Barcelona is an old tree whose trunk has thickened over two thousand years of history. In the centre of this trunk today is the Gothic Quarter. The streets of this area, situated to the right of the Rambla if walking up from the port towards Plaça de Catalunya, are narrow. As a result, their buildings, with the stamps of time and humidity etched onto their façades, are bathed by a faint and golden light, which touches the pavements for only a few hours a day. This city that dates from an early period, a reflection of the Catalan strength throughout the width and breadth of the Mediterranean world, still preserves a large urban centre, a series of large and extremely impressive historical buildings. Among them feature the city’s cathedral and the Palau Reial Major, symbols respectively of the religious and worldly powers, still in good conditions of use. Just like the Palau de la Generalitat, the headquarters of the Catalan Govenment, and the City Hall, home of the city’s local authority, as well as the beautiful Gothic churches of Pi or that of Sant Felip Neri, the Mercè or the Gothic church of Pi. Alongside these unique buildings, the Gothic Quarter preserves a centuries-old vitality. This vitality of yesteryear is embodied and sustained by the diverse trade guilds – cobblers, tailors, boilermakers, silversmiths, sail makers, etc.- who worked and lived in its secluded streets, and who on many occasions gave them their names. That vitality is preserved today – and sometimes increased- by the shops, bars, restaurants and hotels situated in its historic buildings, as well as a constant flow of foreign visitors.

photo credit: Stephan Geyer

The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is remarkable for its size and ambition. This church, which occupies a whole block of the Eixample district, is a mass of profusely worked stone in cathedral-like dimensions. Built around a Latin cross ground plan with five naves, it is characterised by its stylised towers, one houndred metres high, crowned by pinnacles covered in ceramics. These towers are quite spectacular in appearance but are not, however, the biggest part planned by Gaudí: among the parts still to be bult features a massive dome 170 metres high, set to become the most prominent part of the architectural piece. Work on the Sagrada Familia, started in the 19th century, to which Gaudí dedicated 40 years, and which is still in progress, could be completed around 2.025.

The Sagrada Familia can be visited every day, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. between April and September, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between October and March. The entrance ticket costs 8 euros, and allows access to the different parts of the temple (including the crypt or the schools, as well as the exhibitions), although, due to the works, some areas of the temple cannot be seen. There are lifts in the Nativity and Passion façades which, for an additional 2 euros, take you up 65 metres to be able to get a view of the whole building.

photo credit: pedro_qtc