A La Sagrada Familia holiday in Barcelona will leave you gasping with wonder. Book a Barcelona hotel near La Sagrada Familia and pay a visit to Gaudí’s curious unfinished church.La Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s defining landmark – but it isn’t even finished. Conceived over 100 years ago, Gaudí’s massively ambitious designs have still not been completely realised; building work will continue for at least another decade. The sand-coloured church’s soaring spires are visible throughout the city, but its peculiarly fluid form is best appreciated up close. Every surface overflows with sculptures depicting biblical scenes while carved snakes and lizards seem to scuttle overhead. The shadowy lighting means the massive chamber seems almost grotto like, and other visitors’ softly murmured whispers make a visit surprisingly soothing no matter how busy it gets.
It might be a building site, but La Sagrada Familia is already a working church. Visit during Christian festivals for special services and concerts and experience La Sagrada Familia at its most sacred. Almost a modern point of pilgrimage, the world’s Christian faithful travel from around the world to pay their respects. Join the throngs for a communal show of appreciation for Gaudi’s visionary building. Throughout the year visitors can also get closer to heaven by ascending its towering spires; from above a gentle breeze caresses you as Barcelona bows down beneath you – a divine experience.
You might find a visit to La Sagrada Familia so inspiring that you want to track down more of Gaudí’s incredible designs. A hotel near La Sagrada Familia in the Eixample district means you’re also near another signature Gaudí work: the skeletal Casa Batlló, which resembles a house of bones. Reflect on a day’s sightseeing by relaxing in his hilltop oasis Park Güell. Multicoloured tiles dazzle visitors, while the view stretches beyond terracotta-coloured rooftops to the glistening Mediterranean Sea.
When: Daily, year-round
Where: Sagrada Familia, Eixample
