I'm not very good at saying no. But the other day in Barcelona I did manage it. And I have a few tips for the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's landmark.
I am the perfect tourist. Well, from a purely economic point of view. I visit the most overcrowded and stupid tourist traps. As long as they are among the top 10 must-see sights. Whatever the cost. Going to one place and skipping the most important spots – where would we end up? Ballooning in Mexico? (It was really unique!) For a mere forty dollars to the Rockefeller Center in New York? (Dream. Best sunset ever.) No matter. After all, you only live once. And who knows when you’ll come back again? So I always let myself be persuaded, even when reason (or my wallet) says it’s not worth it.
I also suffer from acute FOMO: Fear of missing out, the perpetual fear of missing something. I always open the top 10 pages of the travel guide first, and then I more or less plan to make sure I catch everything. After all, I want to have seen the most important things.
Barcelona as the perfect city trip?
That was also the plan for Barcelona. I actually know it well, but it had been so long since my last visit that it was time for a full sightseeing tour again. In my memory, Barcelona was this energetic city full of lightness, sunshine, joie de vivre and the best pickpockets in Europe (I still remember a tearful visit to a police station that was bursting at the seams with other victims). Barcelona is also easy to get to for a few days and relatively cheap. Thought.
Barcelona’s most famous landmark (and permanent construction site): The Sagrada Familia
How your own memory can deceive you: Even in the gray cold of January, Barcelona is far too crowded at the tourist highlights for there to be any joy. And at prices that even scare me as an unshakeable tourist trap invader. I would have loved to see the Sagrada Familia again from the inside, Gaudi’s eternal construction site (and here in Berlin everyone laughs about the capital’s airport – just look at Barcelona, it took over 130 years to build!) The city’s landmark. A cathedral unlike anything else that has gone before. An architectural work of art. The plan: climb one of the towers at sunset and see Barcelona in the soft light of the evening sun.
Hey, I’m Tatiana and I’m the blogger behind The Happy Jetlagger. Since 2014, I’ve been sharing my personal travel stories on this blog. I don’t have a big team behind me, so I’m pretty much a one-person show: All recommendations are fully researched by just me!
The only problem is if you don’t buy your ticket in time for the coveted sunset phase, only the stupidest times are left – and then in the end you don’t have the scruples to fork out 32 euros for entry to a church, especially at a time you can’t do anything with. I mean: 32 euros – hello? Without me. That’s right. Because enough is enough. And you have to say no sometimes. Even if the top 10 list remains incomplete.
Tips for the Sagrada Familia
- Be sure to buy tickets online in advance for the desired time. Even in the low season!
- Good times are in the morning (it’s said to be less busy) and in the afternoon/evening at dusk. The soft light makes the interior glow and photographers love the mega view of Barcelona from the towers.
- When you buy your ticket, you are asked which of the two open towers you would like to go up!
- Tower on the Nativity façade – This side of the cathedral was designed during GaudÃ’s lifetime. And you can walk on the upper bridge between the towers.
- Tower on the Passion façade – This tower is higher and offers an unobstructed view of the city. This side of the cathedral was only built after GaudÃ’s death. For the most part, however, this tower is considered to be the “better” one.
- If you only want to visit the cathedral, you can also buy a one-way ticket without going up the tower for 15 euros.
