The Sagrada Familia – 5 Tips for This Must-See Spot

So you want to see the Sagrada Familia? Of course you do! And you should, because it is one of the city’s best monuments.

La Sagrada Familia. By Regina Winkle-Bryan

Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral is worth the quick trip on the metro and the cost of a ticket to go inside and climb its towers. Here are a few tips to consider when checking out La Sagrada Familia:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. BE A NINJA! Pickpockets in Barcelona are as common as pigeons and as smart as crows. Where there are tourists, there are pickpockets dressed like tourists robbing them. Be on the lookout when you’re at La Sagrada Familia because petty theft is rampant.

Climb to the top! Wear your sneakers and be prepared to tour around the outside, inside and upside of Guadi’s masterpiece. There is an elevator inside but you will have to pay more and wait. So, be ready to take the stairs.

Don’t eat by La Sagrada Familia. Go a few blocks in any direction to get away from higher prices and low quality food that is served all around the cathedral. This is tourist trap central, so do as the locals do and walk four or five block away to find a real restaurant.

Take the tour. I’m a tour geek and believe that you’ll get a lot more out of your experience at La Sagrada if you pay for a guide or at least an audio guide…otherwise you may not know what you are looking at, and all the fun stuff that is to come if they ever actually finish the building.

Hospital Sant Pau. From La Sagrada Familia it is a 15 minute walk up to Hospital Sant Pau, a working hospital and Modernista Masterpiece. There are far less tourists at Hospital Sant Pau, and it is truly beautiful. Don’t miss it!