans of the building were lost and destroyed.

Design

The Sagrada Familia comprises five main naves and three transverses, forming a Latinate cross. The five main naves have a total length of 90 meters and the transverses of 60 metres. When construction finishes, there will be 18 towers with a height of between 90 and 170 metres – the latter being the highest tower on a church in the world. These towers are dedicated to the apostles, the evangelists, Mary and Jesus Christ.

The three entrances symbolise the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Love, and are symbolic of the lifetime of Christ. The Nativity Façade is dedicated to his birth, the Glory façade is dedicated to his glory period and the Passion façade is symbolic of his suffering.

During the later years of his life, Gaudí planned many areas of the building so that they could be built by other people in the future. He did so by combining geometrical forms, chosen for their formal, structural, luminous, acoustic and constructive qualities: hyperboloids, paraboloids, helicoids, conoids and ellipsoids – surfaces which are ruled, making construction easier.

Visits

Of course, you don’t need to wait until 2025 to visit this impressive building. I would recommend that you visit it as early in the morning as possible. The best bet is at 9 o’clock, when doors open, as queues tend to form very early.

The first thing you will see in the interior of the church is the huge scaffolding. This makes it difficult to take in the building full dimensions. You can also use an audio-guide, which, for €4 extra, will allow you to see many other details.

Upon looking upwards, you feel very small. The enormous pillars rise up like trees up to the rafters. These impressions are doubtlessly caused by the trunk like structures branching upwards towards the ceiling. This lends a very pleasant feeling of being enveloped in warm light when the sun shines through the stained-glass windows.

You can also visit the tower for a small extra cost of €4.50, which is definitely worth it. A lift will take you to the top as going up by foot is prohibited but you are however allowed to go down by taking the stairs.

Tips

We would strongly recommend buying your ticket in advance, unless you happen to enjoy spending hours queueing! You can do this at the ticket office there or even better, book online.

If you haven’t booked in advance, make sure you arrive as early as you can, as early as 9am would be advisable on weekends to beat the crowds.

Invest in an audio guide to get the most out of your visit and hear lots of little details. They are available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.

Visit the museum before you leave, located in the basement on the Passion façade. There’s a whole host of exhibitions – including photos from all stages of its construction, original designs and sketches, models of the church and information regarding the architects and craftsmen, past and present.

Address

Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family)

C. Mallorca, 401

08013 Barcelona

(The entrance is on the Passion Façade – Sardenya Street.)

Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat (in Spanish and English)

How to get here

Metro: L2 or L5 Sagrada Familia

Opening times:

From October to March: from 09.00 to 18.00

From April to September: from 09.00 to 20.00

25th and 26th December, 1st and 6th December: from 09.00 to14.00

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Park Güell is synonymous with Barcelona and it’s no surprise it’s one of the top five tourist attractions in the city. Not only does it offer stunning panoramic views, fantastical architecture and beautiful gardens, but you can also discover the house of the great man himself in the grounds of the park.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The dream-like exuberance of Gaudí’s imagination remains breathtaking to this day and as you stroll around you can’t help but admire how skilfully he integrated his work into the landscape. His usual imposing style can be seen throughout the park – bright colours, unusual architectural forms, influences from nature that include natural shapes and curves.

The grounds of the park are pretty big and it can be bit overwhelming on arrival. To make life a little easier, check out our guide on what to see and do during a visit.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The history of Park Güell

Built from 1900 to 1914, the Gaudí Park is situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. Park Güell is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called ‘Works of Antoni Gaudí’ along with his other masterpieces such as the Sagrada Família and La Pedrera.

The park was originally commissioned by the Catalan entrepreneur Eusebi Guëll, who wanted around 60 houses built in the style of English garden cities for the wealthy of Barcelona to enjoy. (The English influence can also be seen in the anglicised spelling of ‘park’.)

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Work on Park Güell was interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1914 but the idea of a housing estate never really took off due the park’s distance from the city centre. So in 1922 the unfinished estate became the property of the city of Barcelona and is still open to the public today as a municipal park.

