Actually the entrance to the church is to other side from where you get out of the metro station, with the slanted columns and cubically sculpted Biblical figures in the façade
The construction of La Sagrada Familia is over a hundred years in the making with the work still in progress. Gaudí began the design as early as 1883 and dedicated the rest of his life (exclusively for a substantial period) to the completion of the project. Unfortunately Gaudí was struck down by a tram in 1926 and died. Thus the work had to be continued by various architects over the year. Today the project had endured two World Wars, a Civil war and almost forty years of dictatorship and is still not expected to be completed until at least 2020. Its construction period had dragged on for so long that it must be one of the few landmarks in the world that has become a tourist attraction even when it was still being built.
Because of its fame understandably La Sagrada Familia has attracted pilgrims in thousands each day but their admission booths at the entrance manage to keep the line moving rather smoothly and promptly. The admission, however, doesn't include the show-stopper of the church, the spindle-shaped tower.
The tower to Barcelona is what the Eiffel tower is to Paris. To get to the top you have to pay an extra two Euros and the elevator is the only way to go up but you have the option to go down by the stairs or the elevator, obviously because the elevator is where they charge you for that extra fee. Because there are only two elevators and each can contain twenty people at most in one time, it'll take much longer waiting time (about forty-five minutes) to get to the tower. Fortunately the line is just to the side of the church's nave, so you can appreciate the magnificent interior while you are waiting.
Truth to be told, because of all the contruction going on, the above picture is the best view you can get of the interior. If I zoom out just a little you will see all the scaffoldings there.
I must admit the long waiting line is worth it not so much for the view at the top but for the views, both internal and external, as you walk down the stairs (Needless to say I would highly recommend you NOT to take the elevator down)
高處不勝寒?
Looking down inside the spindle
Looking up inside the spindle
As breathtaking an experience as the trip to the tower is, if I could do it again, I would visit Schools building of the church before going up the tower because there is a reconstruction of Gaudí's workplace and an exhibitation focusing on the geometry he used for the church. That way you can appreciate all the symbolism and inspiration he adopted in his design
The above is the picture I am most proud of during the entire trip. It was a shot I took looking down from the spiral staircase at the bottom of the tower. After I took this picture I saw an exact same image in the Schools building. The reason is to showcase Gaudí’s idea of modeling the spiral staircase after the spiral pattern of how plants grow, a common motif of Modernisme to reference Nature. So turn out I do have a little bit artistic eye :)
The same shot but looking up this time, stalling the descending line by the way
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