La Sagrada Familia - Gaudi's Unfinished Masterpiece

Like they said, a trip to Barcelona is definitely incomplete without visit any of Gaudi's masterpiece of architecture. So we went and visit Gaudi's awe-inspiring park, Park Guell on the second day, how about on the third day? 

Luckily on the third in Barcelona, we don't have to wake up pretty early like we did on the day before cause one of the Spain's landmark monuments that we intend to visit will open to public at 9am onwards. And the one I mentioned is none other than the impressive enormous unfinished Roman Catholic church, La Sagrada Familia. 

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Do you know that La Sagrada Familia has been under construction for more than 130 years and yet, it's still on-going project even today? It's expected to be completed in 2026 marks the 100 year centenary of the death of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi in 1926. When the church is finished, it will be 144 years after the first stone was laid. 

#2: The main entrance of Sagrada Familia 

Since Sagrada Familia is the most visited tourist attraction and there are about thousand of visitors queue up to enter this church everyday, hence it's advisable to book Sagrada Familia tickets in advance online. I got my tickets from here where I got to choose my preferred day and time. I picked to access the church at 9am - that's the earliest time and by 8.30am, we were in the line with the rest of the visitors getting ready to enter. But before we admit inside, there's a security control like where we need to scan our bags, personal belongings and including ourselves which similar to those in airports. 

#3: Exquisitely stained glass windows

We bought the ticket without any audio guide and guided tour which we explore and enjoy at our pace and admire the exquisitely stained glass windows as well as the unique vaulted ceiling and pillars of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. There's a ticket where you access up to the Passion facade tower but since we didn't include in our tickets, we can only marvel the grounds. 

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#9: One last shot before kissing goodbye

Tips and Notes Before Heading to La Sagrada Familia:

1) The best time to visit would be in the early morning which between 9am to 10am as the crowd is at its least. 

2) In the case you unable to make in the early morning, try to avoid going between 12pm to 3pm cause these times tend to be the most crowded hours especially with the big tourist groups which coming during these hours. Hence, avoid these 3 hours at all costs.
3) Since it's a religious monument, be respectful by dress appropriately.

HOW TO GET TO LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

The best way to reach here by taking metro. The metro station right across the stree from Basilica has stops for Line 2 (Purple) and Line 5 (Blue) metro lines.

La Sagrada Familia opens at 9am everyday but the closing time differ throughout the year. During the winter time, it will close earlier than during the summer, and you should check for it in advance.

Previous Posts on My UK & Europe Trip - October 2018

• Autumn in UK & Europe (Sneak Peek)
• A Repeat Trip To London With Oman Air
• 2 Days in Porto, Portugal
• Keep Safe & Stay Vigilant When Visiting Lisbon, Portugal
• Pena Palace of Sintra, Portugal
• Adeus Lisbon and Hola Barcelona!
• Park Guell - Gaudi's Iconic Park in Barcelona