La Sagrada Famillia is a well known and iconic monument in Barcelona. Thousands of tourists pass through its doors each day to experience this unique church characterised by its distinctive structure. It's certainly the best example of modernist architecture created by Gaudí. In fact, its uniqueness has made it the most visited monument in Spain in 2011, with 3.2 million visitors, followed by the Museo del Prado in Madrid (2.9 million), and the Alhambra in Granada (2.3 million). Barcelona itself is quite a touristic city, if you want to feel less like a tourist and more like a resident then you may consider staying in one of the vacation apartments Barcelona has on offer.
Construction started on this basilica in 1882, and originally Gaudí had nothing to do with the project. The monument was built according to the design of Francisco de Paula del Villar, and was to be a standard neo-gothic church. Guadí began in 1883 and Francisco retired from the task. He began to radically change the design into what we know of it today, with its 18 towers. Many problems halted the progression of the building, like the Spanish civil war, the project has still not been completed and Gaudí never got to see the finality of it.
Gaudí died in 1926, but thanks to the many thorough sketches and drawings he left behind, construction has continued. At the moment they're finishing the “Portales del Nacimiento y de la Pasión” an entrance, and have started on “Gloria” a facade. The interior vaults are also being worked on. All of the works by Gaudí, included La Sagrada Familia despite being incomplete, are considered by UNESCO as world heritage sites.
Experts predict that the work will be completed in 2026, to coincide with the centennial year of Gaudí's death. Although it's beautiful on the outside, it's even more of a wonder within. If you want to get into this attraction then you definitely should grab tickets in advance, and there's almost always a long queue, so go early.
One way to get there as early as possible is to rent a Barcelona apartment by the attraction. If you stay in the area, not only will you have this beautiful landmark on your doorstep, you'll be only a 15 minute walk from the city centre.