Things to see in Park Güell

The two gatehouses – these Hansel and Gretel-like gingerbread houses are what greet visitors who have made the climb to the Gaudí Park. They flank the park entrance and are famous for their fantastical roofs and mushroom-shaped domes with colourful tiling work. Originally there were two, life-size mechanical gazelles at the entrance of Park Güell, but they were unfortunately destroyed during the Civil War.

The staircase - for some, the stairs themselves will not be an attraction but it’s the beautiful fountains on the way up that you should take a look at. The infamous salamander or drac is one of them and like a lot of the Park, it’s decorated in broken ceramics and glass in a mosaic style known as trencadís. It’s one of the most popular photo spots in the whole park and you often have to queue for a quick snap.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Room of 100 Columns’ – 100 Doric columns hold up the square above and provide a shady pavilion from the summer heat. If you look to the ceiling you’ll find numerous coves, elaborated with religious, mythological and astrological symbols.

The serpentine bench – this beautiful tiled bench surrounds the viewing terrace or main square and is supposedly the longest bench in the world. It’s a great place to sit back, relax and admire the spectacular view of the city and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. The benches themselves are covered in an array of unique mosaics, delicately created by Gaudí’s assistant Josep Maria Jujol.

Gaudí museum – the Museum, otherwise known as Casa Museu Gaudí, can also be found in the grounds of Park Güell. It was his home between 1906 and 1926 and today it’s open to the public for a small fee. Among the artefacts inside are furniture and mirrors from the other Gaudí buildings such as Casa Batlló, the Pedrera and Palau Güell, as well as the artist’s wardrobe, bed and personal possessions.

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

The peak – the stone cross at the top of Park Güell marks its highest point and it’s here that you’ll find extraordinary panoramic views of the city. On a sunny day you can spot the majority of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks – Sagrada Familia, Agbar Tower, Camp Nou and of course the Mediterranean Sea. It is an unforgettable sight and the perfect way to start or finish a trip to Park Güell.

How to get to Park Güell

You wouldn’t get the spectacular vistas you do in Park Güell without its hill-top location, but it’s this hill-top location that makes getting to it a little tricky at times, especially on a hot day! The main Park Güell metro stop is Lesseps however it involves a 20-minute uphill walk to the entrance of the Gaudí Park. A top tip is to go one stop further on the metro to Vallcarca, catch the escalators up to the cross at the park’s highest point and then head down into the park. You will essentially see the Park in reverse and end up leaving through the entrance but it does mean you walk down the hills instead of up!

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Another option which is great if you are sightseeing with children or the elderly is to take the bus. Bus No. 24 drops you directly outside Park Güell’s entrance and goes from Plaça Catalunya and Poble Sec, while bus No. 92 does the same but goes from Glòries & Port Olympic. Other buses that will drop you nearby are 31, 32, H6 and 112.

Park Güell opening hours

January to March – 10:00 to 18:00

April – 10:00 to 20:00

May to September – 10:00 to 21:00

October – 10:00 to 20:00

November – 10:00 to 19:00

December – 10:00 to 18:00

Park Güell – Gaudí’s playground

Park Güell prices

From october 2013, Park Güell entrance has a cost. 

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

We all love a laid-back Sunday but if you’ve only got a few days in Barcelona, you want to make the most of your time. The trouble is that many locals here will be enjoying a relaxing day themselves, meaning that many doors across the city are firmly shut.

The good news is that Barcelona isn’t completely closed, and if you plan ahead, there are loads of options to make the most of your day.

Beast of a brunch

If you’re going to make the most of your Sunday, you need to get off to a good start. The popular ‘Recovery Menu’ at Milk is a great choice and aptly named for that Sunday morning hangover cure. Their menu offers all sorts of tasty breakfast treats, from pancakes, cereals and Greek yoghurt to eggs benedict and a full-on fry up.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Tour the city

Bornbike Barcelona offers a range of different bike tours including a Gothic to Modernisme tour, beach tour, tapas tour (yes, that’s right, tapas by bike!) and a cycle around the hilly Montjuïc. Or you can request a tailor-made tour to suit your interests (and fitness levels!).

