Basilica de la Sagrada Familia
Your short (but sweet!) tour starts right by La Sagrada Família, where you’ll see the basilica in all of its majesty. Hear from your guide what work remains to be finished, then skip lines to get straight inside. You’ll enter via the Nativity Facade, which is the only one that Gaudí finished in his lifetime. During your tour your guide will help you to compare the different faces of the church, showing the different ways that Gaudí’s plans have been interpreted since his death -- and how plans changed during his life too. You’ll also learn about some of the controversies that have swirled around these interpretations. Stepping inside the Basilica, you’ll fully appreciate the singular genius of Gaudí. As you move between columns designed like trees with capitals forming the canopy of the ceiling, your guide will explain how Gaudí developed his style from both religious, natural, and uniquely Catalonian influences. You’ll also learn about Gaudi’s innovative use of light as you bask in the glow of the rainbow-colored stained-glass windows that fill the sanctuary with an otherworldly atmosphere. There’s no church in the world quite like the Sagrada Família and there was no architect quite like Gaudí. As you explore his crowning legacy, you’ll hear how this solitary genius came from a humble artisanal family and rose to the very heights of the Catalonian aristocracy through a combination of genius, know-how, friends in high places, and a nearly fanatical dedication to his religion. From his refusal to marry (or even have romantic relationships) to his death that nearly went unnoticed, you’ll learn all about the man whose vision created and continues to create this building. After a brief look at some of the highlights of the museum, your guide will give you some additional information about what else you can see, including further museum exhibits and Gaudí’s crypt. Both are easily accessible from the basilica and require no extra entrance fees. The museum in particular showcases the process by which Gaudí designed buildings with an utterly unique system of chains and mirrors that actually anticipated computer-driven design. Of all the ways to see the Sagrada Familia, this is the most affordable, easiest and most accessible; perfect for anyone who doesn’t have a huge amount of time in Barcelona but wants to do justice to its most impressive attraction.
Admission Included