Gaudí's unfinished basilica — construction began in 1882, expected completion around 2026 — remains the defining structure of Barcelona. What makes the Sagrada Família transcendent is not the exterior (though the Nativity and Passion facades are extraordinary), but the interior: forest-like columns branch toward the ceiling, stained glass floods the nave with colour that shifts with the sun, and the mathematical precision underlying every curve becomes visible. This is sacred architecture built on geometry, botany, and light. Essential Barcelona.
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Book tickets online in advance — entry is timed and sells out. Arrive when the sun is at the right angle for the stained glass (morning for the Nativity facade side, late afternoon for the Passion side). Spend time in the nave observing how the light moves through the space. The towers offer city views but the interior is the revelation.
Early morning (9am entry) or late afternoon (4-5pm) for the best light through the stained glass. Avoid midday when tour groups peak. Weekdays are calmer. Winter offers fewer crowds and equally beautiful light.
Tickets must be purchased online in advance — walk-ups are rarely available. Entry €26-40 depending on what you add (towers, museum, audioguide). The towers require climbing narrow spiral staircases — not for everyone. Construction continues and sections may be under scaffolding. Gaudí died in 1926, struck by a tram; he is buried in the crypt. The project has been controversial (funding, aesthetics, the computerized construction methods used since the 1980s), but the result is undeniable. Sagrada Familia metro.