The Sagrada Família is Antoni Gaudí's great unfinished basilica and the most visited monument in Barcelona. Construction has been going on for more than 140 years, and its towers keep changing the city skyline. Visits are by timed ticket only and often sell out, so planning ahead is essential. This guide covers the metro, booking, timing and what to look for inside and out.
About the Sagrada Família
Work began in 1882 under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, and the following year the young Antoni Gaudí took over the project. He changed the design completely and devoted the rest of his career to it, working on it until his death in 1926. He is buried in the crypt. When he died, only a small part of the building was complete, and work has continued since, funded by donations and ticket sales.
In 2010 the church was consecrated as a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. The Nativity façade and the crypt are part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the works of Antoni Gaudí.
The finished design has eighteen towers, representing the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and, tallest of all, Jesus Christ. Several have been completed in recent years, and the building will remain a construction site for some time, so expect cranes in your photos.
Getting to the Sagrada Família by metro
The Sagrada Família station is served by L2 (purple) and L5 (blue). Exits come up beside the basilica, and you will see the towers as soon as you reach the street. The station sits between two squares:
- Plaça de Gaudí, with a pond that gives the classic reflected view of the Nativity façade.
- Plaça de la Sagrada Família, facing the Passion façade.
Your ticket shows which entrance to use, so check it before walking around the building. For more places around the station, see our Barcelona metro guide.
Sagrada Família tickets and booking
Entry is by timed ticket, and buying online in advance on the official website (sagradafamilia.org) is the reliable way in. Tickets are frequently sold out for days or weeks ahead in spring and summer, and at weekends year-round. Options typically include basic entry with an audio guide, guided tours and tickets that include a visit to one of the towers.
Prices and opening hours change, and tower access can close in bad weather or for works, so check the official site for current prices and hours. Be cautious with resellers outside the basilica.
Some practical points:
- As a place of worship, it asks visitors to dress modestly, with shoulders covered and no very short shorts or skirts.
- Expect a security check at the entrance.
- Tower visits involve a lift up and a descent by narrow spiral stairs, and they are not suitable for everyone.
Best time to visit the Sagrada Família
The interior is defined by its stained glass, and the light changes through the day. In the morning, sunlight comes through the cooler blue and green windows on the eastern side. In the late afternoon, the sun lights up the warm red, orange and yellow windows on the western side, flooding the nave with colour. Many visitors find the late afternoon the most striking, but both are worth seeing.
The first slots of the day are usually a bit quieter. Allow one and a half to two hours for the interior and the museum below, and add time if you book a tower.
What to see at the Sagrada Família
The façades
- The Nativity façade, the part Gaudí saw built, covered in detailed sculpture of the birth and early life of Jesus, with plants and animals throughout.
- The Passion façade, by the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs, with stark, angular figures showing the crucifixion.
- The Glory façade, the planned main entrance, still under construction.
The interior
Gaudí designed the columns to branch like trees, so the nave feels like a stone forest, with light filtering through openings in the vaulted ceiling. Take time to sit and look up.
The museum and the school
Below the basilica, the museum shows Gaudí's plaster models, drawings and the techniques he used, including his hanging chain models. Outside, the small Sagrada Família Schools building, with its wavy roof, was built by Gaudí for the children of construction workers.
Nearby on the same metro stop
- Avinguda de Gaudí, a pedestrian avenue with cafés that leads toward the Hospital de Sant Pau.
- The Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, a former hospital complex by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, also a UNESCO site, reachable on foot or one stop on L5 at Sant Pau | Dos de Maig.
- The wider Eixample district, with Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera) on Passeig de Gràcia, a few stops away on L5 at Diagonal.
For cafés, restaurants and other sights near the basilica, open the Sagrada Família page on Around the Metro.