Tips about seeing Gaudi’s Masterpiece:
La Sagrada Familia is the masterpiece of famed architect and Barcelona God Antoni Gaudi and symbol of the city. One day soon La Sagrada Familia may be to Barcelona what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, an iconic landmark. It is already the most visited site in Spain and it is not even completed yet! When I first visited the church 17 years ago, it was most definitely a work in progress. The towers were done as was the museum in the crypt space. But the sanctuary itself resembled a stage set weeks before a play was to be performed. The towers afforded a nice view of the city, but frankly it was a construction zone. I was very much looking forward to seeing it this Spring, 17 years later, and after it had been consecrated by the Vatican. What a different experience!
My cousin purchased somewhat expensive tickets online weeks beforehand. We were aware that the church had become a hot ticket in Barcelona so we wanted to make sure we saw it without having to wait hours in line. On the ticket we were assigned a specific appointment time and told to arrive early.
We arrived over an hour early and I must say seeing the Church from the green across the street is awe-inspiring. The flowering trees lend an even more dramatic flair to a very severely dramatic building. However we were soon overwhelmed by something Gaudi did not create, TOURIST crowds. The lines were everywhere and I am still not sure what they were all for. We ended up waiting on an Information line because we did not know where we were supposed to be. Once we were instructed where to go we decided to get a respite from the crowds and get a bite to eat. Mistake. When going to see La Sagrada Familia make sure you eat in a nice neighborhood beforehand. The only places to eat anywhere remotely close to the church are all tourist traps. We could not find one authentic place around. We picked one that seemed passable, but we were wrong. Low quality tourist fare. I wondered if that would ever be allowed near the Eiffel Tower? I suspect proud Parisians would never permit that! Anyway, after our sad meal of which we never spoke about again, we waited on line for the entrance where we were told to come back 15 minutes before entry time. So don’t bother coming early as suggested! I would suggest getting there 1/2 hour early, get your bearings, take some outside shots of the impressive edifice and then head straight to the line. Why wait among the crowds in the hot sun as we did? Before entering you will pass through airport-like security, but unfortunately that is the world we live in.
Once inside two things immediately struck me: How different the place looked from 17 years ago. The inside was awash in bright colors from the windows. Simply breathtaking. The nature-inspired architecture of the nave and the whimsy of it all was amazing. However, that is when the second thing struck me. It simply did not feel like a holy place. Maybe it was the crowds of people snapping photos of every inch (I’m not innocent either), maybe Gaudi’s over-the-top style is not conducive to prayer. How can one serenely ponder Heaven with all that Gaudi is overloading your senses with? It was almost like a secular Baroqueness. In Baroque churches you are hit with gaudy images from the Bible. In La Sagrada Familia you are hit with Gaudi images of light and nature. In any case it might be worthwhile for Barcelona to seek some advice from the Vatican on how a place can retain the feeling of sanctity in spite of the massive amount of tourists. To be fair the attendants in the church try their best in the losing battle to remind people that they are in a sacred space. Without a cape and superpowers though they had no chance.
The visit up the tower was disappointing. We took an express elevator up to the top. Then walked down to a viewpoint that was pretty narrow and honestly did not give a great view. I remembered a better view last time. This part is not for the faint of heart since you do not descend back on the elevator, but through a narrow twisting stairway where you can see all the way down. I’m scared of heights and slightly claustrophobic so I nearly died. What was worse was the selfie-obsessed couple in front of me stopping to take selfies every few flights. It all looked the same, dark, so what were they trying to capture except the terror on my face?! When I arrived back on the ground I found fellow survivors of the journey who felt as I did and then waited for my cousin, who was worried about my sanity, knowing I fear heights. We then made our way through the nice but expensive gift shop and down to the adjacent metro station for the next part of our Gaudi journey: Parc Guell.
This brings up another point. By all means take the Metro. The station is literally right there and I cannot even begin to imagine where one would park! La Sagrada Familia is an outstanding example of fantastical architecture that everyone who visits Barcelona needs to see. It is still a construction zone and I am curious as to what the finished product will look like. Hopefully this will help those to better plan so that they can get the most out of this very touristy experience. By the way, I did find a place for a quick prayer, which was good because afterwards is when I went up that Tower… it might have been my final one!
