2026 - August - Barcelona - Sagrada Família

What an effort I went through for this visit! For several years now, I have tried time and again to visit the Sagrada Família from the inside. You simply cannot get tickets at short notice.

This year, I had another trip to Barcelona, and I finally snagged some tickets. Then, shortly before, I had to realize that I had made a mistake with the date. How dumb can one be! Fortunately, it's free to return the tickets up to 48 hours beforehand. So the money was saved. And sometimes luck is on your side, as I was able to purchase new tickets for the correct day.

However, I had to reschedule my train journey for that. At the train station itself, there were no storage options due to all the construction work, so I had to store my bags nearby at a high cost. The station is currently under renovation; it's really awful there. But everything worked out in the end.

You can't imagine the crowds standing outside the cathedral taking photos. And the security check at the Sagrada Família is stricter than at the airport. Even after going through the scanner, I still had to unpack my bag, and my stomach drops were scrutinized. Goodness, glass bottles are technically forbidden, even very small ones. But okay, it's important medicine. I was allowed in with my stomach drops.

In the end, I finally got inside. The Sagrada Família fully lived up to my expectations. I had seen many photos and Gaudí's works on other objects before, so I wasn't completely surprised. Light plays a central role here. Everything shines in different colors, and then there’s that cake decorator architecture!

I would love to come back at a different time of day, with different lighting, and especially with fewer people.

Since I booked the combination ticket with the tower visit, I also went up. The elevator takes you up 65 meters. To come down, you have to go alone down the spiral staircase. That was, of course, no problem. However, a proper visit from the top was not really possible. There were here and there a sort of small lookout and a small bridge, but everything was tightly gridded. I tried to take the few photos that were possible skillfully through the grates.

But why am I talking so long here? Just look at the photos of the Sagrada Família for yourself.

Tip: Here is the link to the official ticket site:

https://sagradafamilia.org/tickets-individuals

One can purchase tickets there at the earliest two months in advance. Free returns are possible up to 48 hours prior.

Extra tip: The printed time is taken very seriously by the entrance staff, but arriving 15 minutes earlier is possible.