Famous landmarks are interesting to me. A lot of times I wonder why they became so famous in the first place. La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain is one of those famous landmarks. It is certainly unique and interesting to explore, but I think another reason that it is so famous is the original architect himself, Antoni Gaudi.
Gaudi is known for this look above. I call it the melting cake icing look. I can’t remember any other buildings with this look in the world (other than Gaudi’s other work). I really could look at it for hours and never see all the details.
And let me tell you…if you don’t purchase your tickets online before you arrive, you will have several hours to study all the details on the outside of the building. The line to get tickets was over three hours long on the day I visited.
Most of the cathedral is muted beige tones, but then there are a few random pops of color, like this one above.
And these interesting berry blobs. I mean how can you even describe this place. Maybe that is why it is so famous. You just have to see it to believe it!
One thing I didn’t like was the construction. But it has been going for 132 years with an expected end date of 2026. OMG! So you can expect to see these scenes above if you visit any time soon.
As you make your way around the cathedral, it changes from the melted icing Gaudi style to the hard edges of the current architects style.
It’s like seeing two completely different cathedrals.
Just another one of the reasons I think this cathedral is so famous. Controversy has surrounded all the different styles involved since the death of Gaudi.
No matter the reason for its famed reputation, La Sagrada Familia is one cathedral you should see. If you want to visit the inside I highly suggest purchasing your tickets online before you go.
I will admit, I had no idea the line would be so long. None of my reading before the trip warned me of this. But luckily, you have me, and can learn from all my stupid mistakes. 🙂 I did not wait in line for three hours. I took all the above photos from the outside of the cathedral gates and walls. I didn’t pay any money and it only took me about 45 minutes to walk around and take all my photos. I do hope to visit Barcelona again. Maybe I’ll wait till 2026 when all the construction is over….and I will buy my tickets online!!!
I'm totally bookmarking the date so I can see when it's actually finished! I visited in 1985 and you're right, it really is irritating watching all that building work. Wonder what the queues will be like when the builders have gone?!!
Good to know about reserving tickets on-line. I visited back in 1998 but didn't have a chance to go inside. I'm not even sure if the interior was open to the public on time. I really want to return, probably after it's completed. I remember the "melting cake icing look" but didn't notice some of the more defined additions from the later stages that are in your photos.