Beautiful monastery, located against the backdrop of the Montserrat mountain where the peaks are…read moreliterally surrounding the monastery. The Cathedral that is at the heart of this monastery is very ornate and gorgeous with classic European craftsmanship from an age gone by clearly visible throughout the cathedral. As beautiful as the monastery is, the elevated views from this location are drop dead gorgeous and worth the trip alone. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, there was a mass going on where they closed viewing of the black Madonna for the day to not be in conflict with the mass which is standard practice. So you need to keep an eye on this if you plan to visit this site. The other negative thing is that the place was slammed with tourist and I felt that the outlying buildings were completely commercialized to sell trinkets to the tourist that visit. I personally am not a fan when places of worship do this, but I do understand that this type of operation probably funds the maintenance and operation of monastery year-round and is probably a necessary evil in this case. All in all, this is one of the main attractions in the Barcelona area and should be included on any itinerary during your visit here. Opportunities to see beauty like this along with it's historical relevance are far few and in between and should be taken advantage of anytime you're given this opportunity.

Quite the journey but makes a great day trip outside of the city. Although it can get very crowded…read moreup there, it's still relaxing and surreal. Book tickets in advance as they sell out, especially the choir which is the highlight of the day. They perform at 1:00pm sharp.

Absolutely amazing and beautiful historic church that is rich in history and beautiful detail and…read morefinest of craftsmanship. There is a lot of history and as far I know this temple has been being built since the the late 1800's and continued to be worked on until this day. I highly recommend making reservations well in advance to experience the wonder of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the guided automated tour is spectacular and very well done and organized. Each side of the pristine chapel has beautiful meaning and full of rich and tells the story of Christ. Few notes: there is a restroom and souvenir shop available. 5 stars because anything less would be sacrilegious and disrespectful. Thank you for this historic landmark and for maintaining such a beautiful and grand masterpiece that is the La Sagrada Familia!

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.

Beautiful old church at the top of Cadaques…read more Only one mass per day. Has a Dali painting in one of the alcoves. Fantastic views from the plaza.

This truly amazing Romanesque cathedral is the centerpiece of this well preserved, living, 10th…read morecentury Catalan village. The first time I came to Barcelona I missed Girona as a day trip and now that I've been here I insist if you're in Catalonia you simply must experience this. A full day maybe two. The massive church is not just Romanesque, there are Gothic and Baroque elements. There are 8 pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (the 4th century), the recumbent Christ dates back to the 14th century by sculptor Aloi de Montbrai. It's just breathtaking. There is an admission fee, I can't remember what it was because a visit here is truly a priceless experience. It is up a steep climb but just take your time, rest a bit, climb on. Do not miss this.

A beautiful church that was once known as Girona's only cathedral up until the 10th century. It's…read morewell known for its' gothic structure, interior artwork, and slim bell tower. The church is named after and dedicated to St. Felix of Girona. I did a walking tour of Girona and the Basilica of Sant Feliu was one of the highlights. It isn't nearly as popular or as crowded as the nearby Girona Cathedral, but it still holds a great significance to the city. I did not get to tour the inside of the church, but the facade is charming enough to warrant a visit even if you don't go inside. If you're able to embark on a guided walking tour of the city, you'll learn a lot about the history of the church. Since Girona is small, most tours include the Basilica of Sant Feliu and you'll be able to walk through most of the downtown area in one day. It's worth a stop and at least a walking tour if you're planning to explore Girona.

If you like history this is pretty cool. There is no a/c so dress accordingly. We went on a very…read morehot day. Guys will be asked to remove hats; not a big deal. The tour phone comes in many languages and is included in the tour price. It's just impressive how many beautiful art pieces are preserved and available to see.

This is such a beautiful cathedral and has so much history. It is a Roman Catholic Church known for…read moreits gothic architecture. Also a fun fact is that scenes from Game of Thrones was shot here. It's a must see when visiting Girona!

Beautiful baroque church, bell tower and chapel dating to 1509 with multiple architectural…read moreinfluences including Antoni Gaudi. Limited visiting hours. Definitely worth a look and would recommend the sea walk access to get there from the neighboring beach town of Lloret de Mar.

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.

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

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.