Sagrada Familia: Construction Began in 1882, Completion Expected in the 2030s

Antoni Gaudi spent the last 15 years of his life living in the Sagrada Familia basilica and working on almost nothing else. He was hit by a tram in 1926, was initially unidentified because of his dishevelled appearance, and died three days later from his injuries. The crypt and apse were largely complete; the rest of the building was a collection of drawings and scale models. Successive generations of architects have worked from those materials - many of which were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War - to complete a vision that is now projected to finish in the early 2030s, making the total construction time roughly 150 years.

The building is both a minor basilica (classified by the Pope) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also, if you approach it on foot through the Eixample grid from any direction, genuinely startling in person. People in photographs look small against it for the same reason they look small in real life.

The interior is substantially better than the exterior, and most people who visit are surprised by this because the exterior is what all the photographs show. Inside, the branching columns that fracture at their upper sections like biological cell structures hold up a canopy of vaults; coloured glass fills the windows in blues and greens to the north and warm ambers and reds to the south. The light changes continuously through the day. Sitting inside during morning light is worth prioritising over any other part of the visit.

The Facades

The Nativity facade on the northeast was designed and substantially executed in Gaudi’s lifetime. The stone carving is dense and figurative: stone plants, creatures, and biblical narrative growing from a base of natural forms. Small salamanders and lizards appear at ground level; the Christmas narrative unfolds above; geometric structures support the towers above that. This is where to spend time looking closely.

The Passion facade on the southwest was designed by Gaudi but executed from 1987 by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. It is deliberately angular and stark - a designed contrast to the Nativity facade, appropriate for a facade depicting suffering and death. It is more controversial among visitors; some find it reductive, others find it the more honest of the two.

Practical Matters

Do not show up without a pre-booked timed entry ticket. Queue times for unbooked visitors run 2-4 hours in peak season and the daily allocation sells out days ahead. Book through sagradafamilia.org. Standard entry is around €26 for adults; adding a tower visit (recommended) costs €38 for the Nativity towers or €36 for the Passion towers. The tower visit takes you up by elevator, with descending stairs, to views down onto the facade carvings that are impossible to read from street level. Audio guide is included in the admission price and is worth using.

Allow 1.5-2 hours for a standard visit; 2.5-3 hours with tower access.

Metro: L2 and L5 to Sagrada Familia station.

Gaudi’s Other Buildings

Park Guell (€13 for the Monumental Core, advance booking required) has the famous mosaic terrace overlooking the city. Casa Batllo on Passeig de Gracia (€35-40) has a facade of ceramic scales and bone balconies, plus a central light well in blues and greens that is better than the exterior. Casa Mila (La Pedrera) on Passeig de Gracia (€25-30) has a wavy stone exterior and a rooftop with chimney stacks shaped like armoured warriors. All three require advance booking in peak season.

The Eixample district is the right base for all of this: mid-range hotels at €100-180 per night, well connected by metro.