If you don’t fancy biking it, walking around Barcelona will take up a nice-sized chunk of your Sunday. Head to Plaça Catalunya, the Cathedral, Gothic Quarter, Montjüic, the Olympic Stadium and el Poble Espanyol.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

If you really are determined to embrace the laziness of Sunday, you can do your sightseeing on a bus. Barcelona City Tour has two routes which stop at all the most exciting points of the city and run all day long, allowing you to hop on and off where and when you please.

Get your Gaudí on

Luckily for art and architecture fans, all of Gaudí’s sites are open on a Sunday. Wander around Park Güell at your leisure, gape in awe at the Sagrada Familia and explore the fascinating rooms at Casa Batlló.

Museums

The city’s museums definitely don’t close their doors on a Sunday. Do check opening times, though, as some close earlier than usual (around 3pm is the norm).

If you’re lucky enough to be in the city on the first Sunday of the month, take full advantage of free museums day and hit up a few before they close mid-afternoon.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Visit Camp Nou with its football museum, Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture (CCCB) to see a range of different art exhibitions, the charming Picasso Museum, the Cosmo Caixa science museum or maybe even the surprisingly informative Chocolate Museum.

Take a stroll

There’s nothing like a good stroll on a Sunday to walk off that big lunch you’ve just enjoyed. Take your time wandering around the gardens of Montjuïc or jump on the funicular train up to Tibidabo for amazing views over Barcelona. Alternatively, you could rent a bike and go exploring. There are always interesting activities in Barcelona and Sunday may be a good day to try something a little different. There are tons of groups that organise walks, fun classes and other activites that are often free or very cheap and it gives you a chance to meet the locals and see another side to the city.

Bask on the beach

Barcelona has a great offering of beaches and Sunday is a great day to kick back, relax and enjoy a good book with a view of the city’s coastline. Barceloneta is where it’s happening with all the beach bars and restaurants that line the beach walk but if you want something more tranquil, head up a bit further to Nova Mar Bella.

Your not-so-lazy Sunday in Barcelona

Catch some Catalan culture

Sardana by ZypresseIf you find yourself in the Gothic Quarter around midday, look out for the locals dancing the traditional Catalan Sardana dance outside the cathedral. There’s a joyful atmosphere with music and laughter – don’t be shy to join in!

In Plaça de Sant Josep you’ll find a small art market where Catalan artists of varying styles set up their easels under the shadow of the church. If you like art, or just fancy browsing, it’s a pleasant spot.

If a hearty paella is the order of the day, the best places can be found along Barcelona’s sea front promenade and the popular-with-locals Passeig de Joan de Borbo, faces the old port. Many restaurants here will tout for business but follow the crowds and sound of Catalan chatter and you won’t go far wrong.

Carry on the party

If you’re here to party, why stop for Sunday? Row 14, a club just outside of Barcelona, has summer parties every Sunday which start in the afternoon and continue well into the night. You can get there easily on a bus provided by the club which leaves from Plaça Catalunya.

So, as you can see, there is no excuse to wasting your Sunday away in Barcelona. If you want to take it easy, sure you can but if you are raring to go…GO!

The Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s last work

When planning your trip to Barcelona, it’s impossible to ignore Gaudí’s masterpiece – the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (‘Holy Family’). Once you are in Barcelona, the Sagrada Família can be seen everywhere, from postcards and guide books to snow globes in souvenir shops, and it’s a monument that all Catalans are proud of. This Basilica is no hidden secret, but rather an imperative for anyone visiting the city.

We would like to give you an idea of its history and architecture, as well as offering you some practical advice for visiting the church. At the bottom of the article, you will find some important information such as opening times, and the official website. 

