One of the highlights on our 2-week trip to Spain and Portugal. Gaudi's grand masterpiece in the…read moreresidential Eixample neighborhood is an icon of the city. It boasts bold, wildly creative, unmistakable organic architecture and décor inside and out - from its melting Glory Façade to its skull-like Passion Façade to its rainforest-esque interior. Really spectacular! We came at the end of the day, and the light was flooding through the stained glass window. We also did the Bell tower which has gorgeous panoramic views of the city. You take the elevator up and then down about 300 stairs down a narrow, winding staircase. Note: Buy timed entry reservations in advance, and make sure you book on the official website: www.sagradafamilia.org. I initially got scammed by Feel the City and paid €340, instead of €140. I hate that; the scammer sites are very official looking.

No matter how many photos you've seen, nothing really prepares you for seeing Basílica de la…read moreSagrada Família in person. Gaudí's masterpiece is breathtaking from every angle, and the level of detail on both the exterior and interior is incredible. As sunlight shines through the colorful stained-glass windows, the entire basilica fills with vibrant colors, creating a peaceful and unforgettable atmosphere. We took our time to appreciate all the little details rather than rushing through. The audio guide helped us understand the symbolism behind the design. Booking tickets in advance is highly recommended, especially during the busy season, as entry times often sell out.

The Gothic Quarter is exactly my kind of architecture. This is where the Catedral de Barcelona…read moresits, and it was so beautiful in person. I wish I had more time to actually learn about the cathedral and its history. Great place to take pictures obviously. Even though there were a lot of people around, we were still able to get shots without anyone in the background. Probably because we went there around evening, but it was still rather bright at night. Highly recommend!

The Cathedral of Barcelona, which is also called the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia,…read morewas built in the Gothic style from 1298 to the 15th century. It is an active church that provides masses, confessions, and other sacraments. It also provides tours for 16 euros and up (as of the time of this review). I understand that some people think that a church should be free to enter, but I also understand that many tourists are not practicing Catholics and that the church needs to bring in revenue to pay its bills. My tour guide took my husband and me to the exterior of this church and explained its architecture and history. We did not pay for an interior tour. It is a lovely church to see.

Europe has so many amazing old churches and no picture can replicate the experience of walking in…read moreand just taking it all in. But in looking at pictures it's hard to tell them apart from each other. Something this had that other didn't is the view of the city from the top put you have to go up narrow spiral staircase that is less than fun to navigate and deal with people going the other direction. But the view from the top was def worth it. Obviously if you have mobility or claustrophobia this wont be something you should try.

After visiting the other must see Catholic Churches in Barcelona this was by far my favorite…read more Built by the people for the people. The remnants of the fires that destroyed most of the original art in the church gives it character. We were not able to go to mass there but we most definitely will next time in town. Beautiful example of Catalonian Gothic and simply majestic and a must see.

The Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi is a Gothic church that was built in the 15th century. Today it…read moreis an active church with a worship schedule. My tour guide took my husband and me to view this church. We did not attend a worship service, but we admired the architecture. For example, the front facade has a main entrance that is surrounded by beautiful columns, arches, and a large window, which my tour guide said has a covering to prevent debris from falling. The bell tower still rings. Overall, I felt interested in seeing this church that is much older than what we have in the U.S.

Less than a 5 minute walk from my hotel, Chic&Basic Habana Hoose. Attracts lots of locals and…read moretourist, open until late and has a lighting tower on certain days. Def helped me find my way back home lol. To each their own but I'd say you don't need to pay to see a church that has all the same magical designs. Sorry Antoni and Sagrada Familia. The church rings its bell every hour on the hour, I truly enjoyed hearing them.

Don't let the distance dissuade you from visiting. There are a few ways to get there including…read moremetro and bus though we did taxi from where we were at the time. We actually went here before we visited La Sagrada Familia. If it had been reversed it would have felt anticlimatic. This site though has its own charms. The view of Barcelona is amazing. Definitely pay for the elevator (5 euro) ride. It takes you from ground (church ) level almost to the top just below the statue of Christ. The final level is accessed by stairs. When we arrived they were actually getting ready for Mass and we happily joined in. The Mass was in Castilian but the Catholic Mass structure is universal and I downloaded readings in English prior. As churches go, it was small but highly ornate. Oddly enough there is a carnival park as part of the grounds. Seems out of place but I suspect if you're going to haul your kids up there for Mass then they need to make it a family affair plus it brings in money. There is also a restaurant but we did not do that.

I would absolutely recommend hiking up to the temple. The view of Barcelona is stunning. We took a…read moretrain to the funicular and hiked up to the church from there. The hike is ~1.5 miles, but there is a notable incline. There is a funicular available for 5€ round trip, but this only gets you about halfway up

Betlem Church was founded in 1835 (previous churches on the grounds were damaged by fires), and…read moretoday it is still an active Catholic parish that provides masses and sacraments. A tour guide took my husband and me to this church. The baroque facade in the front of the church has a beautiful nativity scene above the doors, columns, and sculptures of saints. (During my visit, construction was occurring nearby and obscured some views.) I am not aware of any current tours that charge fees, but you may enter the interior of the church during its open hours.

Igesia de Betlém is a church located in the midst of a very touristy and busy area known as Las…read moreRamblas. It is a Catholic church with beautiful baroque architecture. Lovely! Small fee to enter.

I was just making my way to find this place. I was actually just coming here for the inner garden,…read morewhich I first saw it online. And I found this is quite lovely. When I was here, I just realized it was a church. So I just had a look first in the chruch, It was just a normal church, really humble And just the right side. I found the door and then I reached already inner garden. The garden is quite lovely. Besides plants there was also some statues here. It wasn't so big, it took me just couple minutes to walk around it. It was quite a peaceful place. They didn't charge me any fee for the visiting. There were also other room at the other side for the prayer. When I was there, they were in their Sunday routine. So I didn't want to intorrupt. There was two ways to get to this garden, besides the one I mentioned earlier, you can also go around the building. Then u will find the entrance. It is a lovely place to see, if you close by, why not, give it a look.

Before leaving home for Barcelona, I did a search of shows and concerts in the city during the days…read morewe'll be in town. I came across a show called Art de Guitarra. It described a Spanish guitar duet performed in a unique and intimate environment - the relatively small Church of Santa Ana, a church just east of Plaza Catalunya. We had no trouble finding the entrance to the small church. Once there, we were greeted by a girl handing out the actual concert tickets with my confirmation printout. Upon entering, we were directed to the small chapel inside where there may have been just 40-50 seats arranged in rows. The guitar duet, performed by a man and woman, was fabulous. The dark setting of the chapel at night set a stunning, and quaint, stage for them. The acoustics of the little chapel added to the depth of the music they performed. This couple performed an array of songs, and between each described the song in detail - its story, its meaning, and its feeling. The guy described the music in Catalán while the woman translated it to English for the crowd. If you have an opportunity to attend a Spanish guitar duet during your visit to Barcelona, you will assuredly remember it as a special experience.

Nice church! My mom goes to a few churches it this is the one she goes regularly. Nice cute. But…read moremake sure you check the hours of opening, it varies. This church is across the street from Panet bakery. It is right in the middle of the block. Not on any corner but right there almost middle. This is a Catholic Church.