History

Although the Sagrada Familia is recognised as Antonio Gaudi’s masterpiece, he wasn’t the person responsible for placing the first stone, on 19 March 1882. This responsibility fell to the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, who was planning a smaller church than the one that was eventually constructed. Once sufficient funding for its construction was collected, work began in 1882 under Villar’s supervision. Very shortly, a disagreement arose with donators, and responsibility for construction was passed over to Antoni Gaudí, who at that time was 31 years old.

The original idea was that the church, dedicated to the Holy Family, would be entirely financed by donations. When Gaudí received a large donation from an anonymous source, he decided to transform the old neo-Gothic project into something more monumental and innovative as far as its shape and structure.

In 1914 Gaudí decided to dedicate himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia project, even installing small living-quarters within the building, so that he was always on hand. Tragically, on 7 June 1926, on his way to the building, he was run over by a tram, eventually dying three days later. All of the city dressed in mourning and the Pope agreed for Gaudí to be interred in the unfinished crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudí had planned for a construction period of 200 years for the church. However, he did not leave a complete construction blueprint, as he wanted to count on the opinion of future generations.

After his death, several different architects continued work on the monument. Since that time, construction work has never been suspended, even during the difficult times of the Civil War when plaster models to scale, drawings and plans of the building were lost and destroyed.

Design

The Sagrada Familia comprises five main naves and three transverses, forming a Latinate cross. The five main naves have a total length of 90 meters and the transverses of 60 metres. When construction finishes, there will be 18 towers with a height of between 90 and 170 metres – the latter being the highest tower on a church in the world. These towers are dedicated to the apostles, the evangelists, Mary and Jesus Christ.

The three entrances symbolise the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Love, and are symbolic of the lifetime of Christ. The Nativity Façade is dedicated to his birth, the Glory façade is dedicated to his glory period and the Passion façade is symbolic of his suffering.

During the later years of his life, Gaudí planned many areas of the building so that they could be built by other people in the future. He did so by combining geometrical forms, chosen for their formal, structural, luminous, acoustic and constructive qualities: hyperboloids, paraboloids, helicoids, conoids and ellipsoids – surfaces which are ruled, making construction easier.

Visits

Of course, you don’t need to wait until 2025 to visit this impressive building. I would recommend that you visit it as early in the morning as possible. The best bet is at 9 o’clock, when doors open, as queues tend to form very early.

The first thing you will see in the interior of the church is the huge scaffolding. This makes it difficult to take in the building full dimensions. You can also use an audio-guide, which, for €4 extra, will allow you to see many other details.

Upon looking upwards, you feel very small. The enormous pillars rise up like trees up to the rafters. These impressions are doubtlessly caused by the trunk like structures branching upwards towards the ceiling. This lends a very pleasant feeling of being enveloped in warm light when the sun shines through the stained-glass windows.

You can also visit the tower for a small extra cost of €4.50, which is definitely worth it. A lift will take you to the top as going up by foot is prohibited but you are however allowed to go down by taking the stairs.

Tips

We would strongly recommend buying your ticket in advance, unless you happen to enjoy spending hours queueing! You can do this at the ticket office there or even better, book online.

If you haven’t booked in advance, make sure you arrive as early as you can, as early as 9am would be advisable on weekends to beat the crowds.

Invest in an audio guide to get the most out of your visit and hear lots of little details. They are available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.

Visit the museum before you leave, located in the basement on the Passion façade. There’s a whole host of exhibitions – including photos from all stages of its construction, original designs and sketches, models of the church and information regarding the architects and craftsmen, past and present.

Address

Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family)

C. Mallorca, 401

08013 Barcelona

(The entrance is on the Passion Façade – Sardenya Street.)

Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat (in Spanish and English)

How to get here

Metro: L2 or L5 Sagrada Familia

Opening times:

From October to March: from 09.00 to 18.00

From April to September: from 09.00 to 20.00

25th and 26th December, 1st and 6th December: from 09.00 to